Parisian Bookstore is a MUST

There's charming, and then there's charming...

Many travelers and book lovers alike flock to a little haven of rows of books on the Left Bank in Paris: VILLAGE VOICE BOOKSHOP

Opened in 1982 by charming Odile Heller (now there's a name you don't hear everyday!), all selections are impressively hand picked by her for their uniqueness. The best part? ALL ENGLISH-LANGUAGE for those of us yet to master our French perfectly.

Her latest recommendations:

HUNGRY FOR PARIS, by Alexander Lobrano
"....Lobrano loves good company as much as a good meal and the 102 restaurants he has picked, grand or small, offer both.....you get the whole experience, a true Parisian one."
{I have read this front to back and in addition to Sandra Gustafson's GREAT EATS PARIS, this one will travel with me. Indispensable for a great meal and a fun ride to read!!}

PARIS: THE BIOGRAPHY OF A CITY by Colin Jones
"...this mosaic of stories recounts the city's history from the first Roman settlements to the French capital as it is today..."

METRO STOP PARIS by Gregor Dallas
"...each one of the 12 Metro stops in the book has a significance...tells the city's history from an original angle..."
{I just finished reading this one and LOVED it! Teaches you a lot of history you really couldn't have possibly ever learned in school!!}


(Inside picture from the book, Writers in Paris}

WRITERS IN PARIS by David Burke
"..elegant hardcover with gorgeous illustrations gives a taste of the Paris of prominent American writers who have made their homes here, and also of French writers such as...Proust, de Boeuvior..."
{I love this as a coffee table book and have given several as gifts to clients!}

VILLAGE VOICE BOOKSHOP
6 RUE PRINCESSE
33-1/46-33-36-47

Paris Cote Bastide

One of the beautiful things about my chosen career is that I can pop over to Paris, meet with the most inspiring artisans and craftsmen, write it off, and call it work.........{"Nice work if you can get it, you can get it....}



When in Paris proper, there are several "must stops". One is always, always, always afternoon tea here:

I'm partial to the one in Le Marais, off Rue du Bourg-Tibourg. No matter how short the business trip or how packed the schedule, I always pop in here for a proper spot of tea. This quick buying trip was no exception.

Another must-not-miss for me, is the Paris outpost of Cote Bastide, probably one of my most favorite family of artists and soap creators as we share mutual sensibilities. Of course they take it to a level that makes me swoon!

I love the simplciity of colors reminiscent of my three favorite fabrics: linen, hemp, and burlap. They throw just the right spot of red into the mix, too.

I'm particularly loving their simplistic snow white packaging for the Coton and Lait lines.


All are available now at Vintageweave. Stay tuned for some fun twists I've done with some of their textiles and fashioned them into unique uses for a client's eclectic home....one is cutting and repurposing this grand laundry bag into bathroom curtains...


Passed by this artistic display while walking down Rue Mambourg. Love when soap is stacked...so artistic. so touchable. so inviting.
..............so french.

Top Twelve Things to Eat in Paris

I was talking with a charming book editor recently and the topic of "getting thick around the middle came up".
Got me to thinkin' of my MUST EAT stops when on buying trips in Paris.
No. really.
Each stop.
Each visit. ...Gee, and I wonder where the extra pounds are coming from "so suddenly"???? Damn French and their masterful hands.

1) Freshly-made baguette at the Le Poilane boulangerie: OR any great baguette, sea-salted butter from Brittany, and myrtilles (blueberry) jam. (Every boulangerie's schedule varies, but usually Le Poilane has it coming out of the oven at 7am and 4p. A heaven-on-earth treat);

2) Croissant au beurre (as opposed to croissant ordinaire -- this distinction is important, and the best ones come from places which offer both and thus give you the option of having the extra indulgent, greasy, and wonderfully-luscious type. BUH-TA, baby);

3) Ossau Iraty cheese from Androuet or really any good fromagerie;

4) Poulet de Bresse on the rotisserie at the local boucherie;

5) Crepes (sweet ones on the street -- au buerre sucre, au nutella et bananas; and savory buckwheat ones in a breton or normand restaurant, even the street vendors at The Louvre and Eiffel Tower make wonderful ones);

6) Coq au vin in the absolute traditional sense (Le Toulouse does it wonderfully in the 7e off Metro: Tour Mauborg);

7) Falafel from L'As du Falafel in the Marais;

8) Crusted broiled-top Cheese Ravioli along with a glass of champagne from Le Trait D'Union in the 6e;

9) Pate de campagne from a local boucherie (combined with a baguette, bottle of red, green apple, Evian, and an impromptu picnic on the lawns facing the Eiffel tower);

10) Berry Creme Bruele at Mariage Freres (honestly, the best ever to grace my lips..er, or is that hips?);

11/12) TIE: Hand-made chocolates from Michel Cluizel in the 1e and macarons from Heidiard.

What do you love to eat in Paris?


Oh who can just stop at 12 great things to eat in Paris????? Bring on the honorable mentions:

* Berthillon ice cream on Ile St. Louis
* Pizza with four cheeses, one of which is iFrench Blue Cheese at Saint Lucia in the 6e (a combo of cheese I would never, ever eat in the states but coupled with a pint and people watching it's pure bliss)
* Coquilles St. Jacques at Violon d'Ingres
* 24-month aged Tomme de Savoie cheese
* Assiettes de saucissons secs and jambon
* Roasted potatoes with extra drippings from aforementioned rotisserie chicken #4 above

Please share with all of us your favorites...or your favorite eating spot when you travel to any city outside your own (even if that means the next neighboring town to grab a Krispy Kreme!)

UPDATED TO ADD: For a mouth-watering selection of cakes (desserts), you must see this lovely blog and today's post: Rochambeau. Constance has put together a delectable delight!

The Islands of Paris: Part II

An interesting and well-travelled client lives on Ille St Louis, where she introduced us to one of our new favorites: Mon Vieil Ami. You simply MUST eat here for traditional and sophisticated food in a modern Paris setting. Visit Notre Dame, then walk over to the other island to eat here for lunch or dinner. Carrot lobster bisque is to die for but surely what ever you order is sure to be outstanding.

Mon Vieil Ami is one the HOT spots so reservations are a MUST;
69, Rue St-Louis-en-L'lle {Metro Stop: Pont Marie}.
01-40-46--1-35 or mon.vieil.ami@wanadoo.fr
Closed Monday and Tuesday lunch, and like most spots in Paris, closed first two weeks of August for their holiday.
Seatings at 7p and 9:30...(be respectful if you're the first seating by being ON TIME.}
The small dining area has dark wood tables and seems to be illuminated only by candlelight although there are dim lighting fixtures thoughout--tres romantique.