FainaAgain

Somebody posted a question about sharing a meal in Paris restaurants. I don't want to hijack the thread and I've never been to Paris, only to a few places in Switzerland.

First time for lunch I've ordered (vegetarian) soup, spinach ravioli and mineral water. Being warned the portions are small I planned on going maybe to a bakery for dessert and coffee. I didn't need dessert! I couldn't finish the entree, it was a normal american-sized dish. And I am a large woman accostomed to eating a lot.

Next day it was soup and sandwich... which went in my purse to eat later. The soup with cheese and croutons in the Zurich museum was so overfilling!!

Now tell me please, is it just me, or is it in Switzerland only where the food is rich and fills you up fast? Or maybe a snack in the form of ice-cream cone between breakfast and lunch? And I thought I'd be hungry all time walking so much as opposed to sitting all day in the office.

socialworker

We are not Paris experts, but we have been there multiple times and have never been served a large meal.

Tiff

Hi Faina ~

With regards to:
<And I am a large woman accostomed to eating a lot.>

Really? I always pictured you tiny, with cute little shoes.

<Next day it was soup and sandwich... which went in my purse to eat later.>

I am sure you meant that the sandwich only went into your purse, but all I could think of the soup in it and that brought to mind Sue's trip report (remember) with the ink exploding in her new, expensive, Italian bag!

<Now tell me please, is it just me, or is it in Switzerland only where the food is rich and fills you up fast?>

No it's not just you and it's not just Switzerland. Yummy fattening things always fill me up faster too, it's so rich, and delicious and you don't need alot to fill up, that is for certain!

Now go and put on your cute little shoes I picture you in.

Happy Friday to you, Tiff \/

socialworker

I have to admit that I, too, was getting a mental image of a purse w/soup dripping down the sides.

rex

<<And I am a large woman accostomed to eating a lot.>>

<<And I thought I'd be hungry all time walking so much as opposed to sitting all day in the office.>>

There is a considerable body of information (some anecdotal, some research-supported) that sedentary people can experience a double effect from an increase in activity - - decreased appetite, as well as the increased caloric consumption.

Alas, the motivation (to engage in the increased activity) that is associated... for many... with traveling in Europe - -

- - does not seem to be duplicated when the travel concludes!

Best wishes,

Rex

TexasAggie

The soup in the purse image brings my incident back to mind... mindlessly grabbed the open CocaCola bottle and dumped it unceremoniously into my purse while chatting (thinking all the while I was dumping my capped bottle of water into my purse). A very sticky mistake.

cmt

I haven't noticed that portions are particularly small. When I'm by myself, I can't eat multi-course meals. They'd be too much food for me.

FainaAgain

Thank you, CMT, at least somebody's taking me seriously LOL

Soup in purse? Whoever gave you this idea. Those Fodorites and their imagination! :-"

I was just surprised the portions were large...

And, Tiff, I'm working on my "size"... some day I'll change my nick from Faina-A-Gain to Faina-A-Loss

FainaAgain

Rex, if there was a decrease in appetite, unfortunately it didn't last long enough to bring it home to San Francisco

Gretchen

The portions aren't small--they are just realistic.

ira

Hi F,

We have found that we can eat like pigs in Paris and lose weight.

We did not find this to be true in Holland, Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Austria and the Czech Rep.

We shall determine if the food in France Profond is as light as it is in Paris in Sept.

StuDudley

I've had hundreds of multi-course meals in France. Rarely do I not eat everything, and I'm usually not stuffed either. The trick is to shy away from over indulgence in the cheese course.

In '01, we decided to take a trip to New England, instead of our normal fall France trip (not because of 9/11 - we had our trip planned a long time before that). I have never seen so much food served at restaurants in my life. Personally, about 5 bites of any one thing is enough for me. At the Red Lion Inn in Stockbridge, I only ate about half my dinner - and I think there were only two courses (no room for dessert). Same with other restaurants in New England. Where I live in San Francisco, portions are smaller.

Here is a typical dinner in France:

1. Amuse Bouche of cold asparagus soup with truffle oil & a few mousses floating in the soup.
2. 6 Mediterranean appetizers, consisting of a plate with 6 small cups filled with:
a. Ecrevisse (crayfish) with rouille
b. Andouille sausage with ratatouille
c. Fried cod with brandade (cod & potato mixture) w/ sun dried tomatoes
d. Brandade with olive oil & truffle slivers
e. Lobster mousse with tomato coulis & a asparagus spear - yummie
f. fried chicken liver wrapped with salmon marine (marinated)
3. Loup (Sea Bass) with fleur de Sel & truffles
4. Rosemary sorbet w/ liqueur as a palate cleanser
5. Lamb with 3 sauces – Garlic, Banyuls, & mushroom sauces. With an eggplant gratin
6. Small cheese course
7. Ice cream gateau
8. a large serving bowl with meringues at the end of dinner
This menu was 60E, and my wife had a smaller menu for 46E.

The 6 mediterranean appetizers were 1 or 2 bites each. There were probably only 2 lamb ribs. The fish was smaller than a pack of cigarettes.

Stu Dudley

bardo1

ira,

Maybe the reason food is light in Paris in September is because the restauranteurs have just returned refreshed from their vacations.

nytraveler

Portions in Switzerland, Germany and Austria tend to be somewhat larger - like Ameican portions - while those in France, Italy and Spain tend to be smaller (to me more normal-sized - since I can never finish a meal in the US).

And I love the image of the soup in the purse. The first time I went to europe (at 19 with my beau and defiitely on a budget) we would take extra breakfast stuff for lunch - but it was rolls and cheese - don;t know what I would have done with soup. Maybe inside a secret plastic bag hidden in the lining of the purse?

JennyK

Although we go to France every year, I have not visited Paris recently. However, food portions vary according to the types of restaurants and whether they are in to "nouvelle cuisine" type food. Generally the portions are similar to the US but you do tend to serve larger portions of meat such as steak.
Having said that I ate in a Michelin star restaurant last month near Vichy and whilst the portions were not large, all of us struggled to eat all four courses plus the bits and pieces beforehand and in between and all for 43 euros.

ira

Stu!

Mice floating in your soup!!!!????

ira

Good point, Bardo.

Would that apply in April as well?

ira

Hi NYT,

>..don;t know what I would have done with soup. Maybe inside a secret plastic bag hidden in the lining of the purse?<

That's what the ladies who have the 5:00 PM specials do in Florida.

gertie3751

No, they aren't small in Europe, it's just that they're large in the US.

platzman

Its been my experience that if you're sitting in a restaurant in the German-speaking countries (ie Switzerland, Austria, Germany), you won't go hungry.
The portion sizes are the same as the USA probably two-thirds of the time.
Whereas in France, portion sizes are SMALLER about two-thirds of the time.
But it doesn't bother me at all. In France, I can eat extra wonderful breads, cheeses and bakery goodies to make up for it!