Robin, at most cafes, etc. you will find many "normal" items on the menu, such as onion soup, croques monsieurs (ham and cheese sandwiches), mashed potatoes, veal, chicken, etc. I don't think that will be a problem. Just pick up a language guide with a good food section or a special food guide. Or you can ask how it is prepared? As I said before, my wife is a picky eater, and she loved the food in Paris. We ate at no "American" restaurants either. So don't worry.

Back to the original question. Although I will try almost any food, my wife is both "picky" plus allergic to eggs (in concentration) and poultry in all forms. We have been in a number of countries, and cities large and small. We have never failed to find adequate food for her. Don't worry about it -- just explain your preferences as best you can; and almost any restaurant worth being in will try to accommodate you.

To get off the organ grinding kick, I would like to ask if any of you Paris veterans know where I can get some really great scallops - coquille St. Jacques? Most American restaurants ruin them, serving them up drowned in butter and cooked with all of the artistry of a demented savage. The best I ever had were, surprisingly, in Kansas City done by a Polynesian chef, and in Quebec, where they were treated with respect. <BR>

PS. I don't mean to fan the flames of the controversy over food, but any American who wolfs down hotdogs should really check out the ingredients -- and the factory where they were made -- before laying out adamant disclaimers concerning their picky eating habits. <BR>Just a thought!! <BR>

Ok, I'll fan the flames. Is it true that all Americans wolf down hotdogs? I've been known to eat the odd one (maybe one a year) and know that I don't really want to think about what's in it. But I can't pretend that brains, frogs, clams (gag) and such are something else. I'm still a picky eater who takes my jar of peanut butter along on holidays. <BR> <BR>And Brian in Atlanta, did you see the episode with the wriggling frogs in the bag and let's not forget the sheep's -- oh never mind -- I'm making myself sick. Ian Wright will eat anything. <BR>

Robin-- Some great-but-not-weird French things to try are "gigot d'agneau" ("leg of lamb) "entrecote" (beef ribsteak) "faux filet" (beef New York strip steak) and "cotelette de veau" (veal cutlet.) If you're just a little more adventurous, "magret de canard" is duck breast.

To April: I did see Ian take a bite of the sheep's eye, but I'll be on the lookout for those wriggling frogs. <BR> <BR>I can usually only justify eating a hotdog at a college football game after downing much too much bourbon, though I do hear that folks in Chicago know how to do a hotdog justice . . .

Did you see the episode on Mexico City when Justine ate a live beetle? She wouldn't try the termite eggs. Robin, another thing you might enjoy in Paris is dinner crepes, which can contain a variety of foods that you might find in a sandwich or omelette in the U.S.

Christina, lighten up. Of course travel is not all about food. If it were, I would be spending a lot of money simply to provide my family a gastronomic education. <BR> <BR>I was trying to make a joke with respect to the threads in which the Europeans are amazed at how fat all the Americans are (in their humble opinion). <BR>My joke obviously fell flat on it's (chubby-cheeked) face. <BR> <BR>And Christina, Christina. You may think that rabbits are disgusting and dirty...but mean? Perhaps you've been watching too much Monty Python. <BR>

Once when I was in the Metro, a rabbit shoved a carrot in my face while another rabbit picked my pocket.

And a couple of hares on a scooter snatched my wife's purse in Rome. You'd think the dirty little buggers would be fast enough without wheels.

I once saw a frog playing a squeezebox in the metro...

Cherie, did the frog still have its legs? I'm imagining a little cardboard sign asking for francs (merci!)

I don't know about mean, but have been treated rudely by some French rabbits. <BR>Could be because there was a loud, obnoxious jackelope in a crispy pink jogging suit standing next to me.

Elvira, I know what you are implying about the jackelope, but are you sure it wasn't a visiting Bavarian.

Dan: <BR>Now that I think about it, it could have been a snowsuit...and she was a ski bunny (ar ar ar)

I think Ive eaten jackalope...its orangish with seeds and tastes like chicken....

April, I have not seen hotdogs served in Parisian restaurants. But I have seen them serve dogs.

If you saw them serve a dog in the middle of summer, wouldn't that mean they were likely serving a hot dog? Or did you see them in January? In that case, please accept my apologies.

Sounds like we're just about a half a step away from haggis in a tube here, guys! Elvira: Yes, good pizza--once you get over the surprise of a soft fried egg in the middle of it. At least that's what came on every, of about 10, versions of the dish where we ate it. <BR> <BR>To the original poster: You should have NO trouble at all finding (what we tend to think of as) ordinary food in Paris. I didn't last year. My tastes pretty much parallel yours and I found no unpleasant surprises, and plenty of enjoyable food. (The glossary in the back of Cheap Eats in Paris seems pretty thorough, and is a book you should have along with you regardless.)