Paris: American Eateries
 

Hi,<BR><BR>My wife is VERY SELECTIVE in what she eats, and has basically an "americanized food" only palette. From years of travel with her, I've given up on trying to change her eatting habits (that's how we made it to "years") :-) My question is: are American style restaurants plentiful, and if so, could you recommend a few. She enjoys places like: TGIFridays (I see one in MonteMartre), Chillis, Applebees, Bennigans, Texas Road House, Hard Rock, fast-food, etc.<BR><BR>Thanks in advance<BR>Billy

Leave her @ home. She doen't know the meaning of real food.

Are you troll or are you for real? I sure hope it's former rather than the latter! If it's the latter, then all I can say is. "How sad!" It's an insult to quality American cooking to cite the places you list as "americanized food." <BR>Foodie is right!

I truely hope this is a troll! If she was VERY SELECTIVE she would never eat at those chains listed!! How did Denny's not make the list? Oh my head hurts thinking about it...........

If this is an honest request, you might be better off renting an apartment with a kitchen so she can shop at the corner grocery and do her own cooking. In most restaurants, she could get a steak and fries, salad, fish. Just make sure she studies a menu list for French items so she doesn't get surprised. Or eat in areas that cater to tourists and a more "American" taste (an oxymoron in your wife's case).

Sounds unlikely, but if it's real, believe me there are enough such chain restaurants in Paris to keep her fed. Just look in the phonebook, you seem to have looked some up already. <BR><BR>There is at least one Chicago Pizza Factory or something on bd Edgar Quinet, as well as numerous Tex-Mex chains (Indian Cafe and Mustang Cafe), plus the Hardrock Cafe, as well as tons of fast food places liked KFC or Pizza Hut or McDonalds, etc.

Why even go to Paris, how about Newark ??

Hey Foodie,<BR><BR>Don't make fun of Newark!! She could go to Rutt's Hut or North Arlington Diner.

Hi all,<BR><BR>The post is real. My wife likes burgers, potatoes, steak, roast beef, prime rib, "American style Pizza",...and all fairly unseasoned...and nearly no vegetables. A basic beef/potatoes/bread type. Sort-of American frontier food. Its just her preferences. She has a fairly simple pallate..nothing wrong with that..it's just her preferences. Sorry if the post offended a few. We're going to see the sites & history, not for the gastronomic aspects of Paris.<BR><BR>By "Americanized", I mean that Mexican food in most places in the US tastes different than the same food in Mexico. Same with Chinese, Italian,etc.

Billy, Steak w/ french fries is easily available (and common) at most any lunch or dinner bistro or cafe style place in Paris. Also there are fast-food joints similar to a McDonald (I forget the French chain name) but the food is the same type menu.<BR><BR>My advice is rather than try to find American chains specifically, that you can figure out some plain, non-sauced dishes to order in normal French places.<BR><BR>The above posters idea of getting a kitchen would solve the problem, if you're interested in shopping and cooking for yourselves.

Un entrocote grille with soup a l'oignon and a mousse choclat would be pretty close to an American steak with fries with onion soup and chocolate pudding except far better.

McDonalds.

One of my favorite New York and London places is Joe Allens. Last week we ate at their Paris branch -- yea, yea, I know, 'why do American when you're in Paris'? Surprisingly we were the only Americans I saw there. The place was full at lunch of local business people -- quite a number who seemed to have their regular tables and came and went. We decided it was the place for Parisians to go when they want to secretly eat ketchup with their pommes frites, as nearly every one of them was pouring the Heinz right over them. While I had a little more contempory lunch (seared rare tuna on a tomato coulis with pesto, following a spinach, bacon, and blue cheese salad) partner Lee stuck to the traditional -- a big plate of barbeque spare ribs with a baked potato and corn on the cob. I think your wife would be very happy there and the food is really very good. It's near the corner of Etienne Marcel and Rue St. Denis.

Good lord, Billy, your wife must be so unhealthy if that's all she likes to eat. What a pity to go to Paris and only eat in places like Friday's! Being an American myself, I NEVER EVER go to chains in this country! You guys must be from the midwest.

Actually, I like more authentic Mexican food (because I lived in LA many years) than what you can get in most places and I really don't like Tex Mex --- the TexMex in Paris hasn't really been that bad when I had it, just as good as in the US Midwest (or better).<BR><BR>In any case, I thought of a new one -- the restaurants in the Paris Hilton near the Eiffel Tower try to be sort of Americanized California cuisine (unless they've changed), so that's an idea.<BR><BR>I don't think there is any French McDonalds -- there is the Quick chain but they aren't French, and I think they are worse than McDonalds, although you wouldn't expect they would be (I think they are Belgian). YOu really don't want fast food joints anyway, for dinner, I'm sure. <BR><BR>I will admit I'm puzzled by this request, certainly not offended, just because I don't understand what that means for most regular dishes, like grilled steak, roast chicken, potatoes, etc. You can certainly avoid any French sauces or unusual dishes if you want, even in French restaurants/cafes. There are tons of Italian restaurants in Paris, also, most people like Italian food. Along the lines of Patrick's comments, there are quite a few English pubs around (I know there's one around rue de Buci) and they might have food that is probably pretty much like you might want (hamburgers, simple steaks, etc).

Billy, we just got back from Paris and our last three nights in a row we ate a place called Coffee Parisien at 4 Rue Princess in the St Germain des Pres area. They dub themselves an American restaurant although we were the only Americans there. We had great cheeseburgers and fries. After almost two weeks in England and France, we just wanted some good old burgers and fries. For those food snobs who want to put us down for wanting cheeseburgers, fine.

And we wonder why the French have such bad attitudes about Americans and being fat.

I'm in the hotel business in a major US tourist area. We get a lot of French visitors. The first thing they all ask for is a good French restaurant -- so you see they're no different from many Americans.<BR>Why would it be fine for a French person to ask for French food in the US, but outrageous for an American to ask for American food in France?

Yes, "no wonder", the French know healthy food. For example a meal of foie gras, followed by meat in a rich sauce, pomme frites, and to top it off a creme brulee, after the plate of cheese!

Woah! American food really is great!<BR>Makes fat poeple! Gooood!<BR>Yes! what are foie gras and cr&eacute;me brul&eacute;e compared with a fat piece of oily chicken from KFC? In fact I heard on the news today that american food won the awards for best food in the whole word!Isn't it great?

edna,read about American children being the most obese in the world.<BR>Thanks to all that good food . Then read about the adults who are keeling over daily from obesity related health problems. More money is spent on diet products and research than other countries, and it isn't because they are eating too much brie and fois gras!

Just for the record, McDonald's IS alive and well in Paris. Two that I recall: one near Pigalle & Clichy and another across from Gare du Nord. Also saw one in Melun. Mickey D's has been the object of some contempt in France from time to time, but they seem to do a business and it is not all American tourists. Wasting the many excellent options available there in favor of the golden arches wouldn't ordinarily be my style, but it's not MY dinner that we're talking about! :o)

Hoping this is not a joke......there are plenty of fast food places in Paris. Quick, McDonalds, Burger King. Go to a brasserie called Chez Clement (lots around the city) where they serve meat and mashed potatos. Other brasseries may but I don't know for a fact. For more Paris information e-mail me: [email protected]

In case I didn't make it clear, Chez Clement is the name of a chain of brasseries with many locations. She can eat American while you eat French.

One more thing. Getting older - the memory not as good. Most restaurants, especially brasseries, have "steack-frites" (steak and french fries). That should make her happy.

There's a restaurant called "Thanksgiving" in the Marais. A short walk from St. Paul metro. It may meet your wife's needs.

While I will admit that as a generalization Americans are fatter than French, I don't see why so many posts have to deteriorate into name calling. Has eating deteriorated into a political correctness issue? Eat what you want, and let other people eat what they want, and stop judging.

Billy, that's how I eat. I had no big problems eating in Paris. By the end of my week there, I was even trying a few exotic things like rascasse (a fish). When I got tired of eating a dry baguette for breakfast, I strolled over to McDonalds and had an Egg McMuffin for breakfast, had sandwiches bought from street vendors for lunch, and often had entrecote (steak) and frites for dinner with salad. I had American style pizza one night. You really won't have any problem at all, so you can relax. You will see plenty of acceptable places just walking around. <BR><BR>Somebody up above mentioned hippopotamus. I did not eat there, but I looked at their signs and the menu, and there was plenty of good American looking stuff on there. I wanted to eat there, just didn't get around to it. Even better, they were one of the few places that seemed to serve dinner before 8 pm. In fact, they might even have given a discount if you ate dinner between 5-7 pm.

Billy there is a Chili's right off of the Champs Elysees. You might look up their address before going abroad.

Billy, that's how I eat. I had no big problems eating in Paris. By the end of my week there, I was even trying a few exotic things like rascasse (a fish). When I got tired of eating a dry baguette for breakfast, I strolled over to McDonalds and had an Egg McMuffin for breakfast, had sandwiches bought from street vendors for lunch, and often had entrecote (steak) and frites for dinner with salad. I had American style pizza one night. You really won't have any problem at all, so you can relax. You will see plenty of acceptable places just walking around. <BR><BR>Somebody up above mentioned hippopotamus. I did not eat there, but I looked at their signs and the menu, and there was plenty of good American looking stuff on there. I wanted to eat there, just didn't get around to it. Even better, they were one of the few places that seemed to serve dinner before 8 pm. In fact, they might even have given a discount if you ate dinner between 5-7 pm.

If you look at the menus posted outside a brasserie or bistro, and you see these dishes, they will be delicious and meet your wife's preferences.<BR><BR>boeuf (bouguignon) - beef (with red wine)<BR>poulet roti - chicken (roasted)<BR>entrec&ocirc;te - rib or rib eye steak<BR>cassoulet - white beans in casserole with meats<BR>frites - french fries<BR>pommes (de terre) - potatoes<BR><BR>For actual locations that serve 'American' food, you can find these:<BR>(if you use the online French yellow pages (quite easy to use), you can find locations close to your hotel - www.pagesjaunes.fr)<BR><BR>Hard Rock Cafe, 14 bd Montmartre 75009 <BR>Joe Allen's, 30 rue Pierre Lescot 75001 <BR>Chicago Pizza Pie Factory, 5 rue Berri 75008 PARIS <BR>Pizza Hut, KFC, McD - many locations<BR><BR>For decent Italian food in a relaxed establishment, we go to Pizza Vesuvio's on 25 rue Quentin Bauchart 75008, about 1 block off Champs Elysee. We usually go 'early', ie. 7:00-7:30 pm - it fills up quickly.<BR><BR>We are not adventurous/gourmet diners, but have eaten at moderate French establishments and found 'recognizable' dishes that are very good, and still allow a 'French' feel to the meal. If you eat at informal brasseries rather than restaurants, you have more flexibility in ordering (don't need to observe proper courses). <BR>

Hi<BR>Almost any restaurant or cafe in Paris will have one or more of the following on its menu<BR>steak frites (steak with wonderful french fries)<BR><BR>Poulet roti (roasted chicken, often with mashed or roasted potatoes)<BR><BR>pastas<BR><BR>grilled (grille,with an accent) or sauteed (poele) fish or seafood<BR>You can simply say that your wife has allergies or is on a diet and wants no sauces, or they can serve the sauces on the side so she can try them<BR><BR>Salads tend to have only a vinaigrette (oil and vinegar) dressing rather than any mayonnaise-based thick dressings<BR>Vegetables can be wonderful<BR><BR>I can't imagine that you both wouldn't enjoy most desserts and pastries<BR><BR>I will warn you that the "hamburger" that appears on the menu in some cafes often has some seasonings added for flavor that may displease your wife, so if you want a burger, stick to Micky D's<BR>(Mac Do, in French)<BR><BR>If you choose some French places to eat, your wife can be happy and you can eat as if you are really in a different place from home

Billy: My husband has your wife's eating problem; I just have to live with it! There is a TGIF's on Boulevard Housemann (sp) near Galeries Lafayette. We did eat in French restaurants though, and he was always happy with the steak and fries or chicken and fries.

Just be careful when ordering steak that if you don't want it stll mooing when it gets served to make to ask for it to be 'well done' (which is probably closer to our version of 'medium')

Yeah-then hope that in 25 years or less you don't come down with Mad Cow disease.