Eating my way through Paris

I have eaten my way through Paris. Chocolate, wine, bread, cheese and pastries, every single day. By my last day here I feel sick and full and fat, but I can’t help myself. It seems as though there is a patisserie, a boulangerie and a chocolaterie on every corner, and I make sure to visit them all, every single day. They are much too inviting to pass by. And anyway, French cuisine is heavy on the meat, so my meals in restaurants are always the same: either a large salad, usually the nicoise, or a plate of smoked salmon with crème fraiche and toast (accompanied by a carafe of vin rouge, of course). I really enjoy both of these options, and I tell myself that both are reasonably healthy… and this is how I justify my dessert-eating spree. It’s quite disgusting but as I said, I can’t stop. Someone, STOP ME!

Near the beautiful Madeleine church, I stop by La Duree bakery and café to pick up some of their famous and colorful macarons as a gift for a friend back home. I buy one for myself, of course. Caramel, the best flavor ever.

I stop in the enchanting L’Atelier du Chocolate on the fabulously quaint Rue Montorgueil to buy a box of chocolates for another friend back home. Samples! Yay! I indulge. A lot.

Oh, this pastry shop looks wonderfully inviting: Miss Manon on Rue Saint-Antoine. The cheese and egg quiche is amazing, hot and scrumptious. Followed by a large café au lait, this is the perfect midday snack. And there will still be room for a piece of warm pear crumble later today.

On Sunday morning I go for a run to try to balance out all this binging. It is freezing and rainy, but I go anyway and am so glad I do. I jog through Le Marais - an eclectic neighborhood that is home to both the Orthodox Jewish and gay male communities - and I enjoy the relatively empty streets. Passing by the park in the middle of Place des Vosges, I am astounded to see a few other women out jogging as well - a rarity in France. Maybe they too are foreigners.

Vin Chaud becomes a daily experience for me. Hot wine spiced with cinnamon, sugar, and maybe some nutmeg and other great-smelling spices, this is the perfect drink on a cold winter day in Paris, and can be found in any café. The best I have this time around is at Café Carpe Diem, a sexy lounge near Les Halles. Chilled out music plays softly in the background of this dimly lit restaurant as couples and friends drink and dine together. I cozy up to the bar, enjoy the view of a very sexy bartender, and treat myself to a perfectly blended glass of vin chaud. I make a mental note that this is the perfect spot for a future date in Paris.

Dinner happens later that same evening at Centre Ville brasserie on Rue Montorgueil. More vin chaud, followed by an amazing plate of smoked salmon. I stop on the way home for a hot Nutella Banana crepe. I am ill. Must go home now, get to bed early and stop myself from eating any more today.

In my final hours in Paris, I discover a friendly little patisserie on Rue de Turenne near Place de Vosges that will offer the perfect “last dessert” before I head to the airport. I have just treated myself to an amazing lunch at L’Escurial: a large carafe of red wine, and a fresh salad topped with toasts that are covered in warm melty goat cheese. I am happily buzzing from the wine, and very full. But no matter, there is still room… for a chocolate éclair, of course! How could I leave Paris without having had one of these?

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