Eating in Paris

I have been meaning to get this post up for SO LONG! This is the one thing I feel like I really nailed while in Paris and I'm excited to share it with you!

Eating in Paris. Sounds like a dream, doesn't it? Maybe you will go pick up some of those Laduree Macarons that you have seen countless instagram pictures of as soon as you get off the plane. Maybe you will grab a cafe at a sidewalk cafe. But what about when it comes to eating actual food? Paris is not a piece of cake for food dining let me tell you. It took me a few weeks to get it right and thank god for my food bible that helped me along the way. Eating in Paris takes a certain amount of research if you want to hit the good spots (especially if you don't have a million dollars to spend at Le Cinq). My uncle and I had a chat about this when he visited: you are standing at a corner and there are two cafes on either side of the street - they both look about the same, there are lots of people in both of them- but one is the worst meal you will ever have, and one is the best. Makes it a little harder, doesn't it? Personally, I am not a huge fan of traditional French cuisine. I will pass on foie gras and any other kind of meat concoction any day. So maybe this isn't helpful but I am sticking to what I know.

Poilaine: Poilaine is famous for their bread, their shortbread cookies, and their apple tarts. Hidden on rue Cherche Midi in the 6th arrondissement just steps away from Le Bon Marche, it's a must for me. The storefront is gorgeous - a bread lovers' heaven. Pick up a pain au chocolat for now and an apple tart for later and you're on your way!
Address: 8 Rue du Cherche-Midi 75006, Paris, France
What to order: Chocolate Croissant (this was my favorite pain au chocolate in the city - they use really high quality chocolate and it melts in your mouth!), Apple Tart, Shortbread Cookies, Bread

Little Breizh: Described as being "hidden in plain sight" amongst tourist traps in the Latin Quarter, Little Breizh is truly a delight. Many creperies are just so-so but this one is just right, and at the right price as well! Go for lunch and for under 10 euros you can have a savory and sweet crepe with a glass of cider. Bonus: the people who work there are VERY friendly (not something you find very often in Paris). 
Address: 11 Rue Grégoire de Tours, 75006 Paris, France
What to order: Make sure to get the chocolate crepe for dessert- they make their own chocolate sauce and I was really tempted to lick my plate

Bob's Kitchen: This little gem, hidden on a side street a few blocks up from the Pompidou Center, is a product of a New York transplant in Paris who decided to bring healthy, delicious, vegetarian meals to Paris. Since my housemom was the queen of overcooking vegetables, this was the place I would come to get a break from my sandwich-a-day diet. I brought all my friends and everyone absolutely loved it. The picture should help you find it, since it's really hidden (with no sign in sight). 
Address: 74 Rue des Gravilliers, 75003 Paris, France
What to order:  The veggie bowl- with any sauce but the peanut sate was realllllyyy good. Also, the veggie smoothie makes you feel like a million bucks. This was also the only place that had normal tasting bagels and cream cheese. 

The Sunken Chip:  I know what you're thinking - fish & chips in Paris!?! These were the best fish and chips (with mushy peas) I have ever had in my life - even compared to those in England! Seriously, go and you will not be disappointed. Plus, the name is perfect.
Address: 39 Rue des Vinaigriers, 75010 Paris, France (they also have a food truck) 
What to Order: Fish & Chips - DUH! Here's a photo if I haven't convinced you enough yet...

YUM!

L'as Du Fallafel: There are plenty of Falafel places in Paris but everyone knows this is the best one. Sit inside or grab one to go - and don't let the line intimidate you, it moves fast and is so worth it! This place is really busy on Sundays when most of Paris shuts down, the Marais closes the streets to pedestrians and all the shops are open - go during an "off" time and you can take a seat inside :). Closed on Saturdays and any Jewish Holidays (!!!!!)

Address: 32-34 Rue des Rosiers, 75004 Paris, France

What to Order: Falafel. If you sit inside you get more condiments - including an amazing green chile sauce. This is a great place to fill up for under 10 euros, especially on a Sunday!

Cosi: This is what I like to call Parisian Panera Bread. Supposedly, it's where Panera got it's idea from. They make their own flatbread, the ingredients are so fresh, and you can get a sandwich/salad, dessert, and a drink for under 15 euros! They also have free wifi and free water, and toilets (trust me you will understand when you're there). This was one of my favorite hideouts on rainy days and if you are really struggling with your french, their menu is in english as well and most (if not all) of the cashiers speak english - but I encourage you to practice your French!!
Address: 54 Rue de la Seine 75006, Paris
What to Order: Anything! It's all great :)

Eric Kayser: There are plenty of boulangeries that serve up great sandwiches all over Paris. You may have heard of this bread master before, he also owns Maison Kayser in NYC. These were my favorite, and he has multiple locations all over the city so you can easily find him in many of the neighborhoods. 

Address: 10 rue de l'Ancienne Comédie, 75006 Paris, France (my most frequented location - others)
What to order: Anything but make sure to try a financier from here. They're hard to describe - it's kind of like a muffin but made with almond meal and they melt in your mouth. I loved the raspberry and pistachio ones and have been trying to find a recipe that compares ever since I got home. 

Holybelly: This place will always elude me because I only got the chance to eat there once (they closed for the last few weeks I was there for their winter holiday *tear*). It's a brunch/lunch place near the Canal St Martin (also near the Sunken Chip and Bob's Juice Bar) that is simply delicious. It does get really crowded so go early and prepare to wait. 
Address: 19 Rue Lucien Sampaix, 75010 Paris, France
What to order: Anything. I got the pancakes and they were amazing!

Other Paris Food Tips:

A lot of places have what the French call a "Le Menu or la formule", meaning a fixed price menu, for lunch and sometimes dinner. It usually includes a main dish, drink, and dessert. It is France, so sometimes they have more than one course. These can be a great value especially for lunch.

If you don't speak a lot, or any French, brush up on some food vocabulary. I feel that a lot of words for food in French are not that hard to decipher but there are a few like "epinard - spinach" that can be a little tricky. For me, I memorized the ones that I don't like, like champignon, which means mushroom. That way I wouldn't order anything that had mushrooms in it!

If you are doing restaurant research, download Google Maps on your iPhone (not sure if this works for other phones). Anytime I found a restaurant that I wanted to try, I would star it on my Google Maps (which can approximate your location as long as you've connected to wifi in Paris at least once). This was a MAJOR plus everywhere I traveled because as long as I had connected to wifi where I was, I was able to use google maps without data or wifi and then I had the restaurants I wanted to try saved, so if I was near one - no problem! 

If you are starving and you are at a crossroads with a few cafe's - look at what people are ordering!! Are people just sitting on the patio with a cafe and a cigarette, or are they ordering food? If most people are ordering food at the cafe it's usually a good sign, I think. Otherwise you may want to go somewhere else. (This was learnt from experience and one of the worst meals of my life)


Paris by mouth is a great tool to find restaurants in certain arrondissements - it's not super user friendly but hopefully they'll improve that in the future

My food bible: 

I was really dedicated to finding the best places to eat in Paris and this book was my nightly read. I highly recommend it - grab it from your library before you go or take a copy along with you :)

Stay tuned for my favorite post ever; my list of places to grab desserts in Paris. 

Amsterdam

Amsterdam was a whirlwind of a trip. I had been wanting to go there for SO LONG and as my study abroad was nearing an end, Sheamanti and I bit the bullet and just went. We took the bus from Paris on a Friday morning (yes, it's a 7 hr bus drive - it wasn't that bad actually, and for 25 euros you really can't beat it) and got there around 2PM. We took the tram into the city and I was immediately drawn into its' charm. Since Sheamanti and I have mastered the art of booze-trotting around Europe, it was only right for us to start the night at the Heineken Experience. 

It was really interesting to see how the beers' logo had changed so much over the years and this was the most interactive brewery that we went to - lots of games and photo ops - if that's your thing! (P.S. if you do go here buy tickets somewhere else to save you a few euros! We bought ours through our hostel but there are tons of offices that sell tickets to things at a discount near the Leidseplein area where the tram runs.)

After Heineken we wandered over to the Van Gogh Museum and learned about his life and saw many of his famous works. I enjoyed this museum because it focuses on one artist and gives you the full story of his life and death. I'm not an art expert so this really helped me put together the time line of things that happened during his life. 

The next day we started out at the Albert Cuyp Market. This is a MUST on my list!!!! You must go to visit the stroopwaffle guy, grab a smoothie and stop at some of the shops in the area. This was one of my favorite things that we did. I love going to fresh markets in different places. I feel like it gives you a feel for the city and the people that live there, and it usually gives you the chance to try some fresh, local fare. Here's the photo barf...

 As we were walking through we saw this guy cranking out these little pancake looking things. We were standing there and this woman was like - they are like pancakes you should try them. Don't have to tell us twice! I have no idea how to pronounce that word but Poffertjes is what they are called. They're made in a pan that has little wells in it and he flips them over then puts a big pat of butter on a plate and sprinkles them with powdered sugar. Heaven. 

But the icing on the cake was this giant stroopwaffle... 

Supposedly, this is the guy who uses the old family stroopwafel recipe. They are to DIE FOR. He was incredibly nice and gave us tips on how to heat them up. Go visit him if you are ever there! Seriously. I ate that giant one while I was there and brought back 3 packs to Paris (and only 2 made it home with great restraint). Even my picky roommate loved them ;)

Amsterdam totally beats Paris in cutesy shops (that aren't incredibly expensive!!). Don't get me wrong, I love Paris but everything is kind of the same. Amsterdam was very refreshing with the streets upon streets of cute boutiques. It's also where I discovered & Other Stories, which has some great pieces!

The rest of the day was spent wandering around the canals and the different districts. 

The Jordaan district was one of the areas that we didn't really have time to explore but I would love to back and see more of that area. 

That night we had tickets to go to the Anne Frank House. It was really incredible to see how the Franks' hid for so long above that business! This was something I had wanted to see for a very long time and I'm glad I did. My tip: get tickets online! The line is a joke when you go there but you can reserve a time online and skip the line. 

The next morning we sadly hopped on a train back to Paris. To be honest, I had reservations about going to Amsterdam. There are a lot of things you hear about the Red Light district and the fact that marijuana is legal but I truly feel you can visit the city and not have anything to do with those things if you choose not to. I felt safe the entire time I was there and the locals are very friendly. I can't wait to go back!

Some things that I didn't get to do that are on my list for next time:
Take a canal cruise - everyone I talked to recommended this, I just didn't have enough time
Eat at Pancakes! - I really wanted to try this and we tried to go the morning before we left but, again, not enough time. 

Thanks for reading!

Fairy Tale

One of my very favorite places I had the chance to visit while I was in Europe was this little fairy tale city called Bruges in Belgium. It's basically a city geared towards tourists (and they're not afraid to admit it) but it's so beautiful and, in my opinion, totally worth visiting.
My friend Sheamanti and I made this an overnight trip. Most hostels have a two night minimum on weekends because they claim one day is not enough and people leave wanting more. I thought that was kind of crap - it's such a small city that a lot of people do in just a day, why would I want to stay longer? Trust me when I say - You will want to stay longer!!!

We took the train from Paris on a Friday night, which takes about 2 hours, got to our hostel and were immediately welcomed by everyone with a beer tasting at the hostels' bar. Belgian Beer is definitely the best I have ever had!

These are the 5 I got to try in the tasting! The Duvel and Brugge Zot! were my favorites

 (bonus - they sell Duvel in UT!) 

The next day we just wandered around and everywhere we turned I fell more and more in love with this little city. It truly is so beautiful!

We stopped by in this shop that makes coo coo clocks and it's like Christmas threw up in there. I loved it.

We of course had to get a Belgian waffle (and "ruined" it by putting all sorts of toppings on it - whoops ;)

My travel buddy! Our philosophy to life "Will Travel For Food"- it works!! // The outside of Chez Albert!

We used this map (with really weird graphics) to get around the city. It had lots of tips of where to go from locals and was a great resource!

The other thing I really enjoyed about Bruges is that some of the main areas are really crowded but for the most part you can just be wandering the streets on your own.

Look at all that BEER!

 Bruges, I will be back!

Funky

In January I was totally in some sort of weird funk. When I got back from France I was excited to be home, with family and friends, and was just enjoying the holidays while I still could. Then January hit and the reality started to set in that I wasn't in school anymore and I had to find a real, full-time job -let the panic sink in.

I didn't think it would be too hard. I wasn't trying to apply for the New York Times or Google or something. Just something that would keep me busy, and something I really enjoy doing; administrative support. After countless resumes being sent out all month, I have only received one phone call for a job referred by a friend of a friend. I have really started to get down on myself and feel really useless. 

But February is going to be better! I'm picking myself up, dusting myself off and changing my attitude. Starting with a to-do list! Nothing puts me in a better mood than having a list to check things off of.

1. Make use of my baguette pans I got for my birthday. 

2. Write those last blog posts about France I have been putting off

3. Try something new! Maybe a Barre class or one of those Paint/Drink nights
4. Finish a book (currently reading Wild! - any recommendations are appreciated!)
5. Stick to going to the gym 4-5 days a week.

When you are in a weird funk what do you do to get out of it? I'd love to hear some advice!

Goodbye, 2014

I cannot believe how fast time truly flies and another year is over! 2014 was a good one and I'm sad to see it go. I traveled to many new places, met lots of amazing people, GRADUATED from COLLEGE and even lived in Paris for a period of time. 

This year has inspired me to travel even more and take advantage of the things that are right in my backyard. Here are a few of my favorite photos from 2014.

January-  I saw my very first Sundance Movie and sat in the best seats ever at a Jazz game.

February - Celebrated my sisters' 21st (!!!) birthday with a delicious cake from Gourmandise, learned to check your order before you leave, and enjoyed the snow.

March- Took an impromptu trip to Las Vegas for spring break with Brady, made our first stop at Utah's favorite sugar cookie place - Swig, and visited Gordon at BURGR in Vegas.

April- Worked on my last semester of classes with breaks at Beer Bar, got some new succulents which I am sad to say didn't make it....

May - I walked at Graduation! (even though it was kind of a fake-out with my final class in the summer).

June- Packed up Vera and headed to my favorite city on the east coast!

Walked a ton and celebrated my Grandparents' 50th wedding Anniversary at Jean Georges.

July - All American month with burgers, beer, and baseball games and a few Facetime calls with my best friend Devin while she was abroad

 I ate a lot in July too - this greek taquito thing from Spitz which everyone needs to try at least once and those GIANT snowcones from Hokulia in Sugarhouse. 

I also toured the new S.J. Quinney College of Law, which has a killer view of downtown, and the whole valley really. 

 I also hiked up to Cecret Lake to see the wildflowers blooming and then headed off to San Francisco to get my visa squared away. 

August- I jetted off to Oahu with my family for a Hawaiian vacation

September- I headed off to start my study abroad in Paris, France.

I spent my days wandering around Paris, went to Giverny and met some new friends.

 Saw Steve Harvey outside the Valentino show during PFW (along with many other people) and bonded with my travel buddy Sheamanti!

October - Travel month! Took a boat ride along the Seine, attended the wine festival at Sacre Coeur. 

Saw some Chateaux in the Loire Valley.

Visited the D-Day beaches of Normandy and the Abbey Mont St Michel

Then for fall break I headed off to Ireland, Scotland and London!

November- A weekend trip to my Grandparents', Bruges and Amsterdam. 

^That is my favorite room in the world. 

Bruges is probably one of my favorite places I went. I am still going to do a whole post dedicated to it

Amsterdam is what dreams are made of- seriously this place was amazing!!

December started with a trip to my grandparents' house, wandering the streets of Paris, and ended with a white Christmas and my 24th birthday.

Thanks, 2014, you're going to be a hard one to beat!