GiuliaPiraino

I was hoping to get some input for an upcoming gastronomic adventure in Paris.

I'm starting one of these fun little Moleskine City books where you write your own travel guide and it's a trip journal too (see link below). I wanted to do this prior to the trip, so I can make a list of things not to be missed, especially in the area of food! When we were in Paris a few years ago, I didn't feel like we really, truly got to experience the local flavor so I thought I'd do a little planning before hand. I would love for any of the food passionate out there to throw out a list!

Also, if there are any off beat sites that aren't to be missed I'd love to hear about that too. We've done the major tourist attractions and I'd like to hear about some quirky or unusual things!

I'm going to xpost the same for Barcelona!

Thanks!

http://www.moleskine.com/index_eng.php

suze

best "hot dog" i ever had was in Paris (sausage, baguette, fancy melted cheese)

crepes from the corner stands

sandwich from a bakery, a memorable chicken salad on w.w. bread eaten in a park comes to mind

GiuliaPiraino

what's w.w. bread? Weight watchers? LOL

kerouac

Frankly, I cannot think of a single food item that it considered to be an exclusive Paris speciality.

But you can find items from just about anywhere in France or anywhere in the world in Paris.

The farther you stray from the center, the more exotic the offerings become.

Suspaul

Nutella & banana crepes! Yum

GiuliaPiraino

I guess I should have said France rather than Paris, huh? So maybe we'll just say unique to France. Or maybe northern France?

I'm starting to drool reading these posts.

suze

It was a very dense and delicious sliced whole wheat bread.

Dejais

Three tastes that I enjoyed on my first trip and always look for now:

Pain au chocolat (chocolate croissant);

Chocolat aux poire (Chocolate cake with pears);

Croque Monsieur (grilled cheese sandwich).

Linda431

Croque Madame (same as croque mr. with an egg on top)

Chocolate macaroons

Pistachio macaroons

Hot chocolate so thick you can stand a spoon up in it

oakglen

Aligote, the ultimate mashed tater, Chez Flottes and others.

Mahya2

If you like mussels, which I do, I love Leon of Bruxelles in Paris - there's more than one, you get a pot full of mussels with whichever sauce you desire, a glass of wine, and lots of wonderful French bread for dunking. I usually go to the one off St. Michel in the vicinity of Luxembourg park. Mmm MM good.

zooey91

The pastries are what I dream about when I'm at home thinking of Paris. So many Pâtisseries, not enough time.

Also, although I never associated chocolate with Paris until my first visit, I should have. Some amazing chocolate shops, so try a few, then try a few more, then go back to the ones you liked best, then . . . .

travel2live2

Where to begin? There are so many:

Veal with Camembert flamed in Calvados
Norman apple tart soufflee
Honey roast pigeon
Foie gras (many ways)
Turbot
Sole stuffed with wild mushrooms
Roast rabbit
Calves' feet pie baked with frog legs
Pigs' feet stuffed with foie gras
Creme brulee
Crepes with pastry cream and flavoured with brandy or champagne
Beef marrow with truffles and white beans
Sea bream with fennel
Supreme of melted chestnuts with morels and caramel
Potee (boiled pork and cabbage)
Plum tarte tatin
Duck confit on choucroute
Tete de veau (calf's head) in white wine

Oops! As soon as I typed these northern France dishes I realized you are looking for Paris specifically. Sorry - will look up info in my little notebooks.

GiuliaPiraino

Travel2live2: I think I am going to pass out reading your list, it all sounds delicious! Northern French specialites are great, even if we will only be in Paris. I may pass on the stuffed feet and head, but Supreme of melted chestnuts with morels and caramel sounds like a dream! Anything with chestnuts!

Pvoyageuse

Some specialties of Ile de France and Paris :
Duck à la Montmorency (with cherries)
Potage Crecy (carrots)
Potage "Belle Cressonière" (watercress)
Potage Saint-Germain (peas)
Tête de veau à la parisienne
Asperges d'Argenteuil (asparagus)
Pithiviers, Paris-Brest (pastries)
Cheese : Brie de Meaux, Coulommiers
Moutarde de Meaux (mustard)
Sweets: Gâtinais honey, rose-petal jam of Provins....
etc......

ecat

At the Bastille Market on Thursdays or Sundays, seek out the Guerande 'Fleur De Sel' Sea Salt man. On Thursdays he sells divine Butter & Salt Caramels. I brought home 7 bags!

bozama

AS noted, not nessesarily unique to Paris or France, but definately done better there then many other places.. LOL

Cheese- any type, hard, soft, creamy , smelly and crumbly,, all cheese is good!

Bread- I like the regular baguettes,, just the long skinny ones, the taste IS different then at home, wheat is different I guess. The best sandwich is a baguette slightly buttered with a thin slice or two of ham,, nothing else,, so tasty!

Moules( mussels)- we have them here, but I liked the ones in Paris best, they are small but you generally get a huge bucket of them.. never any skunkers in the bunch. Offered done many ways too, not just the wine/shallots/cream style anymore.

Crepes- the best ones are made in front of you, watch them pour the batter, if they use premade ones forget it,, I stand near the crepe cart before I order and watch to be sure they are not using crepes they made in the morning, or worse the night before!!
The ham and cheese crepe with fresh sliced tomatoe is a fab meal,, and so tasty, I am looking forward to once again visiting the stand on the corner by Notre Dame and the Concierge,, best dang crepes ever!( and ice -cream sold there,, Berthillions ,, is yummy too)

bozama

I forgot,, very important, I always offer a side dish of the haricots verts.. they are much smaller and tastier then any we have here.

Lawchick

Take a trip to La Grande Epicerie in the Bon Marché.

I used to wonder why I never had any money when I lived in Paris. I used to do my grocery shopping in the Bon Marché on my way home from work. Duh!
Then I moved to the 9th (bigger cheaper apartment so saved some money) (just shopped then in the Galeries Lafayette Gourmet on my way home from work - Duh x 2.)

bubblywine

There's this little place near the Pompidou called La Hanger and their beef stroganoff was the best on the entire planet. I do not exaggerate, we went there 3 times. AND they have molten chocolate cake, great friendly service, decent wine and good prices.