It’s been a 4 -day weekend here in Argentina and it seems like many locals have fled to Brazil for Carnival, or elsewhere. I used this quieter time to continue to get to know the city better – walking around my area of Palermo, going to the Feria San Telmo, and sampling one of the best snacks the city has to offer. Oh, and I might have also accidentally gotten myself into a prix fixe Valentines Day dinner (for 1) without realizing it…
I’ve been walking around Palermo each day, and the endless amount of restaurants and coffee shops is unbelievable to me. Just when I think I’ve walked every inch of this barrio, I find a new pocket that I haven’t discovered yet. I love the cobblestone streets and the fact that you can sit and have a small coffee just about anywhere, and end up staying hours.
The MALBA, Museo de Arte Latinoamericano, is in this neighborhood. Their collection is small but impressive, including a piece by Diego Rivera and one from Frida Kahlo. It’s probably too small for you to see, but I just love Diego Rivera’s signature in the bottom left corner – DMR in all caps with the number 15 (indicating the year) below it, very strong and stern, almost like a stamp. It also struck me that the painting celebrates 100 years this year – I’ve seen paintings far older than this but for some reason this really stuck out to me.
There were also some pieces that I really liked by artists I wasn’t familiar with – Rafael Barradas and Joaquin Torres-Garcia, both from Uruguay. I love the energy and style of both of these.
I took a peaceful stroll through the Japenese Gardens in Palermo, and walked into Palermo Soho to explore some of the stores. Argentina isn’t allowed to import anything, so for the most part what is sold here is made here. There of course bigger brands like Nike, etc., but otherwise everything is local. If you read my sartorial piece you know I still need to try on some platform sandals – although I don’t see myself coming home with a pair, we’ll see. There’s also a leather backpack I’m eyeing – and as some of you know my backpack full on broke on me at LAX last week, so we’ll have to see if its replacement ends up being from BA.
On Sundays the area of San Telmo, one of the oldest barrios in the city, has a big market. Antiques and other goods line the cobblestone streets, tourists come out in droves, locals bring their mate gourds, there are public asados (read: BBQs) being held, guys squeezing fresh OJ and selling empanadas, tango dancers and musicians performing.
While down there I also took a tour of El Zanjon, a 19th century home where tunnels running under the city were discovered. I don’t have any pictures, but today it is known as the city’s most important archaeological site…and yet another cool way to get a little more insight into how the city and its barrios have become what they are today. For those who are interested, San Telmo used to be where all the wealthy lived, but yellow fever caused the rich to flee to other barrios, leaving the sick and poor in what became tenements. So, San Telmo fell on hard times and still to this day while there are glimmers of this old wealth, from the outside it looks in need of restoration in many parts.
There’s no good transition out of yellow fever…but there’s nothing that could make someone feel better than some delicious Argentine Ice Cream. Not everyone thinks of ice cream when they think of Argentina -beef is probably the #1 on people’s minds – but the helado here actually tops the beef as far as my preference! So, this long weekend I took the opportunity to scream for some ice cream. I’m trying to taste different flavors from different shops all across the city…and I’m starting to really question why no one at home has opened an Argentine ice cream shop?!?! They even deliver pints here(or whatever the equivalent is)…dangerous!! The artisan ice cream is very skillfully smushed into the cone so as to maximize on the space, and the number of flavors goes way beyond 32 in most cases. Oftentimes there are 10 different types of chocolate – my favorite so far being the Chocolate Suiza, which has bits of white chocolate mixed into it. The classic Dulce de Leche is never going to be a bad choice, and Cappucino with Chocolate shavings is ranking at the top as well. I’m not kidding, why has no one brought this to the States…seeing as I’m in between jobs right now, maybe I need to start making some connections this week :).
This vacation mentality, as far as an ice cream a day goes, is starting to catch up with me… BUT I’m only here a little longer so I guess I’ll have to sacrifice myself in the name of the research!!
I’ve been here just about a week, but these trends were obvious from Day 1! Take a look at the 3 things I’m seeing the most of…
1)Platform sandals of all shapes, sizes and colors. These thick leather strappy ones on top are most prevalent though. I’ve vowed (to myself) to try on a pair before I leave.
2)The male jean short. Typically to the knee and rolled. All denim washes welcome.
3) The Nike Rift. This was surprising. Not since 2000 have I seen so many of these split-toed sandals. After 14 years I think I just gave mine away actually…no regrets though 🙂
Hope everyone is enjoying the long weekend. Back tomorrow with more!
What I’m loving about BA right now is the pace. I don’t know if it’s that I have so much time here that I’m not in a rush, or if it’s actually the lifestyle of the porteños, but I think it must be a little bit of both. So, the fact that I got a late start today didn’t matter at all!
Todays big activity was a graffiti and street-art tour given by an organization called graffitimundo. I highly recommend this for anyone who finds themselves in BA!! It was such a great way to see the city, learn about its history, and find out more about some of the murals around town. Admittedly, before I arrived in BA I didn’t know very much about Argentine history or government, other than its financial collapse in 2001, but through learning about the rise of street art in the country I actually got a greater education about this place and its history at the same time. From murals about frustration with corruption to graffiti acting as an estranged father’s only method of communication with his young children, we saw it all. Here were some of my favorites:
Aside from the street art which is everywhere here, I’ve also been noticing some other forms of art that are worth pointing out.
First, street performers and acrobats taking over intersections at red lights. In my 3 full days here I have seen this happen 3 times! And actually, for similar purposes of asking for money, but in a different location, on the subway I witnessed two people acting as a couple pretending to very vocally get into a fight and then start to involve a number of people on our car. Before realizing what was really going on, I of course clutched my bag tightly to my body thinking for sure this was that moment where all of my stuff was going to get stolen, but after playing out the scene for 5 minutes or so the hat started making the rounds for change. But anyway, I digress…a few photos of our street performers:
I saw this cool art installation just steps from the Teatro Colon (Opera House). It’s a triangular arrangement of music stands, some of which seem to be filled with dirt. I still haven’t been able to figure out who did it, what it might be about, or how long it’s been there, but I’m very curious!!
And finally, as far as the art is concerned, I can’t help but notice the amazing tiled floors many places that I go. Just like the textured facades of the buildings I was obsessed with in Europe, the tiled floor is my thing here.
So now, enough with my city observations…I’m sure you’re wondering what was for dinner, right?!! Oh, you know, just one of South America’s best. Tegui, voted 9th on the San Pelligrino list of Latin America’s Top 50 . You would never know it though from the outside, which is covered in graffiti style art.
Does anyone else’s eye go immediately to the 2 images of Shirley Chisholm on the right? I thought it was so interesting to find her on a wall in Argentina!
The inside is a complete 180 from what you’d expect when outside. Through the warehouse-style door is a narrow, elegant and refined space. To be honest, maybe even too much so. The food here is a little playful, so I kind of wished the mood was a bit moreso. But if that’s my only complaint they’re not doing too bad!
As soon as I sat down a piece of paper was given to me – not the menu, but instead essentially a price sheet. 5-course price fix for 700ARS or 10-course for 1000ARS, with wine pairing prices listed below. Point being, it’s a secret menu – you agree to one menu or the other based on zero information, other than waiters asking if you have any allergies or if there’s anything you won’t eat. I said I would eat anything, and so the meal began…and by the way, of course I felt I HAD to go with the 10 course…
Mate flavored bread with homemade salted butter
Beet root, yogurt, pickled rose petals
Different textures of tomato with goat cheese. There was a sorbet on top, a pickled tomato, a few thin tomato chip slices, and a jammy relish all on top of 1 large yellow tomato slice, surrounded by a basil.
Oyster with radish, green apple, fresh seawater and fresh apple juice which was poured out of a beaker tableside.
Octopus confit w/oo, avocado, crispy ham, capers, melon (Probably my favorite dish, and yet again the worst photo!!)
Pickled frog with carrot, ginger, nectarine soup – The soup was delicious, but I could’ve done without the frog unfortunately.
Sweetbreads with pickled plum, mushroom. I don’t tend to LOVE sweetbreads but these were by far the best I’ve ever had!!
Anchovy with white bean purée, almonds (seems like breadcrumbs or garlic) w/shot of seaweed soup.
Roasted partridge w/figs and truffle mascarpone, mustard seeds
Sirloin, mashed potato, beet purée, fennel
Berries w/strawberry sorbet, bourbon sorbet, eucalyptus marshmallow, meringue. The marshmallow was awesome! The perfect refreshing dessert after I was really starting to feel it from all those courses.
Stone fruit with chocolate mousse, vanilla syrup, yogurt ice cream, peach ice cream. The yogurt ice cream and chocolate mousse were fantastic.
Petit four and coffee – I could barely eat more than a bite of each.
Another really great meal in BA. So glad I tried this place! It was really interesting to see the crowd here compared with the one from the night previous. At Tegui, there was barely any English being spoken, whereas half of iLatina was from the States. If the Spanish speakers at Tegui were locals, I was getting a glimpse at the 1% because with the Argentine economy as weak as it is most cannot afford to eat this way. As an American, however, for this type of meal it is still so significantly cheaper than it would be at home. I think this is the last of the big fancy meals for a few days, but that doesn’t mean that the food posts will be any less interesting!
Ever since I got home from my travels in December, I’ve been itching for more! The job search began, and when it started, I immediately felt like if I didn’t travel some more before going back to work I would regret it…thus 2 weeks in Buenos Aires was born.
I left Monday morning after a hike with my brother to the Hollywood sign and am writing to you from my apartment in Hollywood…Palermo Hollywood, that is, my neighborhood in BA.
In a day in a half I’m already off to a great start. And trust me, you’re going to be pleased when I start posting the Argentine fashions later on this week. I’ve already got my eye on a few trends that I must say have me a little perplexed!
My first night in town I decided I had to go with a traditional dinner. There’s a Parrilla (which translates to grill) that I’d heard was decent in my neighborhood, Miranda, so I walked in at 10pm or so and sat at the bar. Coincidentally I found myself next to 3 girls from America who went to the University of Michigan like I did. I ordered a glass of Malbec, the popular Ojo de Bife (read:Rib Eye), which came with a delicious chimichurri (very different from the green chimichurris I’ve had at Argentine restaurants in LA), an egg cooked in a roasted red bell pepper, and some crispy potatoes. I’m not going to lie, I’m not a huge steak person in general so I’m curious if the more I eat here the more I’ll be able to discern one from the next…I guess we’ll see. I will say, however, anything would taste great dipped in this chimichurri sauce. And the egg inside the pepper which I was curious about was a pleasant surprise! Seeing as it was my first night in BA, I felt like dessert was in order…something of the Dulce de Leche variety…so I got a crepe. My waiter wasn’t kidding when he said this was a rich dish. I probably only ate a quarter of the actual dulce de leche that was inside the crepe and it was still fantastically rich – you can see in the last photo how much of it I left on the plate!
For my first full day in BA I decided to start in the center of town where all of the government buildings are. I took the subway to Plaza Mayor, where at one end there is the Casa Rosada (translated as The Pink House – their White House, and where Evita famously addressed her people from the balcony). The amazing thing about this is that it’s located just at the end of a major Plaza where people pass through, congregate on the grass, hold protests, etc.
Also off the Plaza Mayor are the Cathedral Metropolitana, the beautiful Banco de la Nacion Argentina, which is stunning inside but unfortunately photos aren’t allowed.
From the Plaza I walked towards the widest avenue in the world, Avenue 9 de Julio, which also houses the Obelisco, a landmark which commemorates the founding of the city, and which kept popping into sight wherever I was in this area of town.
My last stop for the day was at Teatro Colon – the opera house, considered to be one of the top 5 in the world. In order to peak inside you must take a tour. The theater is much larger than expected, and the acoustics are pretty great – one of the tour guides sang an aria for us so that we could experience it the right way…wow! The theater is still working today, staging not only opera but ballet and other musical concerts, but unfortunately they are dark in February…I guess I’ll just have to come back another time!
That was the end of my day, but dinner was not too far away. I was trying the first of many “closed-door” restaurants that I’ll be going to while here. This is a big trend in the city, where basically restaurants are created in people’s homes. Sometimes it has a restaurant feel and other times it is one communal table for all of the guests that night. iLatina was first up. I arrived, rang the bell and was greeted by a man wearing what looked like a Liberty of London uniform, and from there the night of Latin American food and influences began.
I talked to some other Americans at other tables and even ended up spending the second half of the meal eating with another lone diner at the table across from mine.
But let’s get to the important stuff, the food:
White corn aniseseed arepa with spicy avocado mousse and chicharron + Banana chip with hogao (a Colombian tomato and onion sauce) and goat cheese.
Bread board – banana bread, chipa (delicious! made with yucca flour and cheese), coconut bread, focaccia and cacao bread + lime and pepper flavored butter
Blue corn tortilla with beef-cheek mole and Mezcal marinated red onions
Caramelized Prawns with spicy pineapple and fennel
Ceviche with whitefish, lychee, coconut, roasted Peruvian corn, accompanied by butternut squash and green mango. After eating the ceviche with the butternut squash you then drink the remaining juice, or leche de tigre, and then finish it off with the spoonful of green mango on the left. Best dish of the night (and worst photo)!
Seafood soup with grilled octopus
Braised pork in reduction of Colombian coffee and sugarcane
Palette Cleanser – Mojito-flavored ice cream or sorbet
Ecuadorian cacao truffle with sea salt and olive oil
Avocado and Aguardiente ice cream with cinnamon popcorn.
Colombian Coffee with cinnamon and cardamom, as well as delicious petit fours – dulce de leche, lavendar, cacao, and a citrus jelly.
There was not one misstep in this meal, and the best part was that it probably cost less than half of what it would in the States! From dinner it was off to a bar, to do as the Argentines do. Getting a late start today as a result of the late night, but hey that seems to be the way they do around here :).
I haven’t posted in a while, but I’ve been having a lot of fun these past couple of weeks, ticking off a number of (mostly) Eastside spots from my to-do list, so I thought I’d share where I’ve been.
It all started with a visit to the Endeavor Shuttle. I’ve been wanting to check out the space shuttle ever since I watched it hitch a ride over Los Angeles on the back of a 747.
A toilet in space
And carrying with the space theme, I had a chance to take a tour at Elon Musk’s SpaceX. The sheer magnitude of what we were able to see here was pretty amazing. As someone who didn’t necessarily grow up dreaming of space, I now certainly understand how others did. Thank you Heidi, Mike and Chris for making this one happen!
Believe it or not, out of sheer geographic laziness I had never hiked Griffith Park until now. Luckily my brother is on a big hiking kick right now, so he was the reason I made it over there for a great nearly 2-hour hike. We first headed up to The Observatory (a place that I haven’t been to since I was a little kid) and then pushed on to the top for some awesome views.
My friend Lindsay was in town for a night, which gave me a perfect excuse for another visit to the Grand Central Market, but this time for delicious breakfast sandwiches at Eggslut. We got there before the line started to wrap around the entire stall, and ordered 2 different sandwiches to split. As we sat at the counter, waiting for our food and overhearing the orders of all of those before us get called out, we realized that adding avocado was a possibility that we hadn’t known about. Immediately I called the expediter over and asked to make that addition to our sandwiches – we got to them in time to make the change…and at no additional charge! It’s off menu, so remember that when you go…
I feel like I’ve been going Downtown multiple times a week while I’ve had this time off. While dinners downtown were not a rarity before, I’m now finding all sorts of other places and activities that I’m interested in during the day. My friend Alaina took me down to the LA Flower Market for a tutorial in how to conquer this place. As soon as you walk into the building that amazing floral smell consumes you – someone needs to bottle it!! I loved seeing the different colors and flower varieties from vendor to vendor.We both bought different beautifully colored Anemones among others.
There was one activity I enjoyed that was actually right in my neighborhood. Taschen, the great coffee-table book company, opened a gallery on the corner of Beverly and Crescent Heights. I must’ve passed it at least twice a day for weeks before taking the time to go in. This space will hang different shows over the next 18 months, starting with The Rolling Stones In Photographs exhibit that will be up until February 15th. It’s a cool space that has been executed well, and they even offered me a beer when I walked in! There are couches and other seating areas – seems like they want to turn this into a cool community hangout.
And for the last big outing, a visit to the outermost edge of Los Angeles. As a native Angeleno it’s almost a little embarrassing to admit that not only had I never been to Watts, but I didn’t even really have an understanding for where it was within the city. My brother suggested we visit the Watts Towers, and I have to say while I knew they existed I didn’t REALLY know what they were exactly. These towers were built and decorated by hand, by just one man, Simon Rodia, in his backyard, a project which spanned 3 decades. All of the decorative elements were found objects in the area. Truly the most under appreciated public art around – take an afternoon and go check it out if you get a chance…plus, it’s a great excuse to stop off for some delicious Bludso’s BBQ at their original location in Compton :).
I love all of the discoveries I’ve been making in my hometown…but I’m ready to start discovering another town. Heading to Buenos Aires on Monday, so I will be posting more frequently again!
Tuesday night I checked out the Nozawa Bar at SugarFish Beverly Hills. 10 seats inside a tiny back room, with 2 chefs and 1 server waiting on you through 2.5 hours of a 20 course omakase meal. I had been wanting to give this place a try, and was excited to have a good reason – a belated birthday gift for my dad, since I missed the actual day while I was in Europe.
Each plate was more beautifully crafted than its predecessor, and in such a small space it we had a courtside seat to watch the chefs create each one. Chef Fuji started us out with some delicious Jellyfish, which I’m pretty sure I’d never had before, and from there things only continued to get better. The Uni was so fresh, the Scallop was one of my favorites, and the Needlefish was something completely new to me and that I’d love to have again. I loved each course that used Shiso Leaf, especially the Codfish Shiso Handroll (not pictured). And the sweet Tamago, with a savory shiso and fish surprise in its center, was the perfect finish to this memorable meal. We were stuffed, so there were no ‘encores’ for us – just a palette cleansing sorbet and green tea.
Chef Fuji took pictures with each of us, 1 with our cameras and 1 with his own so that he could post them all to his Instagram…classic!
Back in LA and still trying to make the most of my time without an office to go to everyday. As I mentioned before, I have a long list of things I’ve been wanting to do in LA and just never make the time for, and today I ticked off the first one…Grand Central Market. As a native Angeleno it’s a little shameful that today was my first visit, but as you’ll see there are a few things on my list that fall into this same category.
Today’s mission: Lunch. I walked in to meet my friend Lindsay (and baby Sloane) and immediately couldn’t believe I had never been here before…this is my kind of place. Situated in a large warehouse-style space, Grand Central is packed with all sorts of food stands – Mexican, Asian, Egg Sandwiches, Oysters, there’s something for everyone. It’s also the perfect place for the people-watcher in me. My list of places to eat here is long, so lucky for me Lindsay was already in line at one of my top choices, thus making up my mind for this visit…Wexler’s Deli.
We stood in line and discussed how both of us getting the pastrami made no sense, so instead we split The O.G. (Pastrami, mustard, rye) and a Reuben (Corned beef, sauerkraut, swiss, mustard, rye, russian o/s). We each got pickles and a Dr. Browns Black Cherry Soda, and 1 Black & White cookie to share. We immediately found seats at the counter and devoured our sandwiches. The homemade, thick-cut meats were delicious, and the pickles were perfectly salty. I’m a sucker for Dr. Brown’s and Black & White Cookies in any deli setting, so they were both the cherry on top of this fun experience.
After lunch we walked around the market checking out the other food stands for future visits, while tearing into the B&W Cookie. We continued walking out onto the street, just to digest a bit and very quickly found ourselves face to face with a view of The Walt Disney Hall, yet another Frank Gehry creation to add to the others I’ve discussed on this blog. Not a bad way to end the week and begin my adventures at home…
By far the item I saw repeated the most on men, women and children, and with the original green-tab, or red-tab, blue-tab, polka dotted, you name it. The Adidas Stan Smith was everywhere I looked, and it has definitely inspired me to dust off my old pair and start wearing them again!
Coats, mostly oversized or a fun pattern, or both…
The ultimate accessory continues to be The Cigarette (although the e-cig is making some headway too)…
With just one rainy day left in Paris, I had quite a list of things I wanted to accomplish. I woke up on the early side to jet to Centre Pompidou around the corner from my apartment. There were numerous temporary exhibits there that I wanted to see plus they have an extensive permanent collection of modern art.
First up, was a Frank Gehry exhibit, which was especially cool after having seen some of his buildings in Spain. The exhibit had early drawings and models of both The Guggenheim in Bilbao and the Hotel Marques de Riscal in Rioja. The drawings are so interesting, because they would almost look like doodles if you didn’t know what they were. It’s incredible that they result in the visions that they do. I really wanted to get out to the Fondation Louis Vuitton, which Gehry designed as well, while in Paris, but unfortunately time didn’t allow…next trip for sure!
Drawings for Marques de RiscalModel of Marques de Riscal
A reminder of what the real thing looks like
There were also great Jeff Koons and Marcel Duchamps exhibits at Pompidou…
Fun to see this one after my trip to the Louvre
From here I walked south to Ile de la Cite to pay Notre-Dame a visit. I’m a sucker for a beautiful stained-glass rose window.
By this point, I was starving (hadn’t had a morning croissant or macarons yet!), so went to the 6th for some lunch and shopping. First stop was lunch at Le Comptoir du Relais. This is a true Paris bistro – tiny tables packed tightly on the sidewalk. A great menu (all in French, which was daunting) – I decided to go with an octopus dish with squid ink and these really good buckwheat pasta squares.
After lunch I wanted to head over to the Luxembourg Gardens. These gardens were created by Marie de Medici, who had been married to King Henry IV, originally designed to be the gardens for her new palace. One thing this trip definitely re-illuminated for me is how much I love a beautiful public park, whether large or small, a place that’s integrated into the bustling city, forcing people to walk through as part of their daily lives. It’s one of the negatives of living in a car-centric city, but it probably makes me appreciate it all the more when I’m in cities that do such a great job of utilizing them. I love the Luxembourg’s gravel paths and the big octagonal pond in the middle. Such a serene place for an afternoon stroll.
From here I was on a mission. I wanted to make a stop at City Pharmacy to get a few last French cosmetic products. This place was buzzing with activity, you could barely move through the aisles…but I got what I went there for!
Next up was the department store Bon Marche, which was especially great this time of year because they had a huge holiday gift section, which got my wheels spinning for all of the holiday shopping I have to do once I get home. I found a cool French handbag line that I really like, Maison Thomas, but I didn’t pull the trigger. Apparently Barneys has a selection so I’m sure I’ll be circling for a while :).
From here I wanted to make a stop at the famous Laduree Patisserie before the L’Orangerie museum closed. I bought some macarons in a beautiful box to take home with me – so I guess I’ll have a few more days of 2-a-days before I have to kick this habit. I took a refreshing lemon macaron with me to go as well, to eat on the rest of my walk. Perfect texture – this place lives up to the hype! But, I still think the chocolate mint from Pain du Sucre takes the cake.
On my way back north I ran into what could be a 2nd piece from that same tagger I saw on my first day. I’m not sure, but seems awfully close, right? My favorite part of this piece is that someone else came along and wrote in tiny print underneath “Motherf%*#ers want to find me.” Made me laugh.
I walked along the Seine and towards the museum.
I got to the L’Orangerie before they closed and sat in front of my favorite of the 8 panels. I told myself to take a mental picture so that I can transport myself to that hypnotic calm anytime I want or need to. The photos I sneaked from the first visit don’t do these paintings justice, but they’ll have to suffice for when I need some reminding.
When I left the museum it was starting to get dark and the Eiffel Tower was looking good – I couldn’t pass up the opportunity for another photo op!
I couldn’t believe that I hadn’t made an Angelina stop yet, so…no time like the present for a Chocolat Chaud!! I sat and savored this rich hot chocolate for a while before taking a walk through the beautiful, but under construction, Place Vendome on the way up to see the Opera building. So beautiful and ornate!!
And for my last meal in Paris I wanted to check out Verjus. This is a restaurant and wine bar owned by expats. I was feeling too stuffed for the tasting menu, so I went to the tiny wine bar downstairs and enjoyed a Scallop Ceviche with herbs, citrus and chili, and Brussel Sprouts with korean rice cakes. Both were so delicious and so different from anything I had eaten while in Paris. So happy that I made it to this place – next time I’ll be back for the tasting menu in the restaurant upstairs!
Hard to believe that that concludes Paris and my month-long adventure! This trip has been exactly what I was looking for it to be. There have been so many memorable moments, and meals, along the way, and I’m just grateful that I had time and was spontaneous enough to plan my getaway in just a couple of weeks.
I still owe you guys some Paris sartorial, so don’t go away. And while I won’t be posting quite as often, this blog WILL continue. I’ve so appreciated the support, the comments, the emails, and honestly it’s been too fun to just stop now. I plan to continue utilizing this time while I’m not working to do all the things that I always just think about doing but don’t actually do because I’m too busy working. I have a long list of things in LA alone, so I hope you’ll continue to follow my adventures even if most of them might be in my backyard.
On Day 3, I started the day with macarons. I couldn’t find a croissant that I wanted, so I figured I might as well get some sugar into my body :). I stopped at the window of a chocolate shop, and I was sold, so I walked in to decide on flavors. Many of the flavors had the addition of chocolate, and since I was in a chocolatier it felt like a ‘when in Rome’ sort of moment. So, I got Chocolate Cafe, Chocolate Fig and Chocolate Pamplemosse (Grapefruit)…yes, the day’s tally was already at 3! From this group the Chocolate Cafe took the cake. There were real coffee grounds in the cookie and the filling was delicious. It doesn’t surpass my previous top choices, but it definitely remains in the top few.
I walked up and down Rue St. Honore as I ate my macarons, making a stop into the boutique, Colette. I absolutely loved their window and this dandelion art that they had going on inside as well. The boutique is a mix of novelty books and gadgets with some cool clothing, jewelry and perfumes. I’ve been looking at their website for years and seen different items of theirs on blogs, but I have to be honest the store actually disappointed me. There were very few things there that seemed exclusive, or like you couldn’t find it in the States. Having said that though, I did get myself a small trinket.
While on St. Honore I also paid a visit to an old favorite of mine – Annick Goutal, a parfumerie. I couldn’t not go in, for old time’s sake. And it got me wondering, after so many years away from my old Gardenia Passion signature scent, could it be time to revisit it?
After a little shopping, I was ready to start the museum portion of the day. First stop was L’Orangerie to sit and admire the amazing Monet panels. Now, at the risk of sounding cheesy, there are only a few place I’ve been in my life where immediately I’ve felt almost a hypnotic sense of calm. The beach, Hawaii, etc., sure, but otherwise the only other place has been the Piazza del Campo in Siena, Italy. I could sit there all day, even as it buzzes with activity, and feel like I’m watching waves crash in front of me. Well, I now add the 2 rooms of Monet’s Nympheas to this list. In fact, in hindsight, I wish I ended my day with this instead of started (but more on that later). These 2 rooms are special! Any tension my body was feeling, after nearly 30 days of nonstop walking and carrying my purse, anything that was on my mind, just melted away in the presence of these water-filled landscapes. The oval-shaped rooms with long panels taking up each curved wall are designed perfectly for these works. It’s hard not to feel like you are floating on the water while surrounded by the 4 panels.
As I left the museum, I got my first glimpse of the Eiffel Tower. Not a bad view! The day previous, when I was crossing the Seine, there was so much fog that you never would’ve known that the Tower was there! Glad it cleared up a little for this view.
From L’Orangerie, I crossed the street, and the Place Concorde, to get to Champs Elysees. I actually had a meeting on the other side of the Arc de Triomphe so I figured it was a good excuse to take the obligatory walk. Lucky for me, the Champs has a major Christmas Market right now – taking up both sides of the street with food vendors, Vin Chaud, Christmas decorations, and then completely unrelated things for sale. I grabbed a sandwich, a very expensive slice of traditional holiday nougat, and strolled.
To juxtapose that peace and calm I was still carrying with me, my visit to the Louvre was the exact opposite. I almost didn’t go at all, knowing that it would be a little nuts, but felt like I should since I was here and all. Even with a plan in place of what I wanted to see, it really didn’t matter. There wasn’t one aspect of my visit here that was easy, or frankly, enjoyable. There were too many people, too much art covering the walls or the halls, and the map does not correspond to the actual floor plan. An immediate sense of anxiety and frustration took hold – I felt like I was in Forever XXI (and yes, that is my 2nd FXXI reference on this blog). I did enjoy the Islamic Art exhibit, and found it almost comical watching people vie for a view of the Mona Lisa – I actually had a lot of fun observing as people tried to get a photo without anyone’s head blocking their view.
I left feeling exhausted and in need of a glass of wine. It was raining, so I took the metro for the first time all trip and headed back up towards home and the restaurant I was hoping I could get into, Frenchie. The restaurant opens at 7pm, and before then people stand in line waiting for the doors to open. The line consisted of predominately Americans – apparently 7pm is the American seating and the 2nd seating is all French.
The cool thing about this restaurant is that there are just a handful of high-top tables and unless you are a large group they are communal. So, I was seated next to an American couple and chatted with them off and on throughout the night. Our table had a great view of the tiny open kitchen, so we could see as they prepared everything. The menu skews Italian, so I started with a Burrata dish with marinated mushrooms and a balsamic drizzle, followed by Tagliatelle pasta with crispy slices of chestnut, gooseberries and a wild boar ragu. The pasta, especially, was interesting. The chestnut slices and gooseberries added something a little different. And for dessert, I couldn’t pass up the Chocolate Pot De Creme with Caramel and Passion Fruit. I never knew how into Passion Fruit sweets I was until I got to this country!!
I rolled myself home so that I could wake up and do it all over again. Only, after hitting the ground running the past couple of days I wanted to take Day 4 a bit more easy – shop, walk around, but without the stress of ticking things off of my to do list. The Picasso museum is in the Marais, where my apartment is, so it made sense to go today, but otherwise my only agenda was falafel for lunch and hitting up a number of stores in the neighborhood.
For the first time I had to wait in line at a museum – unfortunately my museum pass didn’t help me at this one. After going to the Picasso museum in Barcelona, where the focus was primarily on his early life, it was interesting to now be at the museum in Paris where there the focus was mostly on later periods. I’m glad that I did the two museums in the order that I did! I especially enjoyed seeing this painting below of women on the beach, because I noticed that the painting is set in Biarritz, where I was just last week. You might recognize the lighthouse in the background…?
Afterwards I walked to Place des Vosges – the oldest planned square in the city. Originally the Place Royale, although no royals ever lived here. Victor Hugo, however did…note:2nd Victor Hugo reference in the blog.
And finally, it was lunchtime. I headed to the place every single person that gave me Paris recommendations recommended…L’as du Fallafel in the Marais. I didn’t plan it this way, but it was fitting that tonight was the first night of Hanukkah because Rue des Rosiers is part of a Jewish area, so there were a couple rabbis out on the street asking people if they were Jewish, handing out free Hanukiahs to those who replied that they were, and even wrapping a couple people in Tefillin. It felt like home with the Chabad-mobile driving around and asking people if they are Jewish on Hanukkah. ANYWAY, back to the task at hand.
I placed my order, got my ticket, stepped up to the window and watched as my sandwich was made. Falafel balls, Cabbage, Tomato, Eggplant, Tahini, Hot Sauce – I don’t even know exactly what else went into this pita but it definitely made for one of the better Falafel sandwiches I’ve ever had! I stood on the street and ate this monstrosity, as the line grew longer and longer and sadly the competitor across the street tried every sales tactic he could but no one was buying his sign that they were the best falafel in the city. For 6 euro, this sandwich made me really happy. Happy Hanukkah!!
The rest of the afternoon was spent shopping around the Marais. Again, friends, thank you to all of the recommendations. Merci and French Trotters definitely topped the list. Thank you, Amanda, for the iced tea tip at Merci – it was like tea sangria-style almost…delicious!
Before heading home for a little siesta I decided to pull the trigger on a nutella crepe. The days have been flying by and I haven’t had one crepe yet, so I figured I had to do it now to ensure that it happened. I walked to this little stand that I had seen a massive line for just a couple days ago, and luckily there was no line quite yet. I ordered the nutella and almond, and walked home, pretty happy with my choice!
My siesta was much needed! I gave my body and my stomach a little rest before heading east to Le Perchoir, another recommended spot. I went early for a glass of wine because their rooftop bar has amazing views of the city. At 8 I walked down one flight of the winding staircase and into this very hip space. It was just starting to fill up, and it was the first dinner I’ve had in Paris where the crowd seemed 100% French.
Terrible photo, but beautiful view of Sacre Couer
Dinner at Perchoir is a “surprise menu” as my waitress attempted to explain to me in English. They ask if you have any food allergies or if there is anything you won’t eat and then just start bringing out the meal. On this trip, nothing is off the table, so I told her I would eat anything. I also opted to go for the Black Truffle supplement…for under $20USD it just seemed like I had to do it.
First up was a Pumpkin Fritter with a spicy Asian dipping sauce. Yum!
Next a trio of appetizers – Tuna with crispy onion; squid noodles with an egg, squid tentacle and some sort of braised chicken; lobster dumpling in a lobster and fennel broth. The squid was really different and really good! And the lobster and fennel was a great combination.
Then the first of the two black truffle courses came – risotto with black truffles, served al dente. Very good obviously, but actually I enjoyed my first two courses more.
Duck was up next – a few slices and a leg, as well as some roasted root veggies (not pictured).
The truffle cheese course came next.
And then dessert, which I struggled to get through because I was full. This was a caramel and pear cake, a mango cream, grapes with a tarragon syrup, and hibiscus ice cream (she said Ice Cream but I think it was sorbet…at least I keep telling myself that). The Hibiscus, Mango and grapes were great and very refreshing. The cake wasn’t my favorite type of dessert, but there was nothing wrong with it. I had a few bites and had to leave the rest.
Really fun dinner. Some unexpected flavors, and a lot of local flavor amongst the crowd which was really cool to see.
That about sums up my last 2 days. Tomorrow is my final day in Paris as well as on this adventure, and I seriously can’t believe it. I’m hoping to pop back in to the L’Orangerie just for one final glance on my last day – maybe I can somehow carry the calm with me into my long travel day ahead. I have a bunch to try to pack into the day so hopefully I can get through it all.
The Laid-Off Life 