Coretta is a restaurant that will forever mark an amazing change in my life, the reintroduction of dairy into my diet. For about ten years now I have nixed dairy from my intake, and at all the restaurants I visit, I must always inquire about the lactose contents of the menu and carefully select accordingly which often limits my choices to a sad one or two dishes. Often, the kitchen has to make special dishes for me, if they are in the mood. But recently, I have daringly tested out my dairy intolerance, because, they say that every ten years or so your body chemistry changes. It all started with a Pierre Hermé salted caramel cream macaron that DIDN’T make me feel sick. I was astonished. I made a few more attempts at Pierre Hermé macarons, and a couple bites of friends’ desserts to test the theory. It seemed to have some truth to it. Coretta was the first restaurant where I dared to have a whole dish that contained a little bit of cream in the sauce… A revelation of flavor came over me and I remembered what amazing food can taste like! Butter and cream and cheese really do make a difference.
Coretta – Trendy Gourmet Bistrot
Le Dome du Marais – Apothecary meets Shabby Chic meets Art Deco
It would seem that Springtime draws me out and exploring the cafés of Paris. I think the easing of chilly weather makes me feel more adventurous and I am inclined to exit the comfort of home for the chairs, benches and divans at various unexplored cafés around town. Although it isn’t that difficult to entice me outdoors given the many attractive café establishments in the City of lights.
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I spent a little time recently in two that I had never discovered before…and all in the same afternoon.
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Paris Love Locks : Photo Essay
The Paris love-locks… I know, I know. We have all discussed, photographed and blogged the death out of these little objects… They have a turbulent existence it would seem… All these declarations of passion, desire and commitment have become cumbersome to the city of Paris, but no one wants to discard them.
In a recent article in the Marianne magazine (a leftist French publication) there was an article about these locks and the weight they pull (and place) in the very heart of the city of lights, the city of love.
Little Paris Tips
I have a few fun updates about some things I love in Paris :
I posted about this bubbly brand back in 2012, but did you know that Mon Champagne now delivers, in Paris, in less than three hours?!? I mean we all know how bad a champagne emergency is, right?!?!? LOL! Okay, all kidding aside, who wants to lug six bottles of champagne home in a caddie on the metro? Pas moi. Plus the delivery guys (on bicycles = they are in shape) are claimed to be hot! Hmmmm… this could be a new way to meet a French man for you single ladies out there!
Aaaand, EVEN MORE EXCITING is the Champagne Box. My friends over there are crowd funding to launch the product so hop on board and offer Mon Champagne your support. This is going to be awesome when it launches. Plus for your contribution, you can have cool stuff! http://kisskissbankbank.com/champagne-box You have until the 14th of May to participate! Read more →
In Love With An Iron Lady
I have been in Paris for over 11 years now. Wow. It seems so long to me.
And no matter how many times I go to see the Eiffel Tower, I always always take a picture of her. She is beautiful. Weather it is against a grey cloud-cast sky, or dazzling beneath a vibrant evening blue hue, she is the star of this city, and everyone who comes her heads to her feet to pay hommage in the best way we modern humans know how : by taking her picture.
One day in February, as I was treating myself to a stroll around her gardens, I though how interesting it was to see the intense concentration on people’s faces as they captured her image. They were trance-like almost. Read more →
Some Things Never Change : 19th Century Parisian Activities
Expo : Les Parisiens de Daumier.
Until March 4th… HURRY!
3€ Entry.
Galerie du Crédit Municipal de Paris
55, rue des Francs-Bourgeois – 75004 Paris.
Mon-Fri 9am-5pm – Closed Sundays
I first heard about this expo via the blog Paris, Maman et Moi. Being a 19th century French literature fan (I have the entire collection of Balzac – and FYI, some editions of Balzac’s works were illustrated by Daumier) I knew this was right up my alley. So instead of waiting in line for the Brassaï expo (just like in Sheily’s post linked above), I headed over to see these wonderful drawings of what Parisian life was like in the 1800′s.
You could say that Daumier, who’s work is the entirety of the exposition, was what we would consider a lifestyle/humorist blogger today. Each drawing (there were dozens and dozens of them) mocked, exaggerated or poked fun at a certain « type » of Parisian, in different situations of social life back 150-200 years ago. Read more →
Pretty Paris Pictures : Night Lights
I have been braving the cold and dreary weather lately, with my camera in tow, trying to capture some of those beautiful moments that flicker across my life in this amazing city… And if course I do all that so I can share it with you! Sometimes I end up walking waaaay farther than I originally intend to, all for the sake of getting more great shots. Some of my night shots come out rather yellowish, I wonder if it’s the lights here, or is it my camera? I don’t do any image altering or filtering on my pictures that I post here. I would, if I had the time, but I am just to busy to bother. So I end up taking quite a handful of clichés for each frame, in order to get the perfect picture that won’t need modifications.
Treize – New Secret Spot in Paris
Laurel Sanderson was one of the founders of the wildly successful Sugarplum Cake Shop and was the heart, soul, and sunshine of their tea salon… We were all sad when she left the Paris baking/eatery scene, but that didn’t last long! She’s baaaaaaack! And she has created her own little place that is full of her contagious and addictive charm and warm cheerful hospitality, serving up her fantastic recipes for lunch and brunch, and that amazing carrot cake she is so well known for.
Poo-Pooing the Kong Restaurant
After seeing the amazing David Hallberg dance the Sleeping Beauty prince… Chéri brought me to the Kong for dinner. We thought we would make a fabulous night of it and eat at what I assumed would be a swanky and chic address with amazing fusion food. (I had been to the bar for drinks this summer and had some grand illusions about dining out there).
So the swanky part was not to be denied. The place is prime Parisian real-estate. But the sparkle of all that was so tarnished by the down sides that it didn’t seem as fabulous as one would expect from an establishment that boasts presence in a Sex and the City episode. Read more →
Sleeping Beauty at the Paris Opera House
I really wanted to title this post « David Hallberg’s Amazing Coup de Pied » but I wasn’t sure if that would be a title anyone would really understand, let alone click on to read the post.
Chéri took me to the ballet at the Opera de Paris (this time at the Bastille opera house). I was disappointed that the show wasn’t being held at my favorite Paris monument (Palais Garnier), but I do find the seats more comfortable at the Bastille location. The ballet we watched : Sleeping Beauty. The choreography by Rudolf Noureev and the music by Tchaikovsky, it couldn’t be anything less than a pure delight. I was beyond excited. It has been a while since I have found the time to go to see a performance and I was starting to miss the incredible shows the company puts on. The costumes and sets are always at the height of perfection, made with talented hands and designed by great stage artists.
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