Paris

                  Perbacco is a restaurant Colette and I had "tested" and it has a private space on the 2nd floor somewhat suitable for private parties, which in this case meant I could hold an Editorial Board meeting there - I thought.  The problem was that at its peak at lunch the noise from downstairs drowned out the upstairs' discussion.                   We all started offwith a green salad with parmesan slices; then I chose the sole with capers and raisins over the chicken breast and both were pedestrian; and we ended with a nice strawberry-rhubarb and creme fraiche dessert. My publisher picked up the check so I have no idea of its magnitude. Go again? Not for a meeting, but personal lunch sure. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Zuni Cafe is a place we haven't been in eons and where when our local hosts whom I frequently eat with in Paris suggested it, I jumped.  It remains nice, clean, contemporary, and reliable.                 We all started with various salads (Caesar for me and rabbit and mesclun for the others [all unpictured]); then Colette and I had incredibly great quail while our hosts had salmon and halibut.  We all then sort of shared an ice cream dessert which was superior. With a bottle of Dehlinger Pinot Noir graciously brought in from their cellar ($20 corkage), another of Chardonnay and a glass of Cabernet Franc, one tea and no botled water our check came to $133.75 per couple before tip. Go?  For the quail alone it's worth it.

Tonight Mr Piglet and I are off to watch the trials at the Monaco Grand Prix. It’s a work do so we’re not paying for anything (and hence why we’re going!) and I’m really looking forward to it. We’ll be leaving Little Piglet for the first time ever with her French grandparents and she’ll even be going to a French nursery with my Mother In Law tomorrow. I’ve never left her overnight before and am already feeling nervous… … but not as nervous as about what to wear to the Monaco Grand Prix!! A little search on line led me to this page on Pinterest: I certainly don’t have anything remotely like these clothes and definitely don’t have the figure to pull them off. I had imagined myself dressed casually but elegantly, probably a bit like this: However, a quick look through my wardrobe reveals - NO clothes that fit me and that even faintly look like anything shown here - NO time to order anything online (I leave tonight) - NO shoes that fit which could be worn with such an outfit anyway. Since pregnancy my feet have never gone back to their size 41 (yup big feet) and I am now a size 42 which rules out shoe shopping for me in France. So I’ll probably go in my black kit; black trousers, black top, black throw-over, black sandals and black sunglasses. Nothing quite like that depressing feeling you get when you realise that you are a frump and only have frump clothes left in your wardrobe. If you’ve had a baby, gained weight and have ever felt frumpy, please share any tips that you may have to help add a bit of glamour to my outfit!

Pants: River Island | Shirt: ZARA | Jacket: Marni for H&M | Bag: Givenchy | Shoes: Alexander Wang | Necklace: Neha FACEBOOK ? TWITTER ? BLOGLOVIN'

Following in the footsteps of Septime, and (once-upon a time) Spring, the hard-to-book Paris restaurant Le Chateaubriand has acquired a space for an eventual wine shop between the restaurant and its sister wine bar Le Dauphin. Word on the street is that it will focus on interesting imports. No [...]

Momentané is the terrific new design retrospective of the work of brothers Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec. Following the meteoric rise of these two forward thinking French born designers, the exhibit closely retraces 15 years of all aspects of their prolific output. From limited edition furniture to high quality mass-produced work, the versatility along with smart design is apparent in over the 100 works on display, which includes lamps, sofas, wall sculptures, tapestries, office furniture, and textiles. Highlights include the stunning 12 meter high felt sculpture named Clouds (2009) along side a dramatic wall of red and black clothes pins, Twigs and Algae sculptures (2004), the High-Backed Alcove sofa from Vitra (2007), and the Lit Clos bed, one of their first pieces from 2000 created for the Milan Furniture Fair. Divided into three sections, the Tuileries side gallery features their modular designs for workspaces and offices, the Rivoli galleries focus on objects and furniture for home and more intimate spaces, and the center entrance aisle is an installation of their textile and room partition creations.  A must-see exhibit for design aficionados. MomentanéTill September 1, 2013Les Arts Decoratifs107 rue de Rivoli, 75001Metro: Palais Royal-Musee de LouvreOpen Tuesday to Saturday, 11AM to 6PM, till 9PM Thursdayhttp://www.lesartsdecoratifs.fr/english-439/accueil-710/une-715/english-439/exhibitions/current-events#bouroullec I want to thank everyone for their kind and touching emails and comments about my photo show and please forgive me if I didn't personally reply to you. I am pleased as punch to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I will personally be leading. The Eye Prefer Paris Tour includes many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes & food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks, and much more. Tours cost 210 euros for up to 3 people, and 70 euros for each additional person. I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris.  Check it out at www.eyepreferparistours.com New! Eye Prefer Paris Cooking ClassesI am happy to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes. Come take an ethnic culinary journey with me and chef and caterer Charlotte Puckette, co-author of the bestseller The Ethnic Paris Cookbook (with Olivia Kiang-Snaije). First we will shop at a Paris green-market for the freshest ingredients and then return to Charlotte's professional kitchen near the Eiffel Tower to cook a three-course lunch. After, we will indulge in the delicious feast we prepared along with hand-selected wines. Cost: 185 euros per person (about $240)Time: 9:30AM- 2PM (approximately 4 1/2 hours) Location: We will meet by a metro station close to the marketClass days: Tuesday,Wednesday, Thursday,Friday, Saturday, and SundayMinimum of 2 students, maximum 6 students.Click here to sign up for the next class or for more info.   New Eye Prefer Paris Photos for Sale I am happy to announce the sale of a new set of prints of my Eye Prefer Paris Photos.  I am offering 20 of my most popular and iconic images for sale including my doors, architectural details, statues, and monuments. They will make great gifts for all your Francophile friends, relatives, and colleagues but don't forget to buy some for yourself. Click here to see photos and for full details including sizes, prices, and shipping. Here is a sample of some of the photos.  

Provins, FranceWishing we'd had déjeuner here instead.

That’s a nickname I saw on Twitter for Dominique Venner, the right-wing writer who committed suicide in Notre Dame. In the modern equivalent of a suicide note, he blogged earlier this week about “vile” gay marriage and the invasion of “Islamists” in France. Is this an isolated instance? Or is suicide growing from a form of (oxymoronic) resignation/protest about employment conditions and pensions (think: France Telecom workers) into the only way to stand out in a fractured media landscape? I am speaking not only of France. Consider the immolations of Tibetan monks and the hunger strike at Guantanamo Bay.

Those of you who came to Paris surely remember Les Halles, this large area in the very center of Paris that novel writer Emile Zola once called "the belly of Paris" (it used to be the wholesale market of Paris). Well, in the 70's they closed it and replaced it with a huge shopping mall that is now closed again and is in the process of being replaced by a brand new project still including a shopping area of course, but also a huge garden covered by a canopy. Well, that is precisely this canopy that I managed to catch on "film" from a restaurant. Not the most glamorous photo I posted, but interesting! Have a look at the final project here.

So, what are you doing this Saturday? Me? Why, I’ll be SIGNING MY BOOK, THE PARIS WEDDING, AT WH SMITH ON RUE RIVOLI. Do you know how cool it feels to say that?? For those of you not familiar with the store, WH Smith is the largest English bookshop in Paris, and this year is celebrating its 110th year in Paris. For many English-speaking expats in Paris, myself included, WH Smith is one of the first safe havens that you flock to once the initial glimmer of “living in Paris” starts to, um…become… less sparkly.  Besides their stock of  over 70,000+ titles, WH Smith also has an awesome magazine selection, a British and American Food section, and a great choice of seasonal gifts. They also offer a full calendar of kids events, author readings, and… BOOK SIGNINGS. I’ll be signing copies of The Paris Wedding from 3:00 - 5:00PM this Saturday, May 25th, 2013.  The book has just become available in France, and WH Smiths’ shelves are stocked to the gills.  I’m so excited about this event that I’ve decided to share the love and offer a little give-away to entice you into the shop: If you 1. leave a comment on this post and 2. tweet “I’m so excited about @parisianparty’s The Paris Wedding book signing at WH Smith in Paris, May 25 from 3-5PM”, I’ll enter your name into a drawing for a signed copy of the book. The contest will end at 10AM Saturday, May 25. The winner will be announced at 3:00 at WH Smith (I’ll shout it out on twitter, too).  I won’t be able to mail the book, so the winner will have to come to WH Smith on Rue Rivoli to pick it up (I’ll leave it at the counter if you can’t make it in on Saturday). In the meantime, if you’re in the neighborhood, be sure to pop by WH Smith and check out the window promo I did for the book (with yet another fabulous cake by Sugarplum Cake Shop, and images from the book by Ian Holmes Photography). Don’t forget to enter the contest, and I hope to see you on Saturday- spread the word!

Sinfonietta Paris is a new Chamber Music orchestra and the brainchild endeavor of Michael Boone, former head of the music department at the University of Colorado. I met Michael at the Kooka Boora café at the same time I met Very-Intersting-and-talented-dude (which you’ll read about in my next  post!). Just another proof that Paris still […]