Normandy, Brittany & the Best of the North_ With Paris (Fodor's) - Fodor's [104]
FOIE GRAS
The production sure ain’t pretty, but the product is sublime—satiny, opulent goose foie gras. Many gastronomes believe that Alsace produces the best in the world.
The meltingly tender fattened livers of plump Alsatian geese are prepared in a number of luscious ways: wrapped in a towel and gently poached—the classic à la torchon method; pan-fried and served on a slice of toasted gingerbread; wrapped in puff pastry and baked; then pressed into terrines and pâtés.
BAECKEOFFE
You can’t get much heartier or homier than this baked casserole of pork, lamb, and beef marinated in white wine and slow-cooked in a terra-cotta pot with potatoes, onions, garlic, and herbs.
The name—pronounced “bake-eh oaf-eh”—means “baker’s oven” in the Germanic Alsatian dialect.
It was so named because this was a dish traditionally assembled at home, then carried to the local baker to cook in his hot ovens.
It’s a soul-warming dish for a chilly evening.
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Main Table of Contents
Introducing Paris
Paris Planner
Getting Around
Exploring Paris
Where to Eat in Paris
Where to Stay in Paris
Nightlife and the Arts in Paris
Shopping in Paris
Paris in Depth
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Top Reasons to Go | Getting Oriented
Updated by Jennifer Ditsler-Ladonne, Linda Hervieux, Rosa Jackson, Lisa Pasold, Nicole Pritchard, and Heather Stimmler-Hall
If there’s a problem with a trip to Paris, it’s the embarrassment of riches that faces you. No matter which aspect of Paris you choose—touristy, historic, fashion-conscious, pretentious-bourgeois, thrifty, or the legendary bohemian arty Paris of undying attraction—one thing is certain: you will carve out your own Paris, one that is vivid, exciting, ultimately unforgettable.
Wherever you head, your itinerary will prove to be a voyage of discovery. But choosing the Paris of your dreams is a bit like choosing a perfume or cologne. Do you want something young and dashing, or elegant and worldly? How about sporty, or perhaps strictly glamorous? No matter: they are all here—perfumes, famous museums, legendary churches, or romantic cafés. Whether you spend three days or three months in this city, it will always have something new to offer you, which may explain why the most assiduous explorers of Paris are the Parisians themselves.
Veterans know that Paris is a city of vast, noble perspectives and intimate, ramshackle streets, of formal espaces vertes (green open spaces) and quiet squares. This combination of the pompous and the private is one of the secrets of its perennial pull. Another is its size: Paris is relatively small as capitals go, with distances between many of its major sights and museums invariably walkable.
TOP REASONS TO GO
Masterpiece Theater: There will always be something new to see at the Louvre—after all, the Mona Lisa is just one of 800,000 treasures.
Feasting at Le Grand Véfour: Back when Napoléon dined here, this was the most beautiful restaurant in Paris. Guess what? It still is.
Quasimodo’s Notre Dame: Get to know the stone gargoyles high atop this playground of Victor Hugo’s hunchback, then savor the splendor inside this great Gothic cathedral.
Café Society: Whether you prefer a posh perch at Les Deux Magots or just the corner café du coin, be sure to Hemingway an afternoon away over two café filtrés.
Spend Time on the Seine: Take a leisurely stroll along the Rive Droite and the Rive Gauche, making sure to carve out time to visit the oldest part of Paris—Ile de la Cité and Ile St-Louis.
GETTING ORIENTED
Paris is divided into 20 arrondissements (or neighborhoods) spiraling out from the center of the city. The numbers reveal the neighborhood’s location, and its age: the 1st arrondissement at the city’s heart being the oldest. The arrondissements in central Paris—the 1st to 8th—are the most-visited.
If you want to figure out what arrondissement