Spring, Paris, France

Posted on August 25, 2012 by brosbottom

Spring 6, rue Bailleul, Paris 1, 01-45-96-05-72

Chanterelles with Diced Apricots from Spring

If you asked me where I had the best meal of the summer, the answer would be easy. It was in Paris last month at Spring, a fairly new restaurant whose chef and owner is Daniel Rose, an American from Chicago. For months, I had tried to get into this restaurant where inventive food is served as a multi-course meal both at lunch and dinner. Then my friend and respected food critic, John Talbott, invited me to join him and and his wife for déjeuner there. Continue reading →

Markets of Paris Second Edition by Dixon Long and Marjorie Williams

Posted on June 15, 2012 by brosbottom

If you or your family or friends have a trip planned to Paris, you’ll want to purchase a copy of Markets of Paris Second Edition by Dixon Long and Marjorie Williams. First published in 2006, this paperback, with insider information on the legendary food, flea, antique, and other markets of France’s capital, has just been reissued with fabulous updates and additional information. Just the right size for travel, this petit livre with gorgeous photos, can easily be tucked into a purse, a tote, or a backpack. Organized by arrondissement, it’s also a snap to use. The authors lead you to Paris’ celebrated outdoor food markets Continue reading →

Sola, Paris, France

Posted on February 25, 2012 by brosbottom

Sola 12, rue de l’Hotel Colbert, Paris V, 33-1-43-29-59-04, Metro: Maubert Mutualité

Not one, but two friends who live in Paris suggested that I try Sola, a new restaurant in Paris’ fifth arrondissement, so I quickly made a lunch reservation. Located near the Seine on the Left Bank, only a stone’s throw from Notre Dame, the restaurant is housed in a 17th-century building, and features the exquisite food of Hiroki Yoshitake, a Japanese chef, who trained at the 3-star Astrance. There are two dining rooms—La Salle Française on the main floor with its striking beamed ceilings, and Les Salons Japonais below in the vaulted cave with its stone walls and Japanese-style tables and benches. (In the latter, you remove your shoes before dining.) Continue reading →

Halibut Steaks on a Bed of Piperade

Posted on February 4, 2012 by brosbottom

Last month while eating in La Régalade St. Honoré, a favorite Parisian bistro of mine, I ordered cod studded with bits of chorizo. When the dish arrived at the table, there in a shallow bowl was a beautifully cooked cod fillet (studded with long strips of chorizo) set atop a colorful piperade, surrounded by a foamy fish broth. Every bite was heaven, so I took notes knowing I’d attempt a version of my own at home. Continue reading →

Fromagerie Quatrehomme, Paris, France

Posted on January 25, 2012 by brosbottom

Fromagerie Quatrehomme in Paris 62 rue de Sèvres, Paris 75007, 01-47-34-33-45, Metro: Vanneau or Duroc

For the past few years, I’ve stayed in an apartment that is only a few steps from one of Paris’s best cheese shops. Quatrehomme, located on the busy rue de Sèvres in the 7th, is small, but boasts one of the best selections of cheeses in the capital. As well known food blogger David Leibovitz says, “It’s le top du top!” From the moment you enter, your senses are energized by the sight and smell of exquisite cheeses. I’ve bought countless chèvres there, while my spouse has explored most of the bleus. Comté, Reblochon, Mont d’Or—you name it and they have it! And, they have the best and most beautifully aged version of each cheese. Marie Quatrehomme, a proprietor, was the first woman to earn France’s high honor of being a Meilleur Ouvrier de France, awarded to the finest artisans in their fields.

Jacques Genin, Paris, France

Posted on July 25, 2011 by brosbottom

Jacques Genin 133, rue de Turenne, Paris 3, 01-45-77-29-01

Parisians love chocolate, a passion that is reflected by the hundreds of chocolate shops the city boasts. In the neighborhood where my husband and I stay, you can barely walk a couple of blocks without finding a store displaying “les chocolats.” As a bona fide chocoholic, I’ve done my share of sampling in some superb chocolate houses, but recently my friend, Joan, who lives in France’s capital most of the year, introduced me to Jacques Genin, a fairly new chocolate shop in the Marais. Continue reading →

Hermès, Paris, France

Posted on March 25, 2011 by brosbottom

Hermès on Paris’s Left Bank 17, rue de Sèvres, Paris 6 01-42-22-80-83

Although I own only two Hermès items–scarves that were gifts from students—I couldn’t wait to visit the new Hermès shop on the Left Bank in Paris. The just-opened (November 2010) flagship emporium, in the 6th arrondissement on the rue de Sèvres, boasts stunning interior architecture. This three-level boutique has tall (more than 25 feet) sculptural, latticed wood cages that enclose home furnishings. A stairway with massive curved wooden sides is a sculptural marvel. Almost half of the store is dedicated to home items, including arts for the table. There’s a bookstore, with art and design tomes, as well as a flower shop, Baptiste, right at the entrance, that displays some of Paris’s most beautiful blooms. I was only looking, but enjoyed every minute of my stroll through this special addition to Paris’s shopping scene.

Le Casse Noix 56, Paris, France

Posted on February 25, 2011 by brosbottom

Le Casse Noix 56, rue de la Fédération, Paris 15, Paris 01-45-66-09-01

Le Casse Noix, a new bistro located in Paris 15th arrondissement not far from the Eiffel Tower, was a great discovery on my most recent trip to the City of Light. Chef Pierre-Olivier Lenormand, who has cooked at the celebrated La Régalade in the 14th and also at such temples of gastronomy as Jamin and the Crillon Hotel, turns out excellent seasonal creations, all at a very reasonable prix fixe. Continue reading →

Le Marché Biologique, Paris

Posted on January 25, 2011 by brosbottom

Le Marché Biologique Boulevard Raspail between rue du Cherche Midi and rue de Rennes Paris 6th

Paris has countless food markets, some small and others big and sprawling. One of the most popular in the capital, Le Marche Biologique (that translates as “the organic market) on the Left Bank in the 6th arrondissment, specializes in organic goods. Teeming with food merchants and shoppers, this marché makes for a lively scene from about 8 AM until noon on Sundays. Countless stalls boast local fruits and vegetables, others have huge displays of France’s incredible cheeses, and in addition there are butchers, fishmongers, oyster-shuckers, honey-producers, wine-sellers, soap-makers, and even clothes vendors. Continue reading →

Betty Rosbottom

Food Writer, Cookbook Author, Cooking Teacher

Tag Archives: Paris