an ode to mon quartier

The first time I crossed neighborhood lines into the Batignolles, I was meeting a classmate for brunch. And though the meal itself was disappointing (the food, not the company), the quartier got under my skin. There were boutiques like Superflu, blou, and EnApARThé--places that seemed cool and inviting without even trying. There were hipsters and elderly couples and young families. It was a quieter Paris; "authentic", without the tourists. I wanted to live there. As luck would have it, as of last year's July, I did.

To some, living 20-30 minutes from most Parisian attractions would be a deal breaker. But I appreciated the distance and the refuge. It meant my favorite farmers market was right around the corner, as was even better good pizza. My preferred café to caffeinate, read, and write was a brisk 10-minute stroll; a block closer than the beloved Artisan. There was even a great Portuguese bakery, handmade jewelry shop, and happy hour spot. It didn't take long for me to find a good brunch resto (with live Sunday night jazz).

There were other highlights, too, such as my Mary Poppins-esque landlady, neighborhood blend (who happened to live above the best wine bar), and the boulanger and caviste who always remembered my face. I felt at home, and I loved it; the Square especially. Amy and I commemorated my last night as a resident with dinner at this favorite resto and a walk through Martin Luther King Park. I can hardly believe it's been two weeks since. New York has been awfully kind to me again, but how I miss this Paris so.

This post was inspired by Relay Rides, a peer-to-peer sharing, car rental service, and their Hometown Hidden Gems campaign.

under repair

Forgoing frugality, I treated myself to a cab ride from Gare du Nord yesterday. I typed in the code to my apartment building without thought, and 14 hours after saying goodbye to my parents at New York's JFK airport, entered my petit flat for the first time in two months. That is, once I'd walked up six flights of stairs with my carry-on luggage. Our rickety elevator is finally being repaired! Yay. It took me another three trips to lighten my suitcase enough to drag it up, too. Thank you for the warm welcome back, Paris.

The absurdity of my arrival made me laugh out loud. Since then, I've unpacked, cleaned, and dined nearby with the Rachael. It feels weird to be back; a good weird. Everything is so distantly familiar. (I phrased it in my head that way as I grocery-shopped this morn). Even still, as I readjust to time and Frenchness this weekend, I've also made plans to belatedly celebrate 'Galentine's Day'.

So, Happy Valentine's Day to you! I hope you delight in wine and chocolate [and pizza] with someone(s) you care about tonight.

Though I'll spend mine with Amy and Lorelei, my parents are probably technically my Valentines this year. They did thoughtfully send me off with perfume, chocolate kisses, these sneakers (in red), and the sweetest card. I basically miss them already. And now, to end on a not-so-sappy note, here are some charitable ways to spread the love today with UNICEF and the Case Foundation. À tout !

recipes for cherished memories

Thanksgiving, my favorite holiday, is about a month away. And once again I won’t be in the U.S. to celebrate. I'm already preparing to extra-miss my family. But, I also intend to do my best to recreate the shared meal experience with my community here. In Lauren's words, “Living so far from home turns those with whom we share our meals, our laughs, our fears and hugs into our family.”

I was reminded of the fact this past Monday as I hosted Lara and Lorelei for my much-anticipated "Breakfast for Dinner" party. Now, I am again as I recall Lauren and I's latest resto date. We not only enjoyed amazing neighborhood pizza (I was obviously thrilled), but we also discussed the upcoming Parisian Kinfolk Gathering she’s helped organize this Friday with the lovely Holybelly team.

By the way, did you know restaurants began in France after the Revolution? I found out while researching this paper last spring.

“First, it put many domestic cooks on the street, and second, it set many nouveaux riches in search of good places to eat, nouveaux riches in search of respectability and well aware that the dinner table has always served as a place to administer qualifying examinations to the upwardly mobile,” (Ory 457, La Gastronomie). This phenomenon can be viewed as a mild democratization of an opulent dining experience, which of course, was only available to those that could afford it. At the same time, there was an “extreme centralism” of French cuisine shifting from Versailles to Paris.

Some of my favorite memories with family and friends have taken place around a table, and not necessarily in someone's home. There's something so intimate about "breaking bread" together. Or enjoying Corsican pies at a contemporary créateur de pizza.

Speaking of pizza, it's been too long since Chrissie and I made our own. And she's been on my mind as she trains for the New York City marathon in memory of her father. Please consider donating to a very deserving person and cause? I promise to thank you tomorrow at The Kinfolk Table (assuming you're in Paris) and share my mom's stuffed pepper recipe. There are tickets left! “Come enjoy the simple pleasures of a shared meal, where we purposefully nourish ourselves beyond our physical hunger.”

a berliner in nyc, day 2

I'm flying to Paris tonight. And though I'm very excited for these changes and a reunion with this boy, I'm also pretty sad about it. What if I'm not ready to bid adieu to New York, to miss my family, to not have my friends only a bridge or two away again?

Anyway, back to the itinerary. Our second day in the city: (1) Have a leisurely morning at home, meet college roommate for a late lunch at Sarabeth's, check into the hotel your cousin worked at. (2) Ride the subway downtown. (3-5) Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge. (4-7) Take a glance at Dumbo, then wander through Brooklyn Heights. (9) Meet friends for happy hour at Flatbush Farm. (10) Venture (tipsily, mind you) over to Franny's for a late dinner of New York pizza and New York wine.

grazie a la pizza

It's true, I loved nearly moment I spent in Brittany and was overjoyed "home" to Paris afterwards. I've still been missing New York though. Most notably (for the purposes of this blog post), I miss having my best friends a subway-ride away and good pizza 'round every corner. Besides that one solo lunch at the little Italian épicerie on campus, I haven't had a noteworthy pie since I've been here! Until last night, that is.

Grazie, a trendy pizzeria-cocktail bar hybrid that appears to belong in New York's LES, is actually situated in the Haut Marais.

Although the amazing cocktails ended up being a "hit or miss" (I was a lucky one--think tequila) the pizza was a smashing success in the eyes and mouths of each lovely lady at my table; myself especially included. The crust was thin and crispy; the sauce, flavorful; and the mozzarella and arugula, oh-so-fresh. Even satisfied completely we couldn't help but partager in their chocolate mousse. Merci beaucoup, Paris. You done good.

how to dine solo

I love having Fridays off. In college I was lucky enough to only ever have four days of classes per week. Unfortunately or not, that schedule in grad school translates to four extremely long class days. My Mondays are particularly "bad": 9am-10:20am, 1:40pm-4:50pm, 6:30pm-9:30pm. To remedy the situation, or at least survive it, I've gotten into the lovely habit of taking myself out to lunch.

The first time I dined solo was in Savannah, Georgia. I'd ignored my hunger for two hours to go to a restaurant I later discovered wasn't open that day. So I took myself out for a multi-course meal with wine pairings; similar to the one I enjoyed at a table for one in Iceland actually. And since it's become one of my favorite independent habits, I thought I'd share tips on how to actually enjoy eating out alone.

Believe you have a good reason. I agree, the best meals are shared (hello, Thanksgiving...) but I also know that I sometimes get hungry when I'm out and about by myself and there aren't always friends or family to meet me at all those restaurants I want to try. There's no need for either of us to be hungry nor deprived! Don't get caught up in feeling pathetic to ask for a table for one; be proud of your independence and get excited for the meal to come. With that said, there's also no pressure to jump head first into solo-dining with a late dinner at a romantic restaurant. I've found lunch is a much more "forgiving" time.

Prepare for a positive experience. Although I encourage bringing reading material to keep you company, I'd also advise to choose wisely. I have quite a lot of assigned reading but will choose to take one or two articles as opposed to any of my textbooks. I always put it away when my food comes however. Take advantage of this undisturbed opportunity to really taste your food. People watch, too--whether that means you opt to sit by the window or have a cool view of the kitchen.

Relish in the perks. (1) Prix-fixe menus are popular at lunchtime, especially here in Paris. I love being able to go to a fancy-ish restaurant like Le Petit Niçois for an appetizer and entrée at a reasonable price. (2) You do realize you can go anywhere for anything when you're taking yourself out to eat, right? Just last week I was thinking about how much I miss my New York pizza dates. So, I walked to the tiny Italian restaurant/pizzeria around the corner. I couldn't have been happier to have such a delicious pie all to myself at Le Den. (3) Speaking of not sharing, it's your only option when dining solo. And if you're having, say, a fudgey slice of American-style brownie pie for dessert, such perks are very welcome. Promise :).

miss you already

My sister is still in Spain (she gets back on Sunday), my brother left for Arizona (without saying goodbye, mind you), and my parents and I are not sure how to be just the three of us with only a handful of days remaining before I move out of their house and the entirety of the United States. Did you fight with your parents more frequently before going away to college? I did, and later discovered it's a common coping mechanism. I think I may be trying to avoid spending too much time with them in order to protect myself from the inevitable ways I'll be missing them soon. At least we were able to have an "only child" meal at my favorite local restaurant, The Cookery. It was as spectacular as I remembered it.

[FiDi potluck at Sofia's with special guest, Holly]

[Columbus Circle Whole Foods lunch with my college roomie]

[LES pizza, wine, and ice cream dinner date with Stephanie]

Spending as much time as possible with friends, however, has not been a problem. It's almost funny because God knows I already miss them so much, too.

creating a community

By the time you're probably reading this, I'll be at "the pond." Our visit has turned into quite the girlfriend getaway this year with not only our host and Leslie in tow, but with Sofia and Shayne, too. I don't doubt we're having an amazing time.

I can't remember when I started reading Leslie's blog. What I do know, was when I met her at BeamGreen, I was already familiar enough with her writing to be excited to meet the lovely person behind it. It's through her that I met Sofia, then Megan, and later, Anna. (We each met Katie separately). After inviting Shayne to one of our dining dates, the guest list for this weekend was complete; a list of friends I'll take a girlfriend getaway with because I want to, not just because I can.

Adult-ish friendships are funny. We come into contact with all kinds of people each day--from the someone who hands us our morning coffee to the someone who holds the elevator as we return home--and it's amazing to think how we never know when a relationship is going to stick from one chance encounter. Moving to a new city without any existing contacts puts pressure on the fact though.

Based on my past experiences, I've decided to utilize the social network in Paris. I've been reading Prêt a Voyager and recently stumbled upon C'est Christine which led me to Lost in Cheeseland and more than a few Franco File Fridays.

My only hope is to meet at least one or two bloggers that'll be able to become the kind of friends who'll invite me to celebrate A's with cocktails (e.g. the garden snake: farmer's organic gin, cucumber juice, lemon soda, thai basil) at a place like Flatbush Farm or even to celebrate their birthday with copious amounts of wine, pizza, (and possibly a limoncello shot) at a place like Paulie Gee's.

And if I'm really lucky, they too will be friends I can completely relate to, who won't mind taking 5 minutes to swap slices with me and rest of the table so that each one of us can enjoy the most flavorful pie. My fingers are oh-so crossed.