On Friday, Amy and I stumbled upon our own little Italian haven in Paris. We met for lunch near my office, and were headed on Boulevard Grenelle toward one of the many French brasseries when Amy suddenly decided we should pop into the pizzeria we were passing. I walk past it every day, and have never given it a second glance - there are many such eateries all around Paris.
We sat down and ordered our pizzas from the waiter. We knew instantly he was not French. There was no aloofness, no chiding French humor. Instead there was the flirtatious Italian casualness - much more appreciated for a light-hearted lunch. After eating our pizza, the waiters decided it was imperative to take pictures with the bella American girls. After plying us with free Amaretto, they convinced us to dance...in the middle of the restaurant...in the middle of the afternoon. The primary waiter - I have no clue how to spell his name so I will just call him waiter for now - acknowledged the difference between France and Italy. A different mentality in Italy, he said, more open. And it's true. As much as I've come to appreciate the Parisiens and their quirks, I will always have a special place in my heart for the boisterous and jovial Italians. I think I may need to make a weekly appearance at my Little Italy.
Of course no day is complete without experiencing the ''French waiter.'' Friday night, I took Amy to Kong along with Suzanne, Mike (coworker), Mirko and Alessandro. The last time I went to the uber-trendy Kong, I decided the only items I wanted to order at my next Kong dinner were the (15 euro a pop) Apple Martini, the mashed potatoes and the chocolate dessert - because they were all amazing. So Friday night, I ordered an Apple Martini (well...2), the mashed potatoes and the chocolate dessert. Just as good as I remembered. And the service was just as reliably rude and aloof as I remembered...but what else can be expected from the trendiest restaurant in Paris? They could give me all the dirty looks they want as long as they keep bringing me those Apple Martinis!
About Me
- Michelle Hershman
- Washington, D.C., United States
- Michelle Hershman has always been enthusiastic about eating, but it took her a little longer to become passionate about cooking because she wasn’t allowed to use the oven unsupervised as a child. Her first cooking experience involved baking a cake in the microwave. But, Michelle persevered. She attended Virginia Tech, where she received a Communications degree and mastered the quesadilla. Then, she headed to University of Richmond Law School, and when she wasn’t hitting the law books, she devoured cookbooks and food magazines. In 2007, she began a job as a Presidential Management Fellow with the Federal government. Her love of food reached an all-time high when she was sent to Paris for work. She spent four months eating creamy cheeses and crusty baguettes and frequenting farmer’s markets for fresh produce. She ate pasta in Italy, Hagis in Scotland and street food in Istanbul. She vowed never to eat a frozen dinner again. Now, she works as an attorney during the day and experiments with recipes for her food blog, Healthy Recipe Ecstasy, at night. In her spare time, she’s planning a wedding with her wonderful patient fiancé, Alasdair Cain.
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