All this great food and you STILL cooked?

Yes, I made homemade Mac n Cheese in Brussels last night. Bacon, garlic, green onion, Boursin, and Gruyere Mac n Cheese to be exact. After blowing a huge sum of cash in Paris T & E and I decided to low-key it. I managed all this with nothing but a hot plate and a microwave. Dinner Impossible ain't got nuthin' on me! Needless to say it was fantastic!

Bistro Cockney, Paris France

Cockney Bistro
While in Paris I decided that I was going to get up early and get coffee at a cafe, eat croissants, and people watch every morning. The café I chose was one close to our hotel called Cockney Bistro. I suppose it was to be a representation of an English pub, it was not. It was however a great place to have a Parisian breakfast and wake up for a day of shopping or sight seeing.

Everyday I had the same thing: two espressos with a lot of sugar, one plain croissant, and one chocolate croissant. The food and coffee were great but what made this experience for me were the atmosphere and the events at the café.

One morning a rowdy group of drunk (drunk at 7:30 am!) Latin Americans tried to sit under the awning on the patio to escape the rain upon an altercation with the owner they were chased into the streets smashing their glass fifths in the street and shouting French obscenities. The very next morning at group of three drunk French college girls came stumbling into the café after being cat-called on the street for about a block, fell into a booth and continued drinking and carrying on. My favorite sight I saw from my solitary table at the bistro was a couple on Sunday morning walking up the Metro station steps, he in a full tuxedo, tie hanging open around his neck, and she in a cocktail dress, still in heels, makeup smudged and hair askew. I know they had been out all night living it up in Paris, fabulous!

Why are they better?

Because they care about food and they know what to cook and what time of year to cook it! I haven't seen one Taco Bell in a week and I am happy. Bring on real food!

La Campanella, Paris France

La Campanella, Paris France
Brasseries are the way to eat in Paris and much of Europe. What I love about them is allow you to slow down and look at where your feet are and enjoy the moment. A leisurely lunch with friends where you enjoy several courses and coffee in the middle of the day is my idea of a break mid-day.

La Campanella is one such brasserie. Located at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, they serve typical French lunch fare: omelets, steak with frites, salads, and sandwiches. Tommy, Elizabeth, Myself and Elizabeth’s co-worker, Yan Ping sat down to lunch and were treated to a wonderful meal at this quaint little restaurant.

Tommy and I both ordered the Croque Madame. This classic French sandwich is essentially a grilled ham and cheese sandwich with more cheese bruleed on the top and crowned with a fried egg. This monster was served with frites and a simple salad. This was a filling lunch, but we were famished after a morning of taking in the Parisian sites so we were quick to eat it all.

The girls opted for paninis. Elizabeth had the ham and cheese panini and Yan Ping ordered the curried chicken version. These too were served salad and frites. All the sandwiches met approval and gave us the much needed energy to tackle a busy Louvre on a free admission Sunday!

Oh, yeah cause I ate this too...

A pitcher of water and a HUGE bowl of Reece's Pieces!

Le Capucin Gourmand, Paris France

Le Capucin Gourmand, Paris France

Eggs are a staple in French cuisine and unlike the U.S. it is acceptable to eat them at any point during the day. The classic Julia Child book, Mastering the Art of French Cooking has over forty pages devoted to the humble egg. To this end Tommy, Elizabeth, and I decided we were going to see what the French had to offer in the way of a light dinner as we had already eaten at Le Rech and been out shopping all day.
Enter Le Capucin Gourmand, a little brasserie on Rue de Clichy in Montmartre, our little Paris neighborhood. This charming bistro is set in amongst bodegas, porn theaters, and street vendors of all sorts-an eclectic mix to be sure! The food was spot on. Elizabeth and I both ordered omelets and Tommy ordered the quiche. My eggs were stuffed with roasted peppers, goat cheese, and ham, while Elizabeth had mozzarella, bacon, and onion. Tommy’s quiche had goat cheese, tomatoes, and basil. The accompaniments for all these dishes were wonderfully light salads in mustard vinaigrette and “crystallized” tomatoes. These tomatoes were a take on oven dried tomatoes with balsamic but they were chewy, sweet, and packed full of tomato flavor! The sides made the meal as far as I am concerned. In addition we ordered a cheese plate to compliment our meal. My only issue here was that the cheese were never explained or listed so I would like to comment on them but I do not know what cheeses they were. Let’s just say that they were well chosen and enjoyed by all.
Brasseries in Paris allow you to slow down, enjoy the people watching and eat some of the best food anywhere!

Crepes for Cait, as promised...

I Heart Nutella. These were CRRRRRRRRRRRREPE!