Wednesday night, my friend Anne invited me to a ''classic Parisien'' concert in Menilmontant, which is in the 20th arrondisement. The 20th is one of the so-called ''sketchier'' areas of Paris, but compared to Southeast DC, it's a walk in the park. It's more diverse and not quite as well kept as some of the other areas of Paris, but it's also extremely artsy with a rich, interesting history.
Of course, I didn't know any of this beforehand... Before the concert, I had never heard of Menilmontant. As I got lost trying to find the concert, however, I became quite well acquainted with the area. I know I've blogged about the lack of diverse food in Paris, but in Menilmontant, there is an abundance of ethnic restaurants - Turkish, Greek, Indian, you name it! But I digress....
So I met Anne at La Bellevilloise, the location of the concert. I had no idea what I was looking for - I was expecting an auditorium or a bar or something of that sort. But La Bellevilloise is so much more than that. It's a restaurant, a bar, a concert hall, a jazz club, an expo center all in one, and it's dedicated to the arts. Anne took me to the little rooftop bar for a drink with her neighbors - one of which was performing in the concert. Then we went inside to one section of La Bellevilloise that was comprised of a big open room with a stage and a bar.
I had no idea what to expect for a ''classic Parisien'' concert. It turned out to be about 20 men and women singing, choir-style, classic Parisien songs. Many of them, about Menilmontant. As Anne explained, Menilmontant was a hub for Parisien artists back in the day, and many songs were written about the area.
It was a true Parisien experience - the kind of event I probably never would have found out about on my own. And forget about the tourists! I would be surprised if most tourists step foot in the 20th, let alone the Bellevilloise. Fortunately, Anne understands that I want to experience the real Paris as much as the ''touristic'' Paris, and she opened up a whole new side of the city for me.
And just as important, I was able to eat a fantastic Turkish gyro for dinner!
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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