Horror - "Doggy Bags" being introduced in Paris restaurants to cut food waste

In a bid to combat food waste, Parisian authorities and the catering unions have joined forces to introduce the use of 'Doggy Bags' in Paris. Its first going to be tried in only 100 Paris restaurants, but to be honest what with Paris's notoriously brusque waiters and temperamental chefs, in practice, however, in my opinion, few will dare to make a request for them.

One of the best museums in Paris, that is missed by most tourists..Musee Rodin and now after a large renovation, its better than ever!

AFTER three years of renovation, the Musee Rodin in Paris reopened its doors last week, with new displays of the French sculptor’s works. The Hotel Biron and its garden were used by Auguste Rodin in the years leading up to his death in 1917 and boasts versions of his “The Thinker” and “The Kiss” – two of the world’s best-known sculptures. 

The mansion attracts 700,000 visitors a year and has needed €16 million  worth of renovation, including urgent repairs to the floor and overhauling its interior design. The museum now boasts a new layout and previously unseen works as well as paintings from Rodin’s personal collection, including paintings by Vincent van Gogh and Edvard Munch. 

“Visitors will see an improved visibility of the works thanks to the furniture which allows more works to be shown,” museum director Catherine Chevillot said. The new layout and different lighting on some displays allows visitors to get very close to the sculptures, she said. 

My Secret: It also boasts one of the loveliest garden cafes in all of Paris.

Pressed Duck - The Last Bastion of This Wonderful Dish is only now in One Restaurant In Paris - Enjoy!

The La Tour d'Argent is, YES!  maybe a very touristy ( but so is the Eiffel Tower and Mont Saint-Michel) and over priced ( for sure)  but what a better way to live and enjoy life than experience their famous Pressed Duck. The video is by London Guardian Newspaper Food Writer, Tim Hayward

Paris Grand Palais - A Photo History and a Creme Cafe, Maybe?

Not that I am big on musuem restaurants or cafes, but at the Grand Palais, I must admit I do like the new cafe.Inside the Grand Palais, there is a brand new café,Starting with breakfast, the place serves food all day: at lunch try the 20€ prix-fixe menu (main, glass of wine, coffee), or nibble between 3-7pm on a range of indulgent snacks, such as a Foie gras, popcorn and caramel balsamic remoulade (7€), or the Upside-down lemon tart (7€). A la carte at lunch or dinner might propose prawns à la plancha or rumsteak (28€). But the restaurant’s magnificent stone terrace, decorated with elaborate columns and friezes, rivals that of the Café Marly, and competes with the cosmopolitan menu for your attention. Inside is sobre and spacious, brightened up with splashes of colorful cushions, and large spy holes through to the interior of the Grand Palais. After 11.30 the place turns into a ‘lounge’, a place to hang out and drink cocktails (12€-15€)

Glass floor for Eiffel Tower - 2013

The Eiffel Tower is about to provide its visitors with a step into dizzying suspension. Soon visitors to the first level will look straight down the Eiffel Tower through a plate of glass instead of looking through the fence. The idea of the architect, Alain Moatti, is to give the impression of floating above Paris.

In its third major renovation since 1889, a portion of the Eiffel Tower’s solid flooring will be transformed into a 1.5m (5 ft) wide platform of glass. An inclined glass barrier is designed to replace the present grilled fencing. The work begins February 2012 and will be available for viewing during the summer 2013.
The present buildings from the 1980s with their mirrored windows will give way to transparent, windowed buildings to give the visitor the sense of openness into the surrounding space. The lateral walls framing the glass façades will be painted in the original brown-red color of the Eiffel Tower.

Ambassade d'Auvergne - Paris Comfort Food At It's Best

I have many favorite comfort food restaurants I love in Paris and one of my all time favorites ( I desperately hope it never changes) is the restaurant that features the cooking from the Auvergne ( central France) area.

Located in the Marais in an ancient house (two floors) it has been running since 1968. Comfortably spaced tables, the service is well rhythmed, the welcome warm and the prices moderate and the food, absolutely delicious, made up of hearty peasant dishes to showcase the quiet pleasures of the French cooking.

This is stick-to-your-ribs food, no fou fou here. Start off by trying a large bowl ( that call it a salad – but no greens here) of brown PUY lentils seasoned with vinegar, a large amount of creamy goosefat, nice chopped thin onions and chunks of very thin Auvergne bacon all mixed together – served warmed and you spoon as much as you wish on your plate. Maybe slices of Bon de coche de la Chataigneraie, one of the world’s finest hams. Rubbed with salt and aged for 6 months in a smokehouse over a chestnut-wood fire.
For your main, I like the Guinea Fowl stuffed with cabbage, but just a stuffed cabbage is also a star here. One of the best dishes here is the sausage and cabbage served with aligot. Aligot is a staple of the Auvergnat region. It’s a blend of whipped potatoes, young Tomme cheese and garlic and it provides a bit of old-fashioned table side theatre, since the waiter brings it to the table in a thick copper pot and whips it a few times, holding his wooden spoon high so that you can see that is has the surprising texture of molten latex and is it good! Not, make that great! Even if you don’t order it, ask them to bring you a sample, they will.

Talk about comfort food, this is the place.
Located at the North Corner of the centre Pompidou.

The Rebirth Of a Great Paris Hotel - Hotel de Crillon

http://www.crillon.com/ - For Romantic adults only
http://www.crillon.com/#video/children  - For Children Only!
Paris has 6 Grand Dame Hotels and among my favorites is the classic Hotel de Crillon. After a muli million Euro facelift, the hotel is more spectacular than never.

This Place de la Concorde landmark, built at the direction of King Louis XV in 1758, hasn’t lost its ornate air. Flat-screen televisions and high-speed Internet access bring modern touches to suites and salons still filled with gilt, mirrors, and Baccarat crystal, in addition to genuine Aubusson carpets and Wedgwood medallions. . The Bar du Crillon is nothing short of elegant, with its mirrored mosaics, red velvet–covered chairs, and dripping chandeliers. Request a song at the piano, then sit back on a settee and sip a Baccarat cocktail (Grand Marnier, lemon, cranberry, Champagne Rosé).
Better yet, have dinner in the Versailles like dining room, one of, if not the most romantic restaurants in Paris.
......and the location is the best in Paris ( ask me why)
Please contact me for special Protravel rates and amenities at this fabulous hotel.

Oyster Quartet - A Kiss From The Sea

Anyone who knows me; knows that first upon landing in Paris and my last day in Paris before I leave, I always have a few dozen oysters at one of my many favorite Fish-and-Oyster houses around the city. I am happy to report today, that a favortie that had fallen on hard times, has been bought and restored once again to a good destination for serious seafood lovers. The 4 restaurants that make up this mini-chain is called LE BAR A HUITRES. The menu has been revamped and offers a wonderful array of pedigreed bivales and the fish is not farmed rasied by wild and the taste proves that.
There are now four locations, 2 on the Left Bank.
Below is a menu to temp you on your next visit to Paris and you might be seeing me there.
http://www.lebarahuitres.com/pdf/carte_en.pdf

Old Time Food Bargains In Paris - Bouillon Chartier

What with Three Star Michelin Chefs closing down their haute Cuisine temples and opening bistros. The times are a-changing in Paris and high time in my opinion!

One of the best bargains is housed in an 1890's restaurant with prices stuck in the 1950's!

The traditional Paris dish of steak/frites is a good deal, as long as you like it the way the chef cooks it, you won't be asked and if you asked, you'll be ignored.

Bouillon Chartier, 7 rue Faubourg-Montmartre 75009

A sample menu is below:

http://restaurant-chartier.com/www/visit/atable.php

Yves Saint Laurent - YSL - Retrospective - It's Not Fashion, It's Art!

If you missed the fabulous retrospective of the fashion of Yves Saint Laurent in San Francisco last year at the DeYoung Musuem, you'll have a second chance this year in Paris at the Petit Palais.
300 outfits and well as a number of drawings, documents and films will be on exhibtion at the Petit Palais from March 11th to August 29th.
This show pays a fitting tribute to the greatest couturier of the second half of the 20th century.
If you think that fashion is not art, wait until you see this exhibition. I promise you, you'll come away looking at his creations with a different view.

Joyeux Noel - Merry Christmas - Happy Christmas

VERY IMPORTANT FOR PARIS VISITORS 2010 - Impressionist Paintings at d'Orsay Museum Will Be Moved To The United States For 1 year

From January 2010 to March 2011, the museum will be carrying out major renovation work leading to the closure of level 5. This section is where all the Impressionist and post Impressionist paintings are housed. The collections will be displayed in new, specially redesigned rooms in 2011. BUT....The paintings will be shown in the United States during this time period in San Francisco at the De Young Museum for a combined eight months beginning in May 2010 and ending in January 2011. Each exhibition will include approximately 100 paintings from the Musée d’Orsay’s permanent collection and highlights the work of nearly 40 artists including Cézanne, Degas, Gauguin, Manet, Monet, Pissarro, Renoir, Rousseau, Seurat, Sisley, Toulouse-Lautrec, van Gogh and Vuillard. The Musée d’Orsay will loan the exhibitions while it undergoes a partial closure for refurbishment and reinstallation in anticipation of the Musée’s 25th anniversary in 2011. The de Young will be the only museum in the world to host both exhibitions.

Paris Winter - That Means One Thing - HOT CHOCOLATE

In 1615, the secret of hot chocolate was taken to France, where Anne, daughter of Philippe II of Spain, married King Louis XIII. The French court adopted this new exotic drink with fervor and it was considered to have medicinal benefits as well as being a nourishing concoction.
If it was good for the Royal court of France, then it's good for you! Here are some addresses which, I believe serve the best hot chocolate in Paris.


Les Deux Abeilles
189 rue de l'Université
75007 Paris
Metro: Alma Marceau


This small tea salon near the Eiffel Tower serves the most stunning home-made cakes (marron glacé cake being my favorite!) and thick dark hot chocolate. Don't order the two at the same time, otherwise a small bed may be required at the local hospital for a heart check up!

Charles le Chocolatier
15 rue Montorgueil
75002 Paris
Metro: Les Halles


The tiny chocolate shop in the bustling rue Montorgueil serving a cup of very thick bitter hot chocolate (sugar required!) from their well-polished pot belly copper cauldron. They don't always have the chocolate prepared, only "when they feel like it". Don't be disappointed if the copper pot is not there, try again another day.


Comme à la Maison
Village St Paul/Court Vert
9 rue St Paul
75004 Paris
Metro: St Paul


Sensational hot chocolate served in a generous white ceramic jug on a platter with a glass of water (de riguer with these type of hot chocolates!) It is poured out with glistening cocoa butter bubbles frothing down into the cup. Excellent.


Arnaud Larher
53 rue Caulaincourt
75018 Paris
Tel: 01 42 57 68 08
Metro: Lamarck-Caulaincourt


Behind the Sacre Coeur, high up over Paris, this chocolatier/patissier is worth the trek to find. The chocolate drink here is served cold in bottles which are great to take away and sneak home (makes a great gift). Either drunk cold or heated up later, it is a historical drink. Available in vanilla, chocolate orange, bittersweet chocolate and chocolate cinnamon.
Buy a bag of dark chocolate-coated freshly sliced ginger while you are there!


Steiger
20 rue des Capucines
75002 Paris
Metro: Opera


This unassuming chocolatier near Place Vendôme, Madame Constantin creates a hot chocolate so thick and rich, you need a spoon to scoop out the last bits: She melts a tablet of quality dark chocolate made of pure cocoa butter from the Ivory Coast and adds a cloud of milk and cream. She hand whips the mixture in an old-fashioned chocolate pot and serves immedicately. Takes about 20 minutes to prepare, so be patient and leave plenty of time!


Rose Thé
104 Avenue Ledru Rollin
750011 Paris
Metro: Ledru Rollin


Situated in the pretty cobbled Passage de l'Homme, the home-made cakes are the most delicous and sublime. Apple, cinnamon, honey and caramel encrusted walnut tartes with a tall glass of hot chocolate. The hot chocolate is made from milk rather than cream, so it is dark and not so thick as the others mentioned. A cake and hot chocolate can be married together quite well. Friendly service, local neighborhood crowd.

Shoe-Lovers Dream in Paris

Shoe-worshipping shoppers now head towards the Galeries Lafayette Department Store in Paris! A space devoted to 12,000 pairs of shoes.
In a boutique atmosphere, with large aisles, brown wengé wood and white varnished furniture and comfortable chocolate brown leather sofas, any style of shoe under the sun can be found. From 10 Euro flip flops to 1000 Euro boots, hundreds of brands are gathered in this immense area dedicated entirely to shoes. Among these, 25 brands are new and exclusively distributed at Galeries Lafayette. Here, all of the must-haves of the season can be found in a very “Cinderella” like ambiance, where the models are arranged by theme and displayed on tall podiums decorated with fringes of crystals, beads and sequins. Slippers have even made it into the fashion scene (20% of shoe sales in France are for slippers) with a new area entirely devoted to sequined clogs, multicolored ballet slippers, sophisticated mules and embroidered oriental slippers. A special area “leather and foot care!” offers everything needed to take care of your shoes and feet: special brushes, shoe creams in all colors, foot-care lotions and so on…

Eiffel Tower - Advance Ticket Sales - Finally!

Finally, not having to wait in line to purchase your tickets to enter the Eiffel Tower!

Soon to be available to all visitors are an on-line booking sight by the Eiffel Tower Monument.

Choose the day and time of your visit (depending on availabilities), pay using the secure server, print out your ticket at home…
*Only 200 entrance tickets on sale each day
for the second floor, except weekends,
and limited periods of time.
Purchase of a supplemental tickets for
the top floor available at Tower ticket booths.

RATES
FROM APRIL 4, 2009 TO MARCH 26, 2010 Adults

Elevator entrance tickets
(to second floor) 8.00 €
Elevator entrance tickets
to top floor 13.00
Stair entrance tickets
(to second floor)4.50 € 3.50 € 3.00 €