In Paris - the French Version of the 53rd and 6th Halal Cart

Location: Near the Notre-Dame, Paris

After L'Atelier, I was craving for more local food, aka street food, to balance my food experience in Paris. I saw a picture of the gyros from Maison du Gyros on a food blog and immediately wanted to try some. (sidenote: I am a big fan of the lamb / chicken over rice from the NY food carts.) Once we learned that Maison du Gyros was near the Notre-Dame, we planned our Notre-Dame tour around this fast food Greek restaurant. It was imperative that I try the Paris version of my favorite NY drunk food.

the chicken for my gyro

my 4.50Euro gyro - delicious!

The picture does not do the gyro justice; you can't even see the tomatoes and lettuce in this picture. yummmm.... freshly shaved juicy meat, tomatoes and lettuce drenched in tzatziki sauce, all wrapped in a warm pita. And yes, much better than the ones from the food carts in NY.

Afterwards, we made our way to the Notre-Dame.

In Paris - Lunching at the 2-Michelin Starred L'Atelier

Location: Saint-Germain, Paris

Robert made lunch reservations a few weeks in advance at Joel Robuchon's L'Atelier in Saint-Germain. Little did I know how famous Joel Robuchon is! He has been named "Chef of the Century," awarded the Meilleur Ouvrier de France (France's best craftsman), and has 26 Michelin Guide Stars from his dozen restaurants all over the world. 26!!!  


We sat down and I knew I was in for a gastronomique treat. 

Modern & chic ambience

12-years old ham from Spain

the amuse-bouche - bruschetta

the wine & wine holder :) 

la langoustine - in truffled ravioli. my fav!!!

the mashed potatoes that they are famous for - delicious and extremely buttery

red snapper

pigeon wrapped in foie gras and greens. yummm! 

magnum bottle of wine for the meal

coffee + candies for dessert

Robert + me

Robert outside the restaurant

L'Atelier is new-aged fine-dining at its best with its trendy atmosphere and deliciously thought-out and executed food. 


Have you been to a Joel Robuchon restaurant? Which one is your favorite? 

In Paris - First Night Out Exploring The Town

Location: Latin Quarter, Paris

I'm over a month behind on blogging about my visit to Paris, but it's been a crazy month with starting a new job and apartment hunting. My new job has been amazing, but the apartment hunt was such a stressful period. NYC is so crazy when it comes to looking for a place to live! 

Robert and I planned a last minute week-long vacation to Paris in April, since I had a break in between jobs. We stayed at a "cute, but I wouldn't stay there again" hotel in Saint-Germain-Latin Quarter. For our first night, after taking a red-eye from JFK to CDG, we decided to take it easy, explore the neighborhood, and find an authentic "French" place to eat. We stumbled upon this amazing tapas restaurant called Dans Les Landes. 

Robert and me

We walked in and the waiters immediately started speaking fast French to us. After studying French for 7 years from middle school to college, I just stared blankly back. WIth some hand gesturing and random phrases of French on my end and English on their end, I managed to tell them that we didn't have a reservation and that we wanted to sit outside. It was a beautiful night out, and we started off with a carafe of house wine. 

Cous du Canarde "duck neck"

Pate Spring Rolls - the best item of the night!

After the waiter realized that we couldn't read the menu and that we were just randomly pointing at items to order, he recommended the Pate Spring Rolls. OMFG! They were absolutely amazing! I am still craving this today. 

Pig's Feet - yes, we decided to eat things that we didn't normally eat back in NY

After dinner, we walked around the corner to Le Saint Medcro for dessert. 

Crepe avec Grande-Marnier (aka alcohol and fire)

Crepes are a must-have in Paris; we had them everywhere - both at restaurants and on the streets from food trucks. I have to say though that I love crepes from food trucks the most.

Where would you recommend as your first meal in Paris?