A few weeks back, a friend of mine sent me the story below, which asks if restaurants are starting to cut corners here in Paris, which is leading to lower quality food in Parisian restaurants:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-12461361
I thought this to be an interesting argument, and especially pertinent since I have recently started a culinary tour company here in Paris. One of my goals is to show the opposite of this claim, that if you know what to look for here, the food industry in Paris is perfectly fine and in many cases, getting better.
First, why might there be an argument that restaurant standards are not as high as they once were in France? The argument I seem to hear quite often is that the cost of business here is going up, so owners need to cut back on costs, and in some cases, spend less money on the acquisition of food for their kitchen. Whether or not costs for restaurant owners have indeed increased is a question for which I don't know the answer, but it seems to be cited fairly often, not just in the restaurant industry but in regards to life in general in France.
As in many cities that receive a lot of tourists, there are those that own restaurants that know they can get away with serving food and drink of lesser quality. In Paris, many tourists have never eaten real French food, so they might head to a restaurant that is mediocre in quality (and perhaps a rip-off price-wise as well), and if they try to complain about the food, the restaurant and waiters can suddenly pretend that they do not speak English. The Rue de la Huchette in the Latin Quarter is well known for having many restaurants of this caliber. Unfortunately, the vast majority of restaurants in Paris that are of this sub-standard quality happen to be situated close to the big tourist attractions (Notre Dame, the Louvre and Eiffel Tower to an extent, Sacré Coeur). If these happen to be the only places that a certain tourist visits on their trip to Paris, then there is a good chance that they won't be eating the best of what Paris has to offer.
Fortunately for those that inhabit or visit Paris, you do not have to be stuck eating in the tourist traps. Good food does exist here, and people do stick to their principles about using whatever is good and standing behind their product. For example, when I first got my company running, I was working with one of my restaurants on what to serve my clients for my tour. Initially, I suggested the idea of having just one small menu item being brought out, so that we wouldn't be too full from just one restaurant. The owner disagreed, saying that it would hurt the reputation of her restaurant by doing so. I was confused by her rationale and asked why, if her food was good, would serving it alone hurt her reputation?
She said that in France, all meals must be served with the proper accompagnements. For example, if she was to serve a meat dish, it would have to be served with a vegetable and some sort of starch, such as potatoes or pasta on the side. If she was to move away from doing this, word would get around that she was moving away from tradition, and would hurt her business with her regular clients. I thought that was a damn good response.
What made me even happier was that she said that the menu changed each week, based on what they find at the Marché de Rungis (the Paris area's biggest market). If they were not happy with the quality of a certain fruit, vegetable, or meat, then they have no obligation to use it. Thus, they create their menu each week based on what is fresh and what looks good.
While this may seem a rarity in today's culture, this type of food preparation is gaining popularity in Paris. Anthony Bourdain, host of No Reservations on the Travel Channel in the U.S., hosted his 100th episode in Paris, where he was shown from restaurant to restaurant, finding that cooks are getting away from fancier haute cuisine and getting back to using very simple ingredients and simple recipes to make some outstanding food. Many cooks are taking more time to select their products each day (some even go as far as to run across the street to get food items from the markets just after the customer has ordered), making sure that their food is fresh. Another finding is that several cooks are getting away from working at more exclusive restaurants to open places that are more approachable, and much more affordable. I have found as well that many of the most popular and most difficult to reserve restaurants in Paris are surprisingly affordable.
I have cited this in a previous blog, but it is worth noting again. If you want to avoid the touristy restaurants of Paris, there are two things to look for. First avoid the places where the menu is in more than French and English. Second, avoid the restaurants where someone is standing outside begging you to come in and eat, or where the food is displayed under plastic wrap in the window. People that have traveled around Europe might have noticed similar tactics in more touristy areas of Brussels, Rome, Venice, and Prague, among many others.
Hopefully I've shown that one can eat very well in Paris, and as long as you know what to avoid, finding a good meal at a reasonable price is fairly easy.
If you are traveling to Paris and looking to see (and eat) what French people really eat and take a walk around some cool neighborhoods of Paris, look into my tours at culinarytoursofparis.com
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Monday, February 14, 2011
What do the French Think of Americans?
A few days ago, I realized that I have not written on this subject yet. I feel like I talk about this a lot, and yet for some reason, it took me a year to think of writing a blog on the subject. At last, I will address some opinions I have heard from the French on what they think of my country and its people.
1. Everyone Has a Gun: This may seem pretty laughable to someone from the United States, but on several different occasions I have been asked about safety in the United States. A perception I have heard from some people is not only do they think that everyone has a gun, but many people have one on them when they leave the house. This might be the result of the popularity in France of such shows like CSI, Bones, and NYPD Blue.
This also might be the result of both the French and American medias' tendency to blow the other countries news stories out of proportion. When I was here in December 2005, the American media was still reporting about riots in Paris and continued to advise Americans against travel to Paris. Meanwhile in Paris, the French media had stopped reporting on the matter at least a week or two before, and furthermore, there were no signs in Paris (minus a few suburbs) that any rioting had taken place.
As I said, the French media acts in a similar manner. In the last few months, the last three documentaries on the United States that I have watched in France were on the following subjects: polygamy in the United States, the Tea Party, and violence in the inner cities. I guess if these are the subjects that are the focus of attention on French basic cable, then maybe I can see why they have the impression that we are all packing a pistol in our undergarments.
2. We've held on to Puritan Ideals: Of all of the American stereotypes I have heard over here, this one might be the most accurate. It's not something that crosses the mind of an American on a daily basis, but there are certain ideals which we have upheld since those times. For example:
-We frown upon those that are not punctual. I remember having not one, but two teachers in high school who gave me detention for walking into class as the bell was ringing, in effect being less than one second late.
-Perhaps most importantly, too much pleasure is a bad thing. Americans think that the French get nothing done business wise because they spend all their time at cafés and bars; eating, drinking, and smoking their lives away. People just are not working hard enough to their tastes. There is no rush (Paris, by comparison to the rest of France, is very rushed. Paris, in comparison to an American city, is very relaxed).
-The best way to achieve happiness is to work hard. Working hard brings the satisfaction of accomplishing something, or maybe it's just way to keep oneself busy. Either way, people in the United States that don't work hard are also looked down upon.
-Kissing and other forms of sexual interest being exhibited in public is viewed as wrong. These are things that are supposed to be done behind closed doors, where there is no risk of being seen by others.
-Alcohol, though allowed, is treated as sinful. By American standards, pretty much everyone in Europe is an alcoholic. The biggest difference I feel is that while in France, alcohol is taught to be respected, in the United States, alcohol is taught to be feared.
3. We are oblivious to what is going on in the world: In a sense, this might be true, but in my opinion, no more so than any other country. The reason why this stereotype exists results from lots of media exposure in the U.S. As we are perhaps seen as a hegemon, pretty much every country focuses on relations with the U.S., whether to build good relations or to antagonize the US to show that they are a country that matters and boost popularity with the citizenry. One way or another, everything we do is closely examined by pretty much every country, if not all of them, in the world. But just because everyone follows what is going on in the U.S. doesn't mean that people follow what is going on anywhere else. Could an average French person answer who is charge of Belgium? Or the current state of affairs in Zimbabwe? Probably not. If another country took over as hegemon and the world's microscope focused on its everyday activity, I guarantee that the world would not be so critical of the United States.
This article is just a starting point on what I've seen in terms of what the French think of Americans. If you have another to add, or have a comment to add to the discussion, don't hesitate to write!
If you are traveling to Paris and looking to see (and eat) what French people really eat and take a walk around some cool neighborhoods of Paris, look into my tours at culinarytoursofparis.com
1. Everyone Has a Gun: This may seem pretty laughable to someone from the United States, but on several different occasions I have been asked about safety in the United States. A perception I have heard from some people is not only do they think that everyone has a gun, but many people have one on them when they leave the house. This might be the result of the popularity in France of such shows like CSI, Bones, and NYPD Blue.
This also might be the result of both the French and American medias' tendency to blow the other countries news stories out of proportion. When I was here in December 2005, the American media was still reporting about riots in Paris and continued to advise Americans against travel to Paris. Meanwhile in Paris, the French media had stopped reporting on the matter at least a week or two before, and furthermore, there were no signs in Paris (minus a few suburbs) that any rioting had taken place.
As I said, the French media acts in a similar manner. In the last few months, the last three documentaries on the United States that I have watched in France were on the following subjects: polygamy in the United States, the Tea Party, and violence in the inner cities. I guess if these are the subjects that are the focus of attention on French basic cable, then maybe I can see why they have the impression that we are all packing a pistol in our undergarments.
2. We've held on to Puritan Ideals: Of all of the American stereotypes I have heard over here, this one might be the most accurate. It's not something that crosses the mind of an American on a daily basis, but there are certain ideals which we have upheld since those times. For example:
-We frown upon those that are not punctual. I remember having not one, but two teachers in high school who gave me detention for walking into class as the bell was ringing, in effect being less than one second late.
-Perhaps most importantly, too much pleasure is a bad thing. Americans think that the French get nothing done business wise because they spend all their time at cafés and bars; eating, drinking, and smoking their lives away. People just are not working hard enough to their tastes. There is no rush (Paris, by comparison to the rest of France, is very rushed. Paris, in comparison to an American city, is very relaxed).
-The best way to achieve happiness is to work hard. Working hard brings the satisfaction of accomplishing something, or maybe it's just way to keep oneself busy. Either way, people in the United States that don't work hard are also looked down upon.
-Kissing and other forms of sexual interest being exhibited in public is viewed as wrong. These are things that are supposed to be done behind closed doors, where there is no risk of being seen by others.
-Alcohol, though allowed, is treated as sinful. By American standards, pretty much everyone in Europe is an alcoholic. The biggest difference I feel is that while in France, alcohol is taught to be respected, in the United States, alcohol is taught to be feared.
3. We are oblivious to what is going on in the world: In a sense, this might be true, but in my opinion, no more so than any other country. The reason why this stereotype exists results from lots of media exposure in the U.S. As we are perhaps seen as a hegemon, pretty much every country focuses on relations with the U.S., whether to build good relations or to antagonize the US to show that they are a country that matters and boost popularity with the citizenry. One way or another, everything we do is closely examined by pretty much every country, if not all of them, in the world. But just because everyone follows what is going on in the U.S. doesn't mean that people follow what is going on anywhere else. Could an average French person answer who is charge of Belgium? Or the current state of affairs in Zimbabwe? Probably not. If another country took over as hegemon and the world's microscope focused on its everyday activity, I guarantee that the world would not be so critical of the United States.
This article is just a starting point on what I've seen in terms of what the French think of Americans. If you have another to add, or have a comment to add to the discussion, don't hesitate to write!
If you are traveling to Paris and looking to see (and eat) what French people really eat and take a walk around some cool neighborhoods of Paris, look into my tours at culinarytoursofparis.com
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