Heidi Ellison
Dora Maar
The Price of A-musing Picasso
Photographer and painter Dora Maar (1907-97), who was Picasso’s lover for eight years, beginning in 1936 (“I wasn’t his mistress,” she once said, “he was my master”), is probably best known today as “The Weeping Woman” in Picasso’s portraits of … Read More
Le Maquis
Taming the Maquis
Not much is happening gastronomically out near the northern edge of Paris, although there are some cool places like the eco-friendly café/restaurant the Recyclerie. Now, however, a modest little bistro with equally modest prices and above-average food has opened. It’s … Read More
Chambord, 1519-2019: Building Utopia
The 500th Birthday of Heaven on Earth
The Château de Chambord is probably the most extraordinary of the Loire Valley châteaux, its massive structure and dozens of mismatched rooftop turrets and chimneys rising dramatically from its flat setting. There has never been much to see inside, however, … Read More
Padam Padam
A Bit of This and a Bit of That
I had high hopes for the new Montmartre restaurant Padam Padam (presumably named after Édith Piaf’s famous song) after reading a highly complimentary review in a French magazine, Télérama, which noted that the cheffe, Marine Thomas, had previously worked with … Read More
Sibyl
Woman as Volcano
No wonder there is so much mistrust of psychiatrists when the French keep making films like Sibyl, directed by Justine Triet. Sibyl (Virginie Efira) is a novelist turned shrink who wants to write another novel, so she dumps most of … Read More
Romantic Paris
Romance in Turbulent Times
After the fall of Napoleon and his empire in 1815, 19th-century France lived through a series of monarchical restorations and new revolutions, with Paris always at the center of events. The major exhibition “Romantic Paris” at the Petit Palais looks at what … Read More
L’Office Restaurant
A Promotion at the Office
I have been to L’Office many times when a new chef took over, but now this little restaurant has not only another chef – the best yet, in my opinion – but also a different owner and a revamped decor. … Read More
#Female Pleasure
Sex Crimes Uncovered
The documentary #Female Pleasure doesn’t have much to do with France per se (except that a few scenes were shot in Paris), but its themes are universal, and I was dismayed to learn that this well-made documentary of compelling interest has had only … Read More
Versailles: Visible/Invisible
Humbling Versailles
If you want to avoid the crowds next time you go to Versailles, skip the château itself and go to the Domaine du Grand Trianon to see the exhibition “Versailles: Visible/Invisible,” a continuation of the now-annual incursion of contemporary art … Read More
La Thith Cantine
No More Numbers
Remember when all Asian restaurants had overwhelming menus with pages and pages and pages of dishes? To avoid confusion, you had to order by the number assigned to each dish. Those restaurants still exist (I ate at one in Paris … Read More