mahya

So many subjects - so little room - lol
I'm curious about beef eating in France - I had heard that a lot of people had stopped for awhile and the restaurants were serving lots of poissons - is beef now considered safe in Paris? and in London? Nevertheless, in America, I have stopped eating beef and haven't done so
since the outbreak of mad cow several yeas ago. One thing we know, our governments lie and cover up - and I'd like to keep what brains I have in good working condition for as long as I can.

On the subject of picky eaters and "you'll eat what's on your plate or else" - just throwing my two cents
in - I was one of those children with stern parents - and I also weighed about 98 pounds until I married and got out on my own and did my own cooking ! I wouldn't eat what was on my plate. If someone doesn't like the food - they are not going to eat it, so why force them.

On the other hand, (although I;ve never been to McDonald's) I do remember being a guest in Venice and being taken to the fanciest restaurant on a rooftop there (don;t remember the name). By that time I'd been in Italy maybe two or three weeks - and was homesick for a good old fashioned hamburger....which I asked for in this very elegant restaurant - you should have seen the incredulous looks - and the cries of "omboorger! you want a omboorger?" Yes, I did and I wasn't a child at that point. But one does get accustomed to certain foods, maybe culturally - and we should all take that into account.

Have a good time Highland Lass - I'll be in Paris in April too.

And Fodorites, just out of curiosity, I was surprised to hear there are "hotdogs" in Paris. How do you order "un cane caliente" in French?

Passepartout

<i>Un ot dug seel voo play.</i>

BabsB

We took our son to France for the first time when he was ten. He was also picky. We learned that he could live indefinitely on french fries and milk. Just fill your daughter up at breakfast with healthy cereal, fruit, milk, juice etc. and don't worry about the rest. Let her eat fast food, order a delicious dessert or twirl her finger over the menu and go eeney, meeney, miney mo and order that. You can make up for it when your get home from your trip. Quick story, my son saw andouile sausage on a menu in Paris. He was so happy anticipating his delicious sausage. He took his first bite and immediately spit it out with crys of dismay. I told him it couldn't be that bad so I tried it. Well, it was tripe sausage and it was that bad. We sure have a great story to tell though.

Underhill

Our French friends, who incline toward the organic, tell me that they eat beef (and lamb) now without qualms.

As for andouille sausage--yuck! I ordered them once in a cr&ecirc;pe and quickly learned my mistake.

sheila

I've either already posted that trip report, or I'm not going to now

Email me.

jody

I've not eaten a hot dog in Paris but have seen them at various places! They are huge, like 12&quot; long , they serve them on baquettes! Looked really godd , in fact!

sfmaster

I didn't read all the posts but just wanted to add my vote for offering up good quality food that is simple enough. She'll find something she likes. Part of the beauty of travel is trying new things. I think between bread, yogurt, cheese, fries, chicken, omlettes... actually all quite simple/basic she'll do fine.

France probably easier than many other options (Russia?) for quality and variety.

I also think that when kids are in different places they do things differently. I know I am looking forward to my girls getting more comfortable with Indian food on our trip next week!

Joe18

Sorry to be pedantic, BabsB, but you must mean andouilette sausage,which is tripe and, I agree, tastes awful. Andouille, on the other hand, is a spicy Cajun sausage with a nice texture that tastes quite good. I learned the difference by ordering the former when I thought it was the French spelling for the latter.

Michael

Joe18,

Adding to the pedantry: In France, andouille sausage is a form of tripe, thicker than the andouillette. Do not confuse Cajun definition with French definitions. Andouille (the French version) and andouillette can be good, but it is difficult to find.

tedgale

A French statesman once said:

&quot;La politique francaise, comme la bonne andouille, devrait toujours sentir legerement de la merde.&quot;

I cannot translate this on this thread, lest I draw down the ire of the Fodors censors.

But French speakers will know what I mean.

In a Paris restaurant, I once insisted on ordering andouille -- markedly different from the milder andouillette. &quot;AAA&quot; grade stuff from the Loire -- of which the owners were justly proud.

I nearly upchucked the rest of their lovely dinner.......

tuscanlifeedit

tedgale,

you aren't the only one. My brother did the same, and could hardly believe the foul thing that he sliced open.

yayoye

I'm glad you are taking your daughter to Paris and hope you really enjoy it. There are lots of McDonalds all over France. Pizza is available. There is also a ubiquitous FRENCH fast food chain just like McDonalds (will that satisfy some of the responders?) It's called Q or Quik (you'll see them everywhere too) and they have burgers and fries. Hope you all enjoy your trip.

AnthonyGA

Quick is not a French chain, and in any case it serves food that is a clone of McDonald's food. It's a good alternative to McDonald's, if you like variety without exoticism.

suze

jody - well then, let me tell you those hot dogs you have seen are absolutely divine!

a delicious sausage (i.e., hot dog) on a split baguette with some kind of fantastic french cheese melted over the thing. omigod.

david_west

Given the ubiquity of Indian restaurants in Britain you may like to know that there is a street in the 10th Arrd, called Passage Brady which is a street with nothing but Indian restaurants in it (they’re not a patch on a good British curry house – but they’re not that bad either)

ira

&gt;I once insisted on ordering andouille -- markedly different from the milder andouillette. &quot;AAA&quot; grade stuff from the Loire -- of which the owners were justly proud.

I nearly upchucked the rest of their lovely dinner.......&lt;

One must approach an andouille slowly. It should be tasted in small bites, with a tangy mustard sauce and savored with a full bodied wine, that also tastes like a pig sty smells.

JN

The &quot;fussy eater&quot; posts raise a lot of heat, don't they? I think some of us just can't understand why one would want to explore foreign lands and not fully experience the range of new foods. Others, say that eating is simply that, and is irrelevant with regard to what one takes away from their travel experience.

I personally think that a mix of trying new things and relying on the known/liked is a good option. I was given some advice a few years back that I think might help. That was to make an agreement with the fussy one that they would try one new thing each day (and stick with it other days if they liked it). This, combined with either purchasing food at a grocery, eating things the fussy one likes at a Euro or American style restaurant might strike a balance between keeping someone happy and helping them try new experiences.