Paris restos... je les adore!

I am in constant search for fantastic food in Paris. The irony in that statement is that people think of Paris and they think of amazing baguettes, cheese and wine – all are amazing, but there are definite “Degrees” of “amazingness.”

My favourite purchase before moving to France was a Timeout guide of Food and Drink in Paris. From a girl who would only eat pasta with butter and cheese (but only parmigiano that my aunt bought back, vacuum-packed, from Florence), I became a more refined lady who adores trying new foods and restaurants. I’m sure my Dad would never have guessed this would happen 20 years ago when he would bribe me with $1 to eat a bite of spinach! Regardless, my food tastes have broadened and my first extended stay in Paris, at 16 years old, are probably to thank.

Although I can’t say I’ve tried anything too absure in France yet, like pigs feet, or brains or intestines, I have become a huge fan of boeuf tartare and some of the refined cheeses that I wouldn’t dare touch before.

In an attempt to try new restaurants on a weekly basis, I have managed to do quite a good job at finding some spots that I love, but also branching out and continuing the quest to expand my list.

My favourite place is the only one I’ve eaten at twice – l’Epouvantail – meaning scarecrow in English. It is owned and operated by Dom and his best friend (his name escapes me). They are 2, 30-something French guys, who are the servers at their establishment. They are charming and witty, and most importantly, they know how to get their chefs to cook up some fabulous dishes. A set menu for 24 euro will give you a generous entrée and plat principal. If you want a dessert as well, it’s only 4 euros more. They do some more “Standard French fare”, but they also allow for some diversity and have some Italian and curry inspired dishes. All are fabulous.

A French bistro discovery, called “Chartier”, is a great tourist spot. It is a large, high ceiling, black and white tiled restaurant, where the hustle and bustle resembles that of Paris itself. Although the food is not fabulous, it is good and it is reasonable. Just be aware that although it seems to be a bit of a tourist spot they prefer that you speak French and are “quick” in your decision making skills.

L’Auberge is a fancier French restaurant, just outside the 16^th, that my friend recommended to me. It has exquisite cuisine, that is presented beautifully. The wait staff are lovely and it is definite a spot where tourists would never find or venture to.

My most recent find, and I must say myself, a stellar find, is Hotel d’Amour. Listed as a “fashion restaurant” in my Timeout guide, it is just a trendier French resto in a boutique hotel in the 9^th, not far from Montmartre. The prices are reasonable and the food was super tasty. The fig salad we shared was mouth watering, and my beouf tartare, for 16 euros, had some amazing spices mixed in and came in a generous portion with fries and green salad.

Bon appétit!

Paris Nightlife

Oh la la... the night life in Paris is a huge array of high class clubs, trendy clubs, random cafe bars, and a few dives in between.
Perhaps I've been experiencing too many of these places over the last month or so, which might indicate my lack of posting activity, but I prefer to think that I've been busy building my "social and professional" network.
A couple of lounges I've checked out that are "branche" (aka trendy) in Paris...
Le Magnifique - it doesn't open until 11pm - we arrived at 10:45pm and were the only ones in there... cute little lounge with booths that everyone dances on and in once they've had a few glasses of Moet. It kind of reminded me of China White in London. Drinks run around 15 euros + and be prepared to be denied at the door if you're not with women, or you arrive late without a reservation.
Check out Le Magnifique!
Kong - this is the epitome of Paris clubs b/c the bouncers decide who is "pretty" enough to actually enter. Kong is actually a restaurant and a club on two floors at Pont Neuf. The bar/club area was PACKED at midnight. The layout of the club makes it hard to get to a bar, move around and get upstairs to the washroom, and the vibe is different than Manifique - more trendy, less classy. We had an"encounter" with a group of men who kept buying my girlfriend champagne... we ended up dashing from the club very VERY quickly.
KONG...
CAB - this is a true club, with house music and a cover charge. It is off place du palais du louvre... 20 euro gets you in the door with a stiff drink. The venue is made up of multiple small rooms, with one large dance floor. Apparently it's a tourist destination for nightlife, but I felt like it's the type of place you can go with a large group of people and have a good time!
CAB's website with contact info for guest list

Vienna - Architectural Cosmopolitan

Sitting on the RER B train from CDG all the way to Jouy-en-Josas, I’m reflecting on my 3 day tour – vite fait – in Vienna.

This was my first weekend outside of France since arriving in my apartment in Paris. It was a weekend filled with majestic buildings and mother/daughter bonding time.

Here are just a few of the specatular buildings and tourist sites that Vienna has to offer.

First, and foremost, Viennese people love their sweets. Before noon on the Friday morning that I arrived, people were filling up on massive sundaes, gelatos, coffees with whip cream, the works. My Mom arrived and immediately started talking about the Sacher Tart and the apple strudels and the walnut cakes that I had to try. The stage was set. We checked out 2 of the most renowned cafes in the city. Café Centrale and Demel. Both offered decadent desserts and unique dining ambiances. We also made a late night stop at Café Sacher, at the Hotel Sacher. This “sacher torte” is the most infamous dessert in Vienna. To be honest, it just tastes like a flavoured chocolate cake – it is made with apricot jam and the icing is a rich layer of sticky chocolate (which was the best part).

In terms of the whirlwind of other touristy visits, I recommend the palaces. The first day, in gorgeous 20 degree sun, we visited the Schonbrunn. It was massive. The imperial rooms were fantastic and the gardens were the best of the 3 palaces we saw. My favourite was the walk through the property to the Galleria, which overlooked the back of the palace. The following day we visited Hofburg Palace, which is right near the city centre. It was the home to Empress Sisi, who is apparently very well known in Europe.  I had never heard of her before this trip. She has a fantastic story, which my Mom liked to equate to that of Diana Princess of Wales. Although I don’t really agree with my Mom’s comparison, I would agree that her disaccord with the publicity surrounding royalty is potentially similar to Diana’s point of view. The imperial apartments here were equally stunning to those of Schrunbronn. Both places had the most beautiful chandeliers, which I came to understand, is common around Vienna. The final palace we visited was Belvedere. Also in the city, but a little further than Hofburg, the Belvedere is actually 2 separate palaces, both of which are art museums. There were some amazing pieces and a great exhibit on “sleeping beauties” (or women, or something like that).

Upper Belvedere Palace

The Stattsopera house is also a MUST see. I was fortunate enough to go to the ballet with my Mom. We saw Onegin. Although I don’t think the dancing was as good as the National Ballet of Canada, the venue made up for it. My Mom even went back the following day and saw a part of an opera for 3 euros in the standing room section! Final tourist point that is worth going into is St. Stephan’s Cathedral. The main mass on Sundays at 10:15am is about 2 hours long I think, but we went to a latin service in the basement (during the main German service), that lasted about 45 mins. Either way, German or Latin, we weren’t really following what was going on ;)

Overall comments on the city – it is exquisite for a weekend. I don’t think I could ever live there though. It’s not very dynamic, and although cosmopolitan, it lacks the heart of some cities I’ve been to. I think it’s a bit of a big city, that grew up too quickly.

La belle vie

After a 3 week long roller-coaster, I've learned that big decisions in life, make all the little decisions hard to come by. Coming to Paris, or at least coming to Europe on exchange, became a dream thought over a year ago. Fortunately, it also came at a time when I was lucky enough to have people in my life that supported this dream. Once that "big decision" was made, that I was going to try and go on exchange, the little ones started to roll in, one by one.
Little decisions, I've learned, are really the decisions that make a bigger impact on your life than you ever expected. Did I think I was going to get into my #1 choice for exchange at HEC Paris? Did I know I'd be lucky enough to find an apartment in the middle of a gorgeous area with a great Parisian roommate? Did I have any idea that my company would actually be ok with me taking a LOA? Did I know that in the end, all these decisions were going to lead me to being in Paris this fall, and really starting over again?
My plans for coming to Europe started off a little differently than how they've ended up. I imagined moving here with a job in line, and a partner in hand. I ended up with a fantastic school and a chance to figure out what it is that I'm looking for out of my life - for work, for a lifestyle, in a relationship and in friends.
As my first 3 weeks of actually "living" in Paris, are coming to a close, I have been fortunate to make a lot of ground. I've met fabulous people. I've become acquainted with a new academic system and an actual business class in french. I've spent a full day trying to promote myself to companies in Europe, and gotten a good vibe from a few prospects. I've learned that sometimes, decisions have to made and timing is never ideal. It is hard to be far away from the ones closest to you and have to try and share emotions over a Skype call or email. At the end of each day though, I have to continue to remind myself that everything in life happens for a reason. The emotions need to be felt, things need to be said. Each experience, each day, each decision makes us a little bit stronger, a little bit more aware of ourselves and ultimately, will make our lives become just a little bit clearer... Although there are some days where I feel like I live in a bubble full of fog, I know that the stronger I am to push through it, the clearer the outside will be.
This post isn't really something I was going to share, but I felt I needed to write regardless. I want to thank my friends (and fam) for being the absolute best people ever. Without you, I wouldn't be the confident, assertive individual that I am today, and I probably wouldn't be in Paris, where I am truly in my element. Hopefully, fingers crossed, this experience will bring me one step closer to understanding exactly what I want out of life in the next few years (babysteps, right...). Miss you and love you all!