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You can eat yourself silly in Paris. This is a nation that has raised food to an art form. Experiment, think of it as sightseeing for your taste buds. Tonight we are having boeuf bourguignon, regular pork and I'm having best styled chicken in a restaurant that's very popular with the locals and much like restaurants were in turn-of-the-century Paris.
Can you imagine living here in Paris with all these restaurants?...
That would be nice.
That would be great.
Each region in France has its food specialties, but Paris is its wine and cuisine melting pot. Lacking a distinctive style of its own, it draws from all the French provinces. You'll find restaurants with price ranges similar to those at home. Starting with the simple and inexpensive and moving up to the astronomical, I find the famous places are often overpriced, overcrowded and overrated. I head for a good neighborhood and wander. We'll follow up a local recommendation. Once you find a place, here are a few things to remember. In France, if you ask for a menu, you'll get a meal, La carte is the best of what's cooking. The waitress knows the food, I usually ask her advice. Fast service is poor service, it's assumed your dining experience is the event of the evening. And finally tips are usually included in the price. Your menu will say, service compris.
For dessert, it's crepes at Montmartre. This is a fun, but touristy place to bid goodbye to Paris. This was the haunt of Toulouse-Lautrec and it brings to mind those romantic, Bohemian images that are so Parisian to most of us.
Thank you very much.
For dessert, it's crepes at Montmartre.
From jugglers clubs to jazz clubs, Montmartre is a knockout after dark.
Before we leave Paris, I have a final thought about the French. Some of you may have heard that the French are mean and cold, refuse to speak English. It's not true. With the right approach, the French are as likable as the rest of Europe. They do take pride in their culture and place importance on a kind of sophisticated politeness rather than that smiley face have-a-nice-day style many of us are used to. So doggedly looking for friendliness and giving them the benefit of the doubt, I enjoy the people of Paris
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