dan woodlief

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.

bo_jack

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.

Bob Brown

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>

Bob Brown

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>

April

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>

Martha B

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.

Brian in Atlanta

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 . . .

dan woodlief

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.

AJ

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>

martha python

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

Brian in Atlanta

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.

cherie

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

martah python

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

elvira

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.

dan woodlief

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

elvira

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

CHERIE

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

specs

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

dan woodlief

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.

raeona

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.)