Lebotti - Paris

Italian in the Marché des Enfants Rouges
The idea of sitting outside for lunch on a cold Paris day wasn't exactly appealing. It helped that we were inside a covered market, but not a whole lot (read more on the market, here.) Luckily, Lebotti, the market's Italian traiteur, grouped a bunch of tables near some heat lamps and cocooned them in plastic. It was a tight arrangement - hip to hip and elbow to elbow but everyone seemed to be happy to be warm. Pingles ordered the lasagna and it wasn't bad at all. It was light on the sauce and heavier on the meat - my personal preference.

Mariage Freres - Paris

Poker Face? No Way....
As Pingles and I waited in a long line at the venerable Parisian tea house I had a bad feeling. I've been to far too many places that, after building a rep, coast lazily on it. The international tourist mix of those on line with us didn't offer much hope. I expected to be disappointed - these "must go" places tend to be the opposite. To my surprise, it was Pingles who seemed to have a greater let down. The first clue was how hot it was once we were seated. I decided not to order tea as a result - and this is a tea house! Pingles dealt with the heat by ordering a selection of sorbets with her pot of tea. After a few bites, she went into arm-folded mode. I tried all three and I honestly cannot tell you what they were supposed to be. Pumpkin seed dirt? Sidewalk gum heel? Embarrasingly bad. The tea was good but the mood was set and it wasn't going to recover.

Tartes Kluger - Paris

Just One Choice: Savory or Sweet

Of if you're smart like us, get one of each and share. Pingles asked for the ham, bacon and parmesan tarte, which came with a side of salad.

La Bague de Kenza - Paris

Tea and Cookies, Anyone?
Not just regular old tea and cookies but the North African sort for a change of pace. One foot inside La Bague de Kenza this is what you see - a tidal wave of unfamiliar sweets and cookies (unfamiliar to me at least.)

Banh Mi - Paris

New Banh Mi Shop Opens in Lil Wenzhou
I love banh mi, Puffin - I cannot seem to get enough of it. It's cheap, quick, fresh, spicy and delicious. This new shop is genius - it's simply named after the sandwich! It opened this week, within 50 feet of my front door in Lil Wenzhou. That's what I call the small area near Arts & Metier which is chock full of Chinese restaurants and shops, many opened by immigrants from Wenzhou, China.

Huré - Paris

The Rich Get Richer...
Some blocks in Paris barely have anywhere to eat, others have a place sprinkled here and there. Then there is rue Rambuteau - specifically, the two blocks between rue Beaubourg and rue des Archives. It's ridiculous: 3 green grocers, 3-4 brasseries, two Chinese restaurants, a Greek traiteur, two butchers, a creperie, an Italian restaurant, a fish monger, and the patisseries Pain de Sucre, Pralus, Berko Bakery as well as an outlet of LeGay Choc and probably 3-4 more things I'm forgetting. Now, out of nowhere, a brand new patisserie called Huré.

Djakarta Bali - Paris

She Was So Pretty, With Ribbons in Her Hair...
I spend a lot of time wandering the streets of Paris, it's one of my favorite things to do. On Saturday I was meandering near Les Halles when I saw her. She was stunning. Gorgeous. I crossed the street for a closer look. She was unlike the French ones - dressed in Indonesian finery and exotically perfumed. My throat tightened slightly. It was the hope from searching a long time for something and finally finding it.

Le Mirage - Paris

You Say Lactose, I Say Intolerant
When your body rejects dairy, there's nothing so stubborn or rebellious as four cheese pizza. It's self-hate, quatre fois! I'm still on a anti-French food kick deep in the middle of Paris, which can set you searching far and wide during lunch. Luckily, Le Mirage is an Italian spot about 10 minutes walk from the job that serves pasta and pizza.

Paris Hanoi - Paris

We're On a Vietnamese Kick These Days.....
Hey, what do you want from me? I'm tired of French food at the moment so I'm looking for other things. When I learned of a nearby Vietnamese restaurant I talked a somewhat reluctant colleague into joining me for lunch. I couldn't resist when I saw Banh Cuon on the menu. It was ok, but since I was mentally comparing it to this, there was little chance for it to stand out.

Gérard Mulot - Paris

Surprise, Surprise.....
You probably already know about the incredible cakes at Gérard Mulot. They stand at attention in the window like a small army - polished and attentive.

Saigon Sandwich - Paris

Cheap, Fast, Spicy! Are We in Paris??
Kinda tired of French cuisine at the moment so I was looking for a spicy jolt out of the doldrums. I'd read some nice things about this banh mi spot in Belleville called Saigon Sandwich (not to be confused with Paris Sandwich in NY's Chinatown) and went to try it for lunch. Belleville's not exactly around the corner from where I work, but thanks to my employer's generous two hour lunch rule (ok, I actually made up the rule) I had plenty of time to jump two trains to check it out.