Vegging Out, Paris Style
What happens when you take four American foodies and send them to Paris in December?
Eating. And lots of it.
Ron and I just returned from a week in Paris with friends, chock full of epicurean delights.
Winter in Paris means thick hot chocolate, roasted chestnuts, steaming meat stews, and mulled wine. (Oh yeah, we saw Notre Dame, too.)
As the lone vegetarian of the group, my particular experience delving into the French culinary tradition was an eye-opener. While my friends happily dug into slices of foie gras, savored their duck confit, and rejoiced in their pork pot au feu, I, French dictionary in hand, carefully deciphered complicated menu offerings in the hopes that I would have one or two vegetarian choices.
Because I eat fish (though not shellfish), I’m not even considered a real vegetarian in the U.S. Not so, once we crossed passport control at Charles de Gaulle; I’m in the “strict vegetarian” category over there. Fish dishes were routinely offered up as “vegetarian friendly.” I would soon discover that “vegetarian friendly,” Parisian style, meant dark brown meat sauce over my vegetables and soups cooked with bacon (the chunks sympathetically removed before being served).
But before you start thinking that I wasted away pitifully in Paris, I will say that the story has a happy ending. I never had a meal where I had no options–and whenever I asked for special consideration, the wait staff and chefs always tried their best. Some of my meals were positively divine–Taillevent and Chez Michel had some particularly creative and delicious vegetarian dishes. And of course, who can forget fresh-made crêpes, baguettes and cheese, and an endless array of yummy French pastries? Maybe there’s hope for a vegetarian in Paris after all.
A few of my Paris picks
Taillevent
There is no doubt as to why this is a three-star operation. Of all the restaurants we tried, they were the most accommodating of my vegetarian “issues.”
Chez Michel
We all loved the cozy atmosphere of the family-style tables in the cellar, plus the 30-euro prix-fixe menu. The eggplant and tomato terrine was sublime and the desserts (tarte tatin, panna cotta and the house specialty, Kouign Amman) some of the best of our trip.
Gosselin
Their prize-winning baguettes won’t disappoint! We tried several of the top boulangeries in Paris, and this was my favorite.
Jean-Paul Hevin
After a thorough search for the best hot chocolate in Paris, Hevin came out way on top. Thick and smooth, it’s almost too bitter at the first sip, but is absolutely irresistible after that. They supply sugar at the table you can adjust to your own desired sweetness.
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oh, how i miss that hot chocolate! (must get recipe…)
and now that you’ve tasted meat again–in its concentrated form: stocks and sauces–i predict that you will once again be carniverous within 3 months.
I know what you mean about vegetarian eating in Europe. I’m not vegetarian, but my last trip to Europe, in this case Spain, was when I was pregnant and avoiding all sorts of suspect foods, including cured meats and soft cheeses. Do they eat anything else in Spain? The only thing I found was Gazpacho soup, which, to my horror, I discovered when I returned home, could contain raw egg. Fortunately, there were no ill effects on mother or child.
Ron: I am sorry to report that a desire to eat steak has not been created from my consumption of meat-sauce laden veggies. but you can keep hoping….
Courtney: yowza! and here I thought gazpacho was just an innocent tomato soup
Ohhhh… Le chocolat chaud!!! Orgasmic
I miss it SOO much. I’m in need of visiting paris soon… need to get my share of it in the blood in order to survive 
great pics, by the way!
p.s. in case you’re wondering who i am… i am a acquaintance of Olga Emel’yanova, aka Savva on livejournal. Found your nik through her blog.
cool–thanks for posting! and also for bringing back yummy memories which, after just 6 short weeks, have already begun to fade. (you know what that means… time to make more travel plans.
)
btw, sara made us hot chocolate today which rivaled those we had in paris. (and if you ask her nicely, perhaps she will make some for you, too.)
== i’m digging through my brain trying to figure out how i know savva; her LJ blog wasn’t familiar. but i’m glad you found me, in any case. do you have a blog? ==
p.s., we love your yahoo id. well, at least -i- do; sara (being carnivorically challenged, a.k.a. vegetarian), has never tried f.g.