i heart paris

Le Hangar

12 Impasse Berthaud 3e arr., Paris

Metro - Rambuteau

Tonight I had grand plans to travel somewhere on the left bank and away from my apartment for dinner. Unfortunately I had to do some last minute work on the internet and didn't get too far from Les Halles where I found a internet parlor.

It's late so consulted my bistro priority list (yes I made one) and decided to visit Le Hangar which is in a little alley near the Pompidou Center.

I've tried to eat at this place before and either found it closed or too full. Tonight is a cold evening so a lot of people are not out and Le Hanger has seats available.

I am off to a slow start, the server promptly seated me but is taking a bit too long to bring the menu. I guess he is a little busy.

Le Hangar isn't a fancy place on the interior. Simple tables line the room without an inch to spare. The walls are creme colored with a few odd small pictures.

The menu has a wide variety and something that will please everyone. In addition to a variety of hot and cold starters there is a good selection of meats, fish and fowl. The menu prices range around €8 for starters, €14 for plats and €7 for fromage or desserts.

Before my starter arrives my appetite is tempted with an olive spread (for the life of me I can't remember what you call this) and some crispy toasts.

For my starter I am having a dish called Raviloi de Romans which I think is a specialty from somewhere near the French Alps. The little ravioli is served in a cream sauce and are quite tasty. My guess is that they aren't homemade but I can be wrong. It's a good hearty dish regardless.

The only item on the main courses that interested me (and one of the few I understood) was the filet de boeuf stroganoff. How could I go wrong with that?

Well, the stroganoff wasn't that good. There wasn't much meat and the dish was in a classic stroganoff sauce. When the dish arrived I though it was nice how it was served with in a lot of thin noodles. After tasting I realized those weren't noodles, they were onions! It was swimming in them. I thought there would be noodles.

There are a number of warm and cold desserts to offer including the "assiette de fromage". Regardless of how tempting it seems, I am leaving. The service is horrid and Miss Puff Puff at a nearby table is on her 6th ciggy.

I also have my "Tarte du Jour" in my bag. Today it's a "tarte almondine" from one of my favorite pattisseries in the 7th named "Julian". While at Julien, I also got a pistachio macaroon and gobbbled it up immediately while I had an espresso at a cafe.

Service at Le Hangar is not very personal. The single waiter who is running around the room is to busy to be nice. Poor man. I can only seem to give Le Hangar 2 hearts and maybe less. Service is horrid and the food average.

Smoking warning - This seems to be a very "social" restaurant. Those eating here will chain smoke before, during and after their meals as they socialize with their friends and co-workers. One female close to me actually had 5 cigarettes while waiting for her meal.

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Smoking

I say this once in the blog and then I will leave it alone...

I think smoking is one of the most disgusting habits and those who puff care as much about their health as they have consideration for those around them.

Done.

OK, take a poke at me.

I can't see what the attraction is. I've been to a lot of restaurants and seen a lot of people who look smart and seem to have some class. All that beauty fades when they light up and blow smoke from their ears.

One of the other things I often see is how people blow the smoke away from their table to another. Why not just blow it into the face of the person you are eating with? They are probably smoking too so they won't even notice.

The French parliment recently stopped a bid to end smoking is all public places. This demonstrates the lack of concern of the government in the health of their citizens. If they can do it in Italy, they can do it in France.

Have you ever noticed if a food or medicine product is found to have a dangerous ingredient it is immediately removed from the market?

Sooner or later the smoking bans will travel through Europe. I hope it's sooner.

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Le Tir-Bouchon

22 rue Tiquetonne
2e arr., Paris

Metro - Etienne Marcel

www.le-tirbouchon.com

Once again, I wandered around tonight looking for a good place for dinner. First I took the Metro out to Astier because I heard they had an awesome "Plateau de Fromage" for dessert, unfortunately they open at 8pm and I was there at 7.15pm and I didn't feel like waiting.

Next I took the Metro to try Chez Michel near the Gare du Nord train station. When I arrived they were closed! Some places don't open on Sundays and Mondays but my guidebook didn't say they were closed on Mondays.

My third and fourth choice was Le Tir- Bouchon or a place named le Bouledogue on Rambeteau. Both were located near the same Metro stop so I could easily decide. Le Bouledogue is a place I've been to once on a previous trip and they were a candidate because they had 2 of my favorites French dishes, "oeuf meurette" (eggs in red wine" and profiteroles. Their menu is typical French bistro specialties with a 3 course meal ranging around €35.

Le Tir-Bochon is a new entry on my list because it was recommended by the owners of my apartment on their "Welcome to Paris" orientation list.

For my choice I selected Le Tir-Bouchon because it was highly recommended and the place was very cute with a less traditional and more challenging menu.

The atmosphere here is rustic and romantic with stone walls, beamed ceilings and walls covered with antiques, photos and curiousities. Lighting is dim with candle lit tables and overhead dim globe lighting.

Au Tier Bouchon offers an a la carte menu plus a 3 course set price menu at €28. I have to say the menu here was a bit difficult for me to read and I don't think there was one available in English. I think the difficulty came because it wasn't "traditional" French. Regardless my server was very helpful with the words I didn't understand.

For my starter I ordered the "Chausson de Chevre Chaud aux Pommes". This was goat cheese in puff pastry served with a green salad. It was delicious! The warm goat cheese puff was a good size with a crispy shell and warm soft goat cheese inside. The salad was made from mixed greens with apple and basil and dressed with a simple vinagrette. It was a very satisfing dish.

For my entree I selected the "Dos de Porcelet Roti au Caramel". I think that translates as caramelized baby pig. I hope I don't get he whole baby on my plate when it is served! I am also hoping that it's not a pig with caramel sauce. This will remain a mystery until it arrives.

Luckily the dish is not a big surprise and is also delicious. In addition to the 3 pieces of "baby" pork, the dish also includes some roast fingerling potatoes, sauteed green zucchini and a warm slaw with smoked bits of pork. It was a lovely dish and the sauce on the pork was so delicious I had to mop it all up with the crusty bread.

I did order 2 glasses of wine which was decent but seemed to be jug wine, not fine wine. I noticed that others having more than a glass were served wine in a carafe rather than a brand name bottle.

For dessert I ordered the traditional creme brulee. The custard tasted pretty good but the sugar top was burnt rather than caramelized. Not bad, but not perfect.

Total bil with wine - €31.50

Service at Au Tier Bouchon is fast and helpful. Although there is no rudeness here, there is only one server for the entire room. He is working too hard to be overly friendly.

I will give Au Tier Bouchon 3 hearts short of 4 because I think the food was good and atmosphere comfortable but the creme brulee was burnt and the wine from a jug.

Based on everything, I still would highly recommend Le Tir-Bouchon because the atmosphere is nice and food has a lot of flavor.

Note - Smoking is permitted and seating is close. Smokiness will depend on how may puffers are in the bistro. Ventilation and air flow is decent so the smoke doesn't linger.

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Le Petit Troquet

28 rue de l'Exposition 7e arr., Paris

Metro - Ecole Militaire

I've had a bad morning. I was suppose to have received my replacement camera at the DHL office today. Unfortunately the camera was delivered to my hotel in London. That's odd because yesterday they gave me an exact time of arrival in Paris. Today they have no record of it ever needing to be rerouted to Paris. I hate DHL.

Another day of the disposable camera. That's unfortunate because it's such a beautiful bright clear day today.

Now lunch, to make myself feel better I decided to go to one of my "high priority" bistro selections today, Le Petit Troquet.

I jumped on the Metro at Concorde and went a few stops to the Ecole Militaire station. From there Le Petit Troquet is only a few blocks walk.

The interior of Le Petit Troquet is as warm as their welcome. It's very cute and a very personal bistro. The space is small with creme colored walls decorated with all sorts of advertising memorabilia. Small "rise and fall" lamps hang from the ceiling and create intimate lighting.

The lunch menu is a 2 course offering for €19.50. I decided to have the starter and plat and skip dessert today. I can get a sweet from a pattisserie instead. I believe that a complete 3 course menu he would cost around €27.50.

To begin, I loved my starter! I selected a "gratin d'endives, chutney de pommes au roquefort" which was braised endive stuffed with apple and topped with a scoop of a smooth roquefort cream. It was beautifully prepared and served.

There were a lot of different selections for the main courses and I selected the "mignon de porc aux citrons confit" which was filet of pork with candied citrus rind in a delicious sauce which I think was made from cider. On the side was a a potato gallette topped with turnips and carrots. This was an excellent Fall inspired dish.

Service at Le Petit Troquet is very pleasant and friendly. Good English is spoken and they will be happy to assist you with translations.

I don't know if my description can do justice to the dishes, but it was one of the most flavorful meals I've ever had in Paris. Combined witht the atmosphere and gentle service I would have to give Le Petit Troquet 4 hearts "plus".

Total bill for 2 courses including a glass of wine and coffee -
€27.

One big plus... Le Petit Troquet does not allow smoking! Bravo!

I think I found my new favorite...

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Tuesday's Breakfast

It's a bright Sunny Tuesday and it should be a great day for wandering.

I woke today at 9.30am and headed onto the street for some breakfast treats. The "boulangerie du jour" is a new place (it was under renovation last time I was here) which is located right at the St Paul Metro stop, across the street fom my apartment.

Today I decided not to get a baguette but instead I got a "chausson au pomme" and a croissant. A chausson au pomme is a puff pastry filles with a soft apple filling. Delicious!

The croissant was as perfect as a croissant gets. You really haven't eaten a real butter croissant until you've had one in France.

Along with my morning pastry I had a cup of Earl Grey tea with some chestnut tree honey which I bought at Les Ruchers du Roy, a honey shop I found yesterday in the Marais.

Today I have to go to the local DHL office to pick up a camera that was sent to me from my office. My other camera died while in London and I have been without one since last Thursday.

Afterwards I will find somewhere for lunch and then maybe go to the bookstalls on the sene to look for some small prints or old advertisements. I stll never finished going through the 2 big department stores. I was a bit overwhelmed as I shopped them yesterday. There just isn't enough time! Galleries Lafayette alone has 4 seperate stores, one right next to another. Printemps has 3! Maybe I'lll go back at the end of the day today.

I've been here 3 days so far and I still haven't even been onto the left bank (Latin Quarter and St Germain) except for my tour through Montparnasse on Sunday. I also have to find time to do a walking tour of Montemartre and a trip to Fountainebleau.

So much to do!

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Les Ruchers du Roy

37 rue du Sicile 4e arr., Paris

Metro - St Paul or Hotel de Ville

www.lesrucherduroy.com

Yesterday, as I walked a different route home through the Marais, I came across a store named "Les Ruchers du Roy" which specializes in honey. They have lots of different varieties ranging from light amber to rich dark golden brown. Of course the intensity increases as the color darkens. I bought a small jar of the darkest variety, "Chataignier Meil" which is from chestnut trees.

The chestnut tree honey has a rich, sweet caramel flavor with a slight maple taste. It's very good.

Depending on size and variety a 250g jar can cost about €6. This is the perfect place to pick up a unique gift or a personal treat. Most of the honey sold here comes from France but they do sell a few which are from Spain.

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Chez Stella

3 rue Therese 1e arr., Paris

Metro - Pyramides

I never made it to "le grand magasin" yet but instead I decided to have lunch first. I originally tried to eat at one of mt favorites from last year "Le Cosy" but they were packed!

Instead I consulted my restaurant list and found a "cheap eat" recommended by Time Out" called "Chez Stella". This wan't high on my priority list but since it was in the 1st arrondissement and nearby it seemed like a good choice.

The best part is that Chez Stella offers a 3 course home cooked lunch for €12. You can't beat that.

The atmosphere is small, quaint and cozy. Imagine that you've visited someones home and they put a lot of tables in the dining room. The walls are a golden yellow color trimmed with blond wood and decorated with bad "color by number" paintings.

The menu selections are simple and include meat, turkey, steak and chicken. There is always a daily special. A few items have a small supplemental addition.

For my starter I selcect "oeuf mayonaise" which is a hard boiled egg sliced in half and topped with mayo. Around the egg is some salad greens, shredded carrot, cukes and a potato salad which is filled with potato and peas. It was very good.

For my main course I ordered the steak au poive vert (steak with green pepper sauce). This plat has a €3 supplement. The meat is preety good and the green pepper sauce is dark and rich with that spicy bite of pepper. On the side I got an order of frites which were piping hot and crispy.

For wine I ordered the small "pichet" of red wine which was €1.80 and yeilds about 2 glasses. It wasn't too bad!

There are about 5 selections for dessert ranging from chocolate mouse to apple tart. I selected the "gateau fromage blanc" which is a light lemony flavored cheesecake with a tasty caramelized brown top. To add caloric insult to injury, it is served in a pool of creme anglais.

Total bill including supplement and wine - €16.80

Chez Stella is not a fancy restaurant. Think of it as that little homey joint around the corner. Generally you get what you pay for and the €12 price for a three course meal seems right. Chez Stella isn't serving the latest nouvelle cusine, they just feed hungry people who want a nice lunch. Menu selections are simple and I think this would be a good place for anyone who might be a fussy eater. There are no snails, guts or intestinal foods served here.

Service at Chez Stella is sweet and friendly. They do not deliver any attitude and seem happy that you are visiting.

For friendly service, cute atmosphere and good food I give Chez Stells 3 hearts.

If you have been to the Louvre and want a decent lunch, Chez Stella is only a short walk away.

Chez Stella does not open on the weekends. I also did not see any ashtrays or smell any smoke.

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Breakfast

It's Monday morning and I am grateful that all the shops are open again. Sundays are impossible in Paris since many shops, restaurants and even the supermarkets are closed.

This morning I woke at about 8.30 but lounged in bed until about 9.30. I didn't sleep well last night because I was thirsty all night. I don't know why I didn't feel sleepy, I nearly drank a half bottle of wine last night before I went to bed. If I did that at home I would have been passed out on the kitchen floor!

After I woke up, I reluctantly dressed and headed onto the streets to get a baguette and yogurt for breakfast. I also needed a few bottles of water since I drank the entire bottle through the night last night.

Today I thought I would try a different boulangerie for my morning baguette. There was a recommendation written in the guest book at my apartment for a baker on rue St Paul which is about 2 blocks away. I bought a country baguette which is a bit more artisanal and rustic than a regular one. The price was €1.15 which is about $1.40. That's a bit higher than yesterdays loaf which I bought at Miss Manon, a baker across the street from my hotel.

I think the loaf from Miss Manon was better. Miss Manon,s was a bit more chewy and crunchy. Todays loaf was more "bready" and had a chalky crust. Regardless it was still pretty good.

I also picked up a package of yogurt. I bought a brand that comes in little glass jars with foil covers. I plan to take the jars home with me. They will make good little mixing jars for dressings or other mixtures.

Today I am going to do a bit of shopping and wandering. I will hit the big 2 department stores, Galleries Lafayette and Printemps. From there I am going to the French bistro supply store to buy some glassware and cannele molds.

I also have to be sure to drink a lot of water because I was dehydrated yesterday. A good lunch wouldn't hurt either!

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Yesterday's Wandering

I did some nice wandering yesterday. In my apartment are cards in a box which each have a different walking tour. Yesterday I did a walk in the Raspail and Montparnasse. These are 2 areas of Paris I have never seen.

The tour began at the Sevres Babylon Metro station which is right at the Bon Marche department store. The tour took me through the quiet Sunday streets and markets. In partucular there were 2 outdoor markets, a organic produce market on Blvd Raspail and a Sunday art market on the Blvd Edgar Quinet.

For me the highlight of the tour was the Cimetiere du Montparnasse where there are more graves than you can imagine. It's amazing how as you walk you see family crypts where family members are burried from the 1800's to present time. There are also some crypts with people who are long since forgotten.

It's quite an humbling and scenic place. You can't walk through without remembering, one day we will all meet our maker...

After the cemetary I wandered around Montparnasse for a short time then headed to the RER train back into central Paris and the Chatelet Metro station. I hate that station, it's just too big and requires too much underground walking. I swear, to make a transfer you can walk about a half mile underground at that station.

From that point I walked around the 3rd arr and then headed to La Tartine for a glass of wine and a "plateau charcuterie".

The rest of the night was bust as I searched the city like a hungry pidgeon looking for dinner.

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French Washing Machines

The washing machine in my apartment is a combination washer and dryer. It's not very big but it gets the job done. It took a bit to figure out how it works all the controls are in French and have little illustration that are impossible to figure out.

I have one question.

Why does this thing take nearly 3 hours to wash and dry a load? I notice that it also uses very little water, just enough to wet the clothes, then it spins them clockwise and counter-clockwise for about 45 minutes. Drying takes 90 minutes.

Last night I threw some wash into it before bed and was abrupty woke by the spin cycle at 2am.

I shut the thing off because it was so noisy in this small place that I couldn't sleep!

I did notice that it does get the clothes really clean though!

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