Heidi Ellison
Za
Digital-Era Automat: Gimmicks Galore
The dining room at Za.It sounds like tons of fun. You take a seat at one of the long tables at the new restaurant Za (design by Philippe Starck; seats 128!), under the just-inaugurated new roof (called “La Canopé”) over the renovated Forum des Halles in the heart of Paris and slap your smartphone down on the numbered spot on the countertop in front of you.
Sunset
Unexpected Pleasures of Lunch in a Trendy Bar
The front dining room at Sunset.You would be forgiven for doubting the possibility of getting a good meal at this trendy 18th-arrondissement restaurant and bar with the California-style name Sunset, but you would be very wrong. I recently had an excellent lunch there with a friend.
Le Petit Keller
Share and Share Alike, For Better or Worse
The dining room at Le Petit KellerRegular readers know that I love to share food in restaurants. Not only do you get to taste more dishes than you normally would, but it is also more fun and convivial.
Paul Klee: L’Ironie à l’Œuvre
Art as Play and Intellectual Exercise
Paul Klee (1879-1940) is generally acknowledged as one of the greats of modern art, but it’s difficult to think of a single powerful work or style that represents him, the way “Guernica” might, for example, pop into your mind when … Read More
Le Bouchon et l’Assiette
Don’t Put Off Until Tomorrow A Meal You Can Have Today
A friend has been telling me for some time that I would love a restaurant in her neighborhood called Le Bouchon et L’Assiette. The other day I finally got to try it with her and, as I suspected, she was absolutely right.
Deux Fois Plus de Piments
Some Like It Hot, Some Like It Hotter
I have never been too hot on Chinese restaurants in Paris since so many serve up frozen versions of the Cantonese standards, but that has been changing as more and more offer authentic, freshly made regional cuisine. When searching for … Read More
La Taverne de Zhao
Some Like It Hot, Some Like It Hotter
I have never been too hot on Chinese restaurants in Paris since so many serve up frozen versions of the Cantonese standards, but that has been changing as more and more offer authentic, freshly made regional cuisine. When searching for … Read More
L’Anthocyane
Creative Extras Make the Meal
The name of the restaurant Anthocyane made one of my friends think of cyanide, but luckily no one in our group was poisoned during our lengthy meal there.
Biennale de Sculpture
A Stroll Through 150 Years of Sculpture
The small town of Yerres, about an hour from Paris, would seem to be an unlikely place for a major exhibition covering a century and a half of sculpture and including greats of the past like Auguste Rodin, Antoine Bourdelle, … Read More
Mouton Cadet Rosé
A Safe Bet for Rosé Season In France, in the days before organic, natural and biodynamic wines became all the rage, if you brought a bottle of Mouton Cadet Bordeaux to a dinner party, the host or hostess was sure … Read More