Capucins market– The ‘belly’ of Bordeaux.

Shopping in the Capucin market  is a weekend ritual in Bordeaux 

 Around since the 18^th century, this Baltard-style market, with atrium windows and cast-iron pillars (and glass roof) houses 80 retailers and a number of refreshment stalls and restaurants, is a place that has never lost it’s friendly, human warmth, cheerful racket and mouth watering bouquet of flavors, featuring cheese, seafood fruit and vegetables.

Head for the market ( as with any farmers market in France) in the early morning to beat the crowds. 

Treat yourself to a ‘dune blanche; a rich puff pastry filled with mousseline cream and have a coffee at Poulettes. Surrounding the market are cafes and fine food shops.

Opening hours: Tuesday to Friday form 6am to 1pm, Saturday and Sunday from 5:30am to 2:30pm.

A traditional USA diet vs a Howard E Lewis French Diet - do I need to ask?

The traditional healthy Mediterranean Diet.

Monthly – Red meat

Weekly – Sweets, eggs, poultry and fish

Daily – Cheese and yogurt, olive oil, fruits, beans, legume and nuts, Veggies

Bread, pasta, rice and couscous

Daily beverage recommendations - 6 Glasses of water a day and daily physical activity

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The Howard E Lewis Lifestyle diet

Monthly – Fruits and Veggies

Weekly – Beans or legumes topped with Gruyere

Daily – Any type of French cheese, preferable Saint-Nectaire or Cantal , Caviar and shrimp on a toasted Brioche, any kind of red Meat( beef or better yet pork)  , Foie Gras in any form , salami ( preferably Black Pig) Duck, Duck and more duck, and cooking with duck or goose fat

Long daily naps (between meals)

Daily recommendations - 1 bottle of Red wine – preferably Madiran or St Joseph French wine or 3 Martini’s

Bordeaux - a new way to discover the city

The city of Bordeaux is certainly now the hot destination within France and yet, it is still often overlooked by visitors intent on the Paris-Provence circuit. 
Nestled in verdant wine country and on the edge of leading oyster-producing area, this elegant city on the Garonne River melds history and arts and infrastructure to make it a very captivating destination. One of the best ways to see and experience the city is by boat. 
A 90 minute cruise on the 74 passenger steel-hull Sardane provides an expansive view of this city.

But the best way is to take their Aperitif and Wine tasting cruise; 3 different selected wines going with fresh regional products - tapas, breads, cheese and coked meats.  

Can Life get any better?

When two ambassadors of the black brotherhood of bigorre come together! It's talking good products, madiran, treats, fat and sausages! 

Chef Guillaume GOMEZ ( the chef of the Elysee Palace/Residence) and friend

Two of most favorite food items to me

The hardy, intense , chewy wine of the southwest - 

Madiran and Bigorre Porc

As George and Ira Gershwin once wrote

"Who could ask for anything more'

La Chassagnette - A wonderful garden that happens to have a wonderful restaurant, outside of Arles

Many restaurants within France have a garden, but here just outside the historic city of Arles ( some 15 miles away) is a wondrous organic vegetable garden that happens to have a Michelin star restaurant.  

The vegetable garden is a hymn to organic products, the vegetables are astounding and never to be forgotten. I mean; where you you found in one garden, over 30 different kinds of tomatoes for one. This is the place to have lunch within a beautiful garden. Dishes such as sea-bream, crayfish, pigeon, grill meats all are served with the vegetables just picked that morning. 
(Closed Tuesday and Wednesday) 

In the Marais area of Paris - Waffles out of this world..I mean it

Yummy and Guilt Free is what we call in French a Bar a Gaffers ( a waffle bar) and its located in the beautiful Marais area in Paris.
I must tel you, I hate waffles, but that was until I ate here. They are gluten free and lactose free also(  no big deal for me) and are sweet but also savory.

Besides tasting wonderful, the bonus here is that they contain twice less calories than traditional waffles. 

I know it ain't France, but oh!!! The German Black Forest...

As you may know, I love the city of Strasbourg, France. Its mixture of France/German cultures is just wonderful and exciting.

Just across the border from the city is the most picturesque part of Germany, the Black Forest region, that has some of the most beautiful and dramatic landscapes in Europe.

Here in the small towns and villages along the Romantic Road , you’ll find the fairy-Tale nature of this region.

The highlight here is Baden-Baden ‘ the belle Epoque meets the age of Instagram. This picturesque spa town has drawn visitors/Kings and Queens/European royalty for hundreds of years.

The only place to stay ( as far as I’m concerned) is the 150 year old grand hotel ( and I mean GRAND!) Brenners Park. The city and the hotel is on my top list of the top places I have ever visited and stayed. It’s a WOW!!!

Chantilly - I've said it before and I'll say it again, You haven't seen France if you have not visited Chantilly

Forget Versailles, the real jewel in France is the Castle/chateaux at Chantilly ( just 30 minutes north of Paris)
Besides a 'knock-your-socks off' chateaux, it houses the greatest collection of art in France outside of the Louvre.
So what are you waiting for?

Rouen follow up: A must tea room to have tea and homemade cakes and a fantastic view of its over- the- top cathedral

During you day trip from Paris to Rouen, a must ( right across from the famous Gothic cathedral) is a lovely tea shop - Dame Cakes
Have your tea on the second floor that overlooks thew magnificent cathedral. 

Is fashion a true art form? I think so and Paris fashion museums prove it.

I think fashion is an art form - because the same amount of artistic expression that goes into clothes, goes into a piece of pottery or a painting.

Fashion can tell you what people wore at a certain period just as pottery can tell you what their tea parties were like. Fine art at the  moment (in my humble  opinion) is no longer particularly concerned with beauty, so you could say that fashion - which is always about a concept of beauty, wherever or not everyone agrees on the concept - is more relevant, more artistic, than the garbage they put out these days and that includes today's music.

Well, that said (I'll get off my soap box) and say that when you are in Paris next, you must check out 5 of the most beautiful Paris fashion museums whether you are passionate or simple curious.

Two that really a must are:
~ The Museum of Decorative Arts - Inaugurated in 1905 in a wing of thew Louvre museum, it houses an astonishing collection of decorative arts ans design. A collection of more than 150,000 pieces of fashion, man. woman and child. In 2017, their Dior collection attracted more than 700,000 visitors. 

~ The Yves Saint Laurent Museum - This brand new space hosts a retrospective of over 50 models accompanied by accessories, sketches, photographs and videos as well as the actual dresses of this fabulous designer. The highlight of course is to visit the studio of YSL that plunges one back into the origins of the Parisian house founded in 1961. 
Pre booking tickets is a must and you can do that online.

Traveling with a 'time machine' is no fantasy, it is now possible when visiting France ...

One of the great things ( among so many others) about France is their high speed rail system all throughout the country.












Based in Paris, you can take the train ( the TGV) and speed back in time to whatever century you prefer in less than 2 hours. Yes, its possible.

If you love history, France and lots of culture, then I recommend for a day taking the train to Normandy, more specific, to Rouen. Just 1 hr and 30 minutes.

Its here you'll find Joan of Arc, Richard the Lionhearted, Monet, and hundreds of timber-framed houses. great cafes and restaurants and shopping, oh! wow!

Its an easy walk from the train station ( 10 minutes) and its a walkable city with many streets closed to cars.

GIRAFE, A TERRACE FACING THE EIFFEL TOUR

Paris is alive with new, hot, restaurants and one of the best is GIRAFE. 

Inside ( with views of views Eiffel Tower) , its a cozy decor, cream banquettes, marble bar, tropical plants and the kitchen turns out an array of great seafood dishes. 

But, BUT the real treat here is the devastating terrace, one-on-one with the Eiffel Tower.
Book early, its hard to get...

Paris for a Sunday lunch – Where is the life that late I led? Totally gone. Totally dead, but its not...

Sunday ( or for that matter) Saturday in Paris  looking for an old fashioned typical French bistro  meal is hard to find.  So I can report, that my always go to place is still alive and well (it’s been around since 1908). The vintage bistro (lots and lots of regulars you’ll find here) La Fontaine de Mars (7e) with its happy red-and-white checkered tablecloths, its cozy neighborhood atmosphere, agreeable and funny waitstaff and just the best old time, French grandmas typing of cooking makes this a very happy place to spend 2 to 3 hours eating.

I love their oeufs au Madiran (two poached eggs in a sauce of reduced Madiran wine with onions and bacon chunks). Or I also love their leeks Vinaigrette, oh! oh! I'm dying here!!

Then if it’s a Saturday, you must order the special baby lamb. But oh! So many things on the menu and so good.

I can eat here every day of the week, it’s the France of old and its owners Jacques and Christiane BOUDON are consummate pros.

Below is the click on menu

https://www.fontainedemars.com/nos-menus-et-boissons/

Is this heaven? , No its France, the Domaine des Etangs to be exact.

Just three hours south of Paris, lies the lavish and unconventional five star resort encompassing 2000 acres of forest, lakes and rolling farmland, an 11th Century chateau , a Michelin starred restaurant, an contemporary  art collection ( a Picasso among them) , and a fantastic spa located in an old water mill, all this an just 11 fantastic suite rooms. Oh yes, located in the forest area are 7 lovely farm cottages to rent. 

The resort is a WOW and every facility of the highest standard.
For one would think this opulent French resort is formal and that would be the  furthest from the truth, its informal ( the  waiters in the Michelin restaurant wear jeans..save not your writer, who always dresses up)

In a word the resort is a triumph of good taste, eclecticism and whimsy.
A word of warning, if you are an 'A' type personality and need to have things to do every minute ( no golf here, no villages to visit etc)  then this is not the place for you., You are here to relax, eat well, nap, row a boat on one of the lakes, take a nap, do a massage, eat well and so forth.

Tally-Ho, I'm off to France for 3 weeks...

I'm off to France!!!

more specific, I'm off to drive into the very heart of the country, the Auvergne, an area for a long time kept apart from the rest of the country by its mountains, forests and wild countryside. Today even still, it remains a region still largely untouched.

The only shop of its kind in Paris - only devoted entirely to ham

Caractere de Cochon

Found in the Marias, this closet-like space is filled with every kind of cooked and cured hams from various countries and just about every region in France with a variety of pates, terrines and antipasti and sausages for good measure.
For lunch have them make you up a traditional jambon beurre ( ham and butter) sandwich with your pick of hams.

Paris Bistros of old...

If you want to drop into a time capsule ( I do every time I’m in France) and experience classic French/Parisian cuisine, experience the 1920’s and 30’s, then I have a long list for you to try.

A favorite of mine is Benoit. A few years ago, the family ( the kids that is) that ran it wanted to walk away and luckily, Alain Ducasse took it over, updated the menu a bit, but keep the traditional décor ( that I remember as a kid in the 1950’s)  and its now better than ever.

French food is fussy and I mean that in the best possible way – no one does fuss better than the Gauls. And no one does the white-tablecloth ( a must in my book) bistro cuisine quite like BENOIT.

In this culinary moment, when chefs look like bikers and the maître d's’ look like farmers, it feels subversive, almost rebellious, to sit down in this dressy room and gorge yourself into food coma on garlicky escargots, sausage en brioche, impossible-to- finish cassoulet, crayfish soup (Just the best!)  and tarte Tatin served with cream so thick the waiter has to spoon it up with both hands. Sure its rich, but this is Paris!! You’re not here for the wheatgrass juice.

The late chef, Paul Bocuse was once asked by a customer, why don’t you serve more healthy food and his response was ‘ Madam, I run a restaurant, not a hospital’.

A romantic spot in Paris

Being an unabashed romantic,. I am always looking for spots  that just ooze with romance.

On La Cite ( the island in the middle of the Seine - Home of Notre- Dame) is a spot that juts out into the Seine, where you'll find a gorgeous willow tree and a great spot to sit under the willow wand look down the Seine.

   

Cafe etiquette - One thing that is likely to get you a scolding in France

Cafe sitting is one of the best things to do in France, but here is something to remember when doing so...

Sitting at a manger ( eating placement) table  instead of a boire ( drinking ) table at a cafe when all you wanted was a coffee.
Will get you a scolding for sure by the staff...

So, before you sit down, if you only want coffee look for a table that has NO flatware on it.          
                                                NO! NON!

YES, OUI!

Manet, Degas, Renoir,Monet,Cezanne,Gauguin, Van Gogh...Oh My!

In Paris until July, you can see one of the most grandiose collections of Impressionist masters, from one of the most prestigious private collections in the world.

The Art collection of Emil Buhrle ( the Swiss industrialist) is being shown at the Left Bank Musee Mailllol, in the 7th arrondissement of Paris.

60 of the best of 600 objects of this collector, range from Impressionism to Fauvism passing Cubism and the Nabis will arouse desires in any one who these them.

I have organized my ENTIRE life NOT BEING around CHILDREN, but…

Although the French do love children, there are rules of conduct about where to take them and out to dine.

In my 50 plus years of travel to France, you rarely see children in restaurants; unless it’s a McDonalds type.

French restaurants (especially Paris) don’t have a reputation for being very child friendly. You just don’t see children eating out in Paris and France in general.  But if you must, here are some things you need to know.

Choose Wisely: You must pick a kind of place where kids are welcomed. Casual spots like cafes, some bistros (not many) or non-French places; like pizza or Chinese food are good choices. Funny but Asian restaurants are the few places you’ll see kids eating.

Eat Early: French people are creatures of habit – they like to eat at the same times (that is all over France). From 12 noon to 230pm for lunch and from 8:00pm to 10:30pm for dinner. Again, most regular restaurants in the evening don’t open until 7:30pm. Paris restaurants keep very rigid hours, so if you eat outside those times above, look for places that have ‘service continu’ continuous dining – usually a café, but be warned, the best food in Paris Is not found in these places.

Don’t expect kid accoutrements: Like high chairs, crayons, kids menu, whatever. Yes, restaurants for families do exist, but chain restaurants.

Don’t just show up with a stroller expecting to be seated. If a restaurant is reluctant to welcome kids, it’s almost always a space issue ( if you have a stroller). Real estate is expensive, most restaurants are tiny. If a restaurant sees you coming with a stroller, expect to be not seated.

The Bottom Line: Dining out in Paris with young children is NOT COMMON

The most important word in the French language

Perhaps the first word you are ever taught in French is BONJOUR. but what they don't tell you is that bonjour isn't just a greeting, it's actually the most important word in the French language and if you use it correctly and frequently it will make life so much more pleasant for you in France.

It's likely to also help change that stereotype ( still active today) you had of impolite French people. 

You can never overdo it with Bonjour, when you think you've said it too much, you're probably saying it just enough. 

Is 'real' French cheese in danger?

Every region of France has its own particular cheeses. Back in time of General de Gaulle, France had over 246 cheeses - and today that list has expanded.

Many of the top cheeses in France that are considered authentic are given the highly-prized protected Designation of Origin label, this means it was made with raw cows milk, but today, in France, commercial cheeses bearing names like Camembert are made with pasteurized cows milk, may be given a new special label.. The purists ( like myself) yell outrage! and say this decision jeopardizes the future of real raw milk cheeses.

You'll never taste true French raw milk cheeses in the USA, its not allowed to be imported. You'll only find then in France, but now also in France, you'll find mass-produced bland-tasting, pasteurized versions of cheeses. 
When in France, try ( at the local French cheese shops) the real taste of a raw milk cheese and you'll never go back to the bland commercial stuff.

France is full of rules and that's what makes life so livable here...

Rule:
You can not 'have it your way' when it comes to food in France
The Burger King motto does not fly outside of the US. So don't, please don't bring your American mentality to the table in France.

Eat the food on the menu as it is prepared or don't order it. There is' no mayo on the side'. 'I want fries instead of rice' options. Respect how the food is prepared and served. If you have food allergies or other restrictions ( It seems to me these days, its every American), try to do some planning ahead of time, although I can tell you are going to have a rough time in France. 

At the Fabulous Paris department store - Galleries Lafeyette Haussmann

You can walk under the magical dome,  high above the central section of the store on a glass walk way...

Dining in the Louvre gardens... Your next Parisian must!

Nestled between the historic walls of the Louvre, the Loulou restaurant has been taken over by new owners ( its attached to one of my favorite museums in Paris, Musee des Arts Decoratifs ). The must here ( if the weather is good) is to sit on the vast terrace in the shade of giant white parasols and have lunch or dinner.

A truly bucolic paradise within this busy city.  No cars or pedestrians passing by your table here, just breathtaking views over the gardens and the historic Louvre buildings. An idyllic location to enjoy the top-flights Italian-Mediterranean  cuisine. 
Hours - Noon to 3pm and 7:30pm to 11pm.

You say, You want a hamburger while in Paris? - Are you mad? Well maybe not...

The French, if you must know, are mad about American Hamburgers and as of late, the Hamburger has made it into the food scene in Paris, so forget MacDonald's; there are now scores of wonderful Parisian hamburger shops and the best of them is Big Fernand. 

 Its a chain of hamburger restaurants  but with a twist a la francaise. Traditional American hamburger and add French cheese ( some raw milk like tomme de savoie, raclette and morbier to name a few) ) prime French beef ( mixed with herbes de provence)  and of course daily baked French bread.