What to do in Paris?

Every once in awhile, it seems as though everyone I know is off to Paris. For some, it’s their regular pilgmriamage. For others, it’s a special occasion or a business trip. For many, it’s their first time.

Ahhh, Paris for the first time.

When two friends, an ex-colleague and a current colleague all approached me recently for some tips and must-dos for their upcoming trips to Paris, I dug out a list that I had assembled while living there. Granted, it’s a couple years old now and hot boites like Le Carmen and restos like Terroir Parisien weren’t yet around. But it's still a trusty little guide.

I first wrote it for a friend's mom who was visiting with her friends. I broke it up into daily tours of specific neighborhoods, always suggesting places to eat. It's by no means meant to be comprehensive or trendy. But re-reading it put a smile on my face and steered my friends in the right direction.

First Arrondissement, A

Lunch at Grand Vefour

Grand Palais: The shops, the garden, the Daniel Buren installation

A tour of the Opera house – beautiful!

Dinner at Le Garde-Robe or Spring

First Arrondissement, B

L’Orangerie

Walk the Seine: bookstalls and bridges

The Tuileries Gardens

Evening cocktails at Le Saut du Loup (beautiful setting outside Museé Arts Decoratifs)

Dinner at Frenchie, La Régalade Saint-Honoré, Au Vieux au Comptoir, Chez Georges or Le Soufflé

Islands

Notre Dame

Boat ride leaving from Pont Neuf

Sweets: Bertillion ice cream

Restaurants: Mon Viel Ami, Chez Julien

Third Arrondissement

Picasso Museum

Place de Vosges

All the charming, little streets: wonderful for exploring and getting lost

Lunch at Chez Janou or the Merci cantine

Sweets: Jacques Genin

Dinner at Glou or Robert et Louise

Sixth Arrondissement

Picnic and stroll in Luxembourg Gardens: pick up yummy goods either on rue Moufftard (fifth) or rue Buci (sixth)

Shop: all the streets – just meander

Sweets: Pierre Hermé, Gerard Mullet, Ladurée

Ladurée would be a nice spot for lunch, too

Coffee at Café la Flore

Dinner at L’Itineraire, L’Avant Comptoir or Fish Boissoinerie

Between Sixth and Seventh/rue du Bac

Musée d’Orsay

Shop: Le Bon Marché, rue du Bac

Sweets: La Patisserie des Reves, Victor et Hugo

Seventh Arrondissement

Eiffel Tower

Rodin Museum

Lunch or tea at Les Deux Abeilles

Markets of Rue Cler

Sweets: Michel Chaudon chocolates

Dinner at Café Constant, Les Cocottes de Christian Constant or Chez l'Ami Jean

For more ideas on Paris for the first time.

A moment on rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré

The limestone facade. The buckle door fixture. The salesman in the suit. The bicycle. The Vespa. The evocation of Inès de la Fressange. There are so many things I love about this random snapshot. 

My Vegan Mondays

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After a reckless and hedonistic week of eating with my mom—Roberta's pizza, cake and cookies from One Girl Cookies, Georgetown Cupcakes, dinners at The Smile, ABC Kitchen and Cafe Cluny, candy from Sugar Shop, dried fruit from Russ & Daughters, plus tuna melts and fries, at Hallmark in Connecticut—it was time to get back on track. Today’s Vegan Monday, after a week of modest atonement, did me right.

Morning

Coffee with soy milk

Green juice (kale, apple, cucumber, celery, frozen banana, lemon juice)

Almonds

A giant Cortland apple

Afternoon

Steamed veggies and roasted potatoes

Blueberry Nutribar

Evening

Kale salad with apple, celery and walnuts

Three plump, juicy, gummy rings of dried pineapple, Amen

Who did Meatless Monday today?

An amusing interlude

Everyone's going to Paris. Two good friends, two current colleagues, plus a couple of ex-colleagues, have all in recent weeks asked for pointers and recommendations as they plan trips, for work or pleasure, to the great City of Light and Dark Chocolate. It's fun to imagine their adventures.

One of my friends, the fun and fabulous Melody, was just there for a photo shoot and relayed a classic story. She went to Brasserie Lipp with her client. The client asked for a menu in English. The waiter looks at the woman, pauses, and says "never" and walks away and literally never returns. 

Such ridiculous behavior, but so deliciously French!

The week in food

Family. And food.

Family and food.

Food and family.

And, of course, Family Feud.

What a week.

Paris vs. New York

Just in case you want to fall a little more in love with Paris. Or New York.
Paris vs New York from TonyMiotto on Vimeo.

Survey says!

Most people love their families. Of course they do. There are shared memories, traditions and holidays; the goofy dispositions, long-running rivalries and hysterical revelries—family ties. Everyone thinks their family is the greatest.

But mine really is.

Last spring, one of my cousins called on all of us to try out for Family Feud, which was hosting auditions at the Foxwood casino, in our home state of Connecticut. I couldn’t make the trip and really didn’t think anything of it. Until five of my cousins aced the auditions and made it to the taping. They were going on national TV!

A lot has happened since then. The TV recording was down in Atlanta, where one of my cousins happens to live. So a couple dozen cousins and their spouses, aunts and uncles and second cousins descended on Betsy’s home and it was an impromptu family reunion (with Steve Harvey, honorary Lathrop member). Reportedly, they kicked some ass.

One month after that, my dear Aunt BJ, who was at the taping and caused a ruckus in the live audience as she was never one who could stay quiet, passed away from pulmonary fibrosis. We were all so happy that much of the family had been there together in Atlanta.

Now, this weekend, we’re gathering again. The (promised Emmy-winning) episode of Family Feud premieres today. Team Lathrop, in color-coordinated finery, are bringing their sass, their smarts, their color-coordinated style into your living room. But just in case you’re at work and miss it, and just in case you’re going to be in Connecticut this weekend, join us at the Lyme Tavern at 3pm on Saturday for a party.

My cousins are also donating a portion of their winnings to the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation in honor of Aunt BJ. And if you’re so moved, you can too.

Read more about it all here.

My Vegan Mondays

Morning
Coffee with soy milk
Granola with almond milk

Afternoon
Veggie stew and green salad from LifeThyme
Gala apple
Pretzels

Evening
Couscous salad with roasted broccoli, pine nuts and sun-dried tomatoes

It was one of those Mondays, neither here nor there. I look back on my photos and blog entries of Paris and almost can't believe that was my life. Every day was an adventure. I did something new, saw something inspiring, thought and felt more than I realized was possible. It was a dream. 

I think about Paris all the time. And while I miss it deeply, I am so content here in New York. And I wonder if my chapter in Paris was so magical for the very reason that it was not forever. I'm grateful for my time there, and grateful to be here at home. But every once in awhile, on a dull Monday like today, I can't help but wish I could go back and relive it all....