destitute gourmet's Profile
Poor and hungry return from Paris
Thank you to all of you who gave advice. We went, we spent, and we ate!
We followed much of your advice - within hours of arriving we'd walked to the Rue de Montregueil and eaten our way through an alarming amount of euros -we bought a set breakfast in a cafe just to get our bearings (coffee, juice and croissants). Once the market was fully open we had a ball, the 13 yr old went mad buying chocolates - only 70% cocoa solids will do for him - it was Easter week and all the Chocolatiers were showing off their best! We bought fab bread and sublime cheeses - the mixed plates of cheese were probably the best value buys of our whole month away. We bought bread from artisanal bakeries. Ate lots of pastries of course and shopped in charcuteries, fromageries, and vegetable shops. Bought things like yogurt to go with our strawberries in the little supermarkets but most else we bought from specialist shops.
We ate and drank standing up in all sorts of interesting cafes. Had crepes in a restaurant full of French famillies.
We bought wonderful sandwiches to eat at Eurodisney so avoided buying nasty pseudofood. (the kids re named it queue slow disney - even they got fed up).
We had an excellent dinner in Les Juvenilles as recomended and we were staying in the same street - it was extravagant for us but the food and wine were very good and by then we were very grateful for an english speaking waitress. Pity the restaurant was being monopolised by a very drunk group from the US but it was the only time we ate anywhere with other english speakers.
We got by on high school french, mime and good manners. and everyone was helpful. We ate in a brasserie in St Germain??(i think) - ordering variations of the set menu as suggested - entree and main or main and dessert - My boy ate his first Creme Brulee on a spring evening in Paris !!!- we are so blessed!
We walked everywhere so burned a lot of calories. Even ended up eating in the cafeteria at the louvre as someone suggested.- when it was pouring with rain. Never made it to the Gallery LaFayette as simply not enough time but we really had a great time.
I am so grateful to all who made suggestions as I was much more confident and able to say NO! when the 16 yr old wanted to gravitate towards starbucks simply because it was familliar.
I'd go back to Paris in a heartbeat, (next time without the teenagers!) Merci mon amis.
Poor and hungry visitors to paris
One last question from the kiwi destitute gourmet here - packing our bags now with great excitement having just Googled Bowfinger (Wow, thanks Jock for the recomendation).
Tips - what do we do about tips, who do we tip and how muc?. In NewZealand tips are not part of our culture, no one tips (except tourists) so I'm at a loss. Do we tip at the hotel? do we tip waiters (even surly ones in long white aprons?) Taxi drivers? Don't want to be un- generous just because we are unfamiliar.
Also want to say thanks again to all of you for taking the time to share your suggestions. I now have a sheaf of papers, google maps and a raging appetite! I was worried that we'd be in Paris but never manage to "make contact", just be tourists looking but not experiencing- I'm sure you know what I mean. Now I'm confident that we'll really get the most out of our few days and my kids will have their "small Island" world view changed forever. Thanks Jock, Souphie, Hungryann, Hychka, Phill et al
Poor and hungry visitors to paris
thanks Anne, I'll not only eat a croissant for you I'll also eat a Mille Feullie, a Macaron, some fromage, and anything else I can manage to pronounce.
Will post my experiences on my website when I return. www.destitutegourmet.com
Thank you all for your time and input
Poor and hungry visitors to paris
Thanks again, we Kiwis (or Koywoy's if you want to sound like a local) are accustomed to superb asian food, I buy fresh noodles at my corner store and choose from 9 asian food stores within 10 minutes walk from my home. Everyone here eats sushi, thai, Korean .. While the north african stuff may not be the "cheapest" choice, it will be a novelty for us and being in Paris eating sushi and noodles just seems wrong somehow. I've been talking to the kids for weeks about pastries and baguettes and soft cheese and fab sausages...
So far the plan is to go to the markets on Sunday - I believe Marche de Cler is open and on google map is only 35 min walk - will be good after flying. If its pouring with rain will do the cafeteria at the louvre as suggested and try to buy some supplies at supermarket. Next day is Eurodisney - kids insisted! so plan to stuff ourselves before we go, will need a patiserrie near rue de Richelieu. May try one of the restaurants you've recommended that night - depending on how late. Next day we are sightseeing - maybe try Marche le enfant rouge - did I get that right? and will follow up other recomendations. We only have a couple of days so trying to make the most of it. Thanks for the kind offer souphie, hope we'll be able to manage but very kind of you.
Poor and hungry visitors to paris
thanks all, I'd already taken on board phyllis cohens sensible suggestions but good to re read them. . I've marked out a couple of markets that we can walk to and will google map la table de fes and Fauchons. If too wet to walk to the market we'll do the cafeteria.
Thank you so much!!! I can hardly wait.
Poor and hungry visitors to paris
Hey chow hounders - hoping you can help us out. We are traveling to Paris next week with our kids - age 14 and 16. We're New Zealanders en route to the UK. Our NZ dollars go NOWHERE when converted to Euro's. I've read the blogs on brasseries and Bistros but think thats going to be too expensive for the 4 of us. My kids are eaters - very keen on patisserie, charcuterie and bread...We are staying right in the tourist centre near the louvre in a cheapy hotel. We'll need to buy all our meals for 4 days - I'm thinking we can do pastries or macaroons for breakfast, crepes for lunch ( have copied the threads on good cheap crepes - if there are any more suggestions I'm eager to read them) and buy fruit and bread... No idea what to do about dinner and have skinny teenage boy who is always hungry. Don't want to waste our hard earned savings by going to some dumb tourist place when I know there is superb patisserie, cheese etc out there.
Please help us - all suggestions appreciated - specially with directions from city centre!!! There are some threads about morroccan food that sound really good - can we easily get to those areas from city centre? We've never been before and its hard to get a sense of where these places are in relation to where we are staying - Hotel Pontpensier, Rue de Richelieu.
Thanks for your time.
