Photos by AUDREY SHIOMI
Maison Richard takes people-watching seriously. Located around the corner from the Eiffel Tower, the cafe’s from front walls are removed so that customers can get the best view of Parisian city-life.
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Gastronomic pleasure never comes without minor complications.
On the morning I arrived in Paris, I was in search of the heartiest, most scrumptious breakfast 10 euros could buy. I had just stepped off the airplane having endured some of the worst food service ever, and I was ready to eat. But instead of finding the Parisian version of Denny’s Grand Slam Breakfast, I found myself among rows and rows of cafés—each one offering no more than a croissant and coffee.
I was famished, and with a 50-lb. backpack slung over my shoulder I knew I wouldn’t last long. Taking a deep breath, I began running down the street, passing flower shops and butchers until I finally found a bakery.
“Umm, pardon?” I started off, realizing I had absolutely no idea how to order in French. “Can I? Ham sandwich, please?” The woman on the other side of the counter began throwing out questions of her own to which I shrugged my shoulders. Frustrated, she retreated into the kitchen and five minutes later emerged with a 12-inch baguette … of some sort. |
I settled into an aluminum chair along the sidewalk and sunk my teeth into the mysterious sandwich. It was a simple concoction layered with prosciutto (cured ham), swiss cheese, and fresh sprigs of arugula. The soft wheat bread was infused with a hint of masala spice, something I’d never imagined in a French baguette.
At Mariage Freres tearoom you can have your cake and eat it too. Just ask the waiter for seconds. |
As I sat down watching businessmen stroll by on their morning commute, I realized that the woman behind the counter was trying to ask me what kind of ham I wanted. As I found out in the following days, deli meat in France is treated like an art form. Whether sliced fresh or dry-cured, they certainly put American brands like Carl Budding to shame.
Last month was my first trip to the European continent. And like a kid tasting candy for the first time, I found myself completely enamored with anything that was placed before me on the dining table.
Here are some of my other epicurean explorations throughout the city of Paris:
The Cafe
After visiting the Eiffel Tower, I rounded the corner and discovered Maison Richard, a café with no front wall. I walked inside and flagged down a waiter, mutely pointing to a table with the best view of the street’s fall foliage.
Like the rest of town I turned into a casual voyeur, watching pedestrians go by as I nibbled on my order of a ham and cheese crepe. In France, the thin pancake comes either sweet or savory and you can even make it into a modest lunch. Most are accompanied with a glass of cidre, hard sparkling cider, but I found myself sipping on Earl Grey tea as I let hours of my day slip by. |
Sliced ham, Provolone cheese and arugula make up this tasty French baguette sandwich. |
The Bakery
Artisan Boulangerie-Patissierie in the Le Marais district is one of those places you’d be lucky to find on your way to work in the morning. Every day, bakers place trays full of hot-out-of-the-oven fruit tarts, creamy spinach quiches, chocolate croissants, fluffy brioches, and nearly yardlong baguettes in the storefront enticing pedestrians to come in. Each bread piece costing no more than a couple dollars, college students are known to stave off hunger by eating their freshly made sandwiches morning, noon, and even at night. With something being both cheap and tasty, how could you not? |
