minellac: I'm happy for you both. I'm sure you'll have a great time.

When you wrote this:

I am trying to learn some things but I find French hard to figure out--it took me time to figure out how to say "Champs"

I thought, "She should go to her library and borrow the Pimsleur French tapes."

I speak Spanish and Italian, but French was a puzzle. I tried at least 3 different CD's over the last several years. Nothing worked until I got the Pimsleur tapes. I walk almost everday and so I'd listen during my walks. Now I can't wait to go back to France and practice. haha. Because I speak Spanish and Italian, I was actually able to pick it up rather quickly......I just needed the right teacher! I think learning the language a little will enrich your experience. Plus it's fun to learn this language. Bon Voyage!

Thank you all. I will try a new book on food. Rex---I will learn words in French before we go.
You asked how many English words I would "expect" a French vistor to have learned before he goes to dinner in my town-----none--I live in Miami and no one will understand if he asks in English.
Thanks again.

When English translations will not help:

Fancifully named items. What the heck is it when the chef makes up the name himself? "Visions of the Meadow" won't help you. Things like this are found in neomodern cutting edge places.

Translations of dishes you wish you had known what that really meant before you ordered: Examples: "Tartar Steak" or "American Steak" ("Steak tartare" is raw chopped meat with a raw egg and various accompaniments, "Steak a la Americain" is cooked, at least, but the American part is a fried egg on top.) (This can also happen with pizzas. Beware!)

Poorly made or ordinary food, no matter how it is translated: Usually found at tourist restaurants displaying five or more translated menus with flags of the country being tanslated for. Especially if the menu is sealed in plastic. Very especially if a nice man at the door urges you to try his restaurant. Just say "Non."

Remember the first rule of strange things on the menu: If they are serving it, it is edible.

For the record, 40 years ago I discovered that tartar steak is quite good. The traveler sitting next to me was horrified by the fried egg on his steak and threw it away. His loss.

AJPeabody
I enjoyed your answer--20 times to Italy and the first time I had a egg on my pizza was in Prague.

Plenty of restaurants in Paris offer English menus. Just ask.

If you want to hear some basic French phrases to get some idea of pronounciation you can use www.travlang.com for free.

I speak virtually no French - just the requisite bonjour, merci, au revoir, sil vous plait and a few other polite phrases. But I have very little trouble deciphering most French menus. Many US restaurants (at least where I live) have menus totally full of French terms so you should already be familiar w/ a lot of them. W/ just a little study of French words for different foods and cooking styles you will be fine. I do have a small menu master but I forgot and left it home last trip and survived to tell the tale.

If anyone needs help translating menus, I can recommend my free online culinary dictionary:

http://www.pjkhospitality.com/index....tion=glossaire

It works on hand held devices if you've got wifi access.

Might help!

PjK

I'm with Kayd. Sometimes the English translation is harder to interpret than the original French. Just get a menu translator.

mimar: This thread is more than 2 years old. pkirrage registered just so he could top it and post a link to his website.

(Pkirrage: advertising is not allowed on Fodors)

Hi J,

check out his website.

It seems to be commercial free.

I eat pretty simply when I'm in Paris, usually the cafe's and brasseries. I have had some very good meals and I have found many of them have english menus posted, and while sitting and eating, I have heard a lot of french being spoken. I can only assume that these were tourists practicing their french.

Don't worry about it, you will be fine.

ira: Nope - if you notice, the site even has a "PJK Boutique" where he is selling all sorts of things. The "dictionnaire" is just one of many pages on his site and it is definitely a commercial venture.