I will admit up front that I am a boring eater and over the top picky. I only eat my meat well done - I do not eat fish (unless it no longer resembles what it was originally), seafood or dark meat chicken or turkey (breast only). Based on this terrible criteria, what can I order in Paris besides salads? Is the meat in stews well done? Is the meat in quiche well done? OK, make fun of me, but I am starting to panic a little. Help!

Hi Donna,

There is an earlier thread on picky eaters that you can find if you do a text search.

Of course, the meat in stews is well done. The bacon in quiche Lorraine is also well done.

Will you eat ham? Sausage? Duck? Goose? Lamb? Veal? Coarse or fine pate'? Cheese? Pizza? Omelettes? All of these are available.

Don't forget the escargot. Those little snails are very well done.

Perhaps if you eat a few, you'll come out of your shell. Beware. If you eat a dozen, you'll feel sluggish.

They do have McDonalds there....

Is this for real? If anything, I've found some of the meats prepared in Europe to be OVER done but given the range of eating places in Paris I would suspect you could eat more than just salads which, of course, aren't "done" at all! If you go there and try not to make eating the central focus of the trip you'll probably be OK...but admittedly, since eating is the only thing you are apparently concerned about then pushing it into the background might be a challenge for you..but Good Luck anyway!

The food in Paris is wonderful. You should be able to find things you like easily. A be a little bit adventurous, you never know when you will find something delicious. While there is lots to Paris besides eating, the delicious food enriches your experience so try to enjoy.

I used to live in France when I was a kid, and was VERY picky, and didn't have problems eating. A lot of food revolves around cheese, which depending on your taste can be a pleasant alternative to meat. You can also find lots of pasta (spaghetti bolognaise, for example, is ubiquitous) with meat that will be cooked. I would watch out for steak--from what I remember (and have heard) it's very difficult to get a steak cooked past medium in France. You can always ask them to cook it more, but that may require more effort than you want to put in! Another thing to watch out for is poultry, since you're so averse to dark meat. France does not have an obsession with chicken breast like the U.S., so if you order chicken etc. it may well be dark meat (or some non-breast piece). Be sure it says 'poitrine' on the menu or ask to make sure.

In stews, casseroles, pot-au-feu, cassoulet, etc. meat will be thoroughly cooked. Steak, fish filets, and other slabs of meat/fish might not be (to your standards). Don't panic--there's always something for everyone, and if worst comes to worst--and this ain't that bad--you can eat baguettes with cheese all day. That would suit me just fine...

Well, the restaurant crepes should satisfy you quite well. A great little place, and not too expensive, is Nectarine on the Place des Vosges (east side of the square) in the Marais district (4th arrondissement). They specialize in salads & crepes and it's a great place for people watching.

Another good choice is boeuf bourguignon, cassoulet or hachis parmentier (like a Shepherd's Pie) - all dishes that are slow-cooked. Also, try the Coq au Vin (chicken slow-cooked in wine) or the Gigot de Sept Heures (leg of lamb slow-cooked for 7 hrs). You can find many bistros that carry these types of foods in this great book, "Bistros of Paris" by the Hamburgers, which seems to have become quite the favorite here on Fodor's. They have a listing in the back of the book that lists restaurants by the type of food. For instance, you could look up Boeuf Bourguignon and it would give you a listing of the bistros that serve it. All the bistros are separated in the book by arrondissement so it is area specific. It lists the address, phone number, best representative dishes & wines, and price ranges. Really a great book! It has a bright red cover & can be bought at Border's or Barnes & Noble and, I'm sure, any major bookstore.

Also, you could try the many different types of crepes bought from the outdoor crepe vendors. Just make sure that the vendors make them fresh, otherwise they are nasty. Good locations are near Notre Dame and next to the Cafe du March (r. Cler & r. du Champ de Mars).

Of course, Paris is known for its wonderful desserts that would satisfy any picky eater (tarte tatin, creme brulee, sorbet, Berthillon ice cream, baba au rum, Mont Blanc, profiteroles, macaroons from Laduree).

From one picky eater to another,
Mary : )

p.s. This picky eater tried escargot for the VERY 1ST TIME on her last trip to Paris. I figured if I'm going to try it I might as well go to a restaurant that's well-known for their great escargot. I chose from the Hamburgers Bistro book Le Vieux Paris located on the northern street running alongside Notre Dame.

p.p.s. Have a great time in Paris!!

Then is it safe to conclude that you would not eat horse meat?

ROFL, Calamari!

I suggest you try rillettes, rognons, and boudin. Yumsters! ;-)

I have a serious question (although I can imagine some people might think it's not). My son prefers to eat pizza margherita for supper, and on our summer trip to Scandinavia, he had this thirteen times in a row (from about ten different places). I'm pretty sure we could get this in Paris, also - any tips, though?

Willtravel,
The BEST place to get the pizza your son likes is in the south of France (I personally liked the hot oil you can get to accompany it). You can, of course, get good pizza in Paris as well.

There's so many wonderful things for picky eaters to eat (and I'm one!). Onion soup gratinee, and most other soups are wonderful.

Crepes -- need I say more? Dinner crepes -- well, the 14th arrondisement, off Blvd. Raspail is full of them.

The meat is almost always well done, and you can have a great hamburger (no bun) or wonderful lamb, to name a few things.

I don't see why there would be a problem, but I will admit I don't understand these kinds of questions -- usually from vegetarians. If you don't want meat, order something else. There is plenty of food in Paris of all kinds and most restaurants have a wide variety of things on the menu. Order whatever you want from the menu. If you don't know French and don't go to a place with an English-translated menu, carry around some travelers phrasebook (which is a good idea in all cases).

Same as with quiche -- quiche does not by definition have meat, it depends what kind you order, just like any dish. If you don't want meat in quiche, order a different kind. I don't like quiche lorraine myself but frequently have other kinds of quiche with no meat.

I do disagree with someone about how meat in Paris is overcooked. I think it is exactly the opposite, it is generally less cooked than in US, I thin that is very noticeable.

somewhat unrelated - Beatchick - you mention hachis parmentier , in the late 70s a dear friend of mine who has now passed, made a meal I will never forget,. The main course was "Hachis Baladier ala Madame Danielle). I assume I have crucified the spelling. But, I was not able to get passed the first word...I think you have helped me solve that part. Do you have any suggestions for the second word? If I recall the recipie came from Gourmet magazine...I've never been able to find it.

Donna

This is your opportunity to cure your unfortunate affliction.

The reason the French live longer than Americans, in spite of their attempt to consume all the world's nicotine and alcohol, isn't because they live on delicately grilled vegetables drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil (a diet they'd find as bizarre as the rest of us)

It's because they learn from a very early age to eat what's in front of them. And that it's all good.

So choose your restaurants in Paris pretty much at random from all those manned by, and catering for, French people (an absence of multilingual menus is usually a good sign)

Then stick a pin in the menu, rejecting only things that look too expensive.

Order and eat what your pin has chosen.
Do NOT attempt to tell the chef how to cook it, check for undesirable ingredients, or give any direction other than the name of the dish (Do you tell dancers at the ballet how many steps you want them to dance?)

If you liked it, great. If you didn't, you can reject it if your pin selects it next time.

Otherwise keep on till you're cured.

Above all, don't waste your trip to Paris by indulging your unfortunate phobias.

Hi Donna,

I just realized that "ris de veau" fits your criteria.

You can find good pizza in Paris. After all the Italians taught the French how to cook thanks to Caterina d'Medici. What does ROFL mean?

Hi Calamari,

True, the Italians taught the French to cook but is this not a case where the pupil exceeded the master?

ROFL: Rolling On Floor Laughing

I agree with the suggestion that the best way for Donna to avoid a possible problem is simply not to order a cut of beef, chicken or fish.

Order stews or baked dishes in French restaurants, eat Italian, Greek, or Chinese, get sandwiches to-go from the bakeries, eat crepes from the corner stand, go to a fast food Paris-chain restaurants for a MacStyle burger and fries. Seriously, it really shouldn't be a problem. Paris is alot more than quiche.

Hello Ira! Did you ever go to see my friend on the Ponte Vecchio? Loved your trip report.

As to the pupil exceeding the master, well, that is a matter of opinion. I am not a big frog leg fan. I prefer Bistecca Fiorentina and a nice slimy slab of tripe. Grazie.