After being so touristy on Monday, I was craving a more locally oriented experience. Adventurous Kate is a travel blogger I follow and she LOVES Paris. She recommended a restaurant that had classic French food at a lower price and was near a street that she fell in love with. I decided to find these places.
The Citymapper app (introduced to me by one Rose Mooney) has been invaluable this trip. I put in my destination while I have internet, and it shows me where I am on the map, which direction I’m headed in (which maps doesn’t do) and which train car to ride— and it can even figure out where I am when I’m not connected to the internet! Then, if I can get myself back to my neighborhood, it can look up a previous trip (so I can find the start point) and help me find my way home.
I easily found Bouillon Chartier and was happy to find that there was no line (there inevitably would be one for dinner). Greetings were exchanged in French and I was led to a table for four which I thought was odd. The waiter handed me the “French Menu” and I was relieved to find that it was actually the English menu. Moments later I was joined by another solo eater and appreciated the European ways. This guy’s English was better than my French, but when he pulled out his phone, I happily pulled out my kindle to see what Claire and Jaime were up to.
For my typically French indulgent meal, I ordered a carafe of wine (it was so cheap I couldn’t resist) and escargot. When in Paris, eh?
I guessed how to use the utensils given, and was surprisingly delighted by the flavor— but what doesn’t taste amazing soaked in butter, oil and basil? Later, the asian tourists at the next table required a tutorial on how to use the spoon clenching tool and the tiny fork. I was proud that, though I may have looked like it was my first time handling this equipment, I didn’t need to be shown how to use it.
For my next course, I ordered an assortment of vegetables. I know this probably isn’t typically French, but vegetables in quality were hard to come by. They needed salt, but they totally did the trick.
My slice of goat cheese wasn’t quite photo worthy, but the chocolate mouse was!
The waiters wrote our orders on the paper table cloth, and then figured the bill, writing it out by hand. I thought that was cool.
Jadi, my waiter, invited me to come back again soon and to be sure to ask for him. Satiated and sleepy I found my way to Adventurous Kate’s latest favorite street. It was perfect. I decided I’d like to come back when I wasn’t so full.
I want to be this guy on the phone on the mini balcony on this street:
Tuesday in Paris
Wendy love escargo