Paris_ The Collected Traveler - Barrie Kerper [74]
A: I first visited in January of 1972 and it was love at first sight!
Q: Some years after you moved to Paris you also bought a house in Provence. How much time do you spend now in Paris?
A: We basically spend from May to October in Provence and in Paris, with frequent trips back to Provence and the United States, in the fall and winter months.
Q: The Food Lover’s Guide to Paris was updated four times. Did you anticipate how successful it would be?
A: I always feel that if I am crazy in love with something and write about it, there will be enough people that feel the way I do. It turned out that way, and it was a wonderful way to launch a book career.
Q: There really is no other book like the Food Lover’s Guide, before or since. Why did you decide not to continue updating it?
A: As the world became more and more digital and Paris began to change more and more quickly it seemed that, by the time I updated it, it would be out of date. Keep in mind that the book was written before home computers, sticky notes, faxes, e-mail, Federal Express, etc.—we wrote our notes on carbon paper and had to mail in the copy! I also felt that all the time I spent updating the guide would take me away from other writing and researching.
Q: Can you name a handful of places that appeared in the first edition that you still frequent today?
A: So many places. Of course, the grand restaurants that were small ones when the first guide came out, such as Guy Savoy (18 rue Troyon, 17ème) and Robuchon (La Table de Joël Robuchon, 16 avenue Bugeaud, 16ème; L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon, 5 rue de Montalembert, 7ème). The great majority of the restaurants in the first guide either don’t exist anymore or have changed hands many times over. We may go back to many of the originals—such as Chez les Anges (54 rue de la Tour Maubourg, 7ème) and Le Chiberta (3 rue Aresène-Houssaye, 8ème), which kept the name but is a totally different restaurant now. For cafés of course we still go to Café de Flore (172 boulevard Saint-Germain, 6ème) and Le Dôme Café (108 boulevard du Montparnasse, 14ème); for wine bars, Willi’s (13 rue des Petits-Champs, 1er) and Au Sauvignon (80 rue des Saints-Pères, 7ème); and all of the markets, which of course have changed the least over the years in terms of stability. We still get coffee at La Brûlerie des Ternes (10 rue Poncelet, 17ème), chocolate at La Maison du Chocolat (original location at 52 rue François 1er, 8ème, and other locations), bread at Poilâne (8 rue du Cherche-Midi, 6ème).
Q: In an essay you wrote for Bon Appétit (May 2001), you noted that the number of female chefs in Paris seemed to have declined by that time. You also noted that Parisians were still rather reluctant about global cuisine, that “the French flirtation with foreign influences is so light as to be nonexistent.” Are there more female chefs in Paris today, and have Parisians more fully embraced outside culinary influences?
A: I don’t know the exact number of female chefs in Paris today but they still are very small in number. It is still a very physical job and one that is difficult for anyone who wants to raise a family. Parisians today certainly embrace all manner of cuisines but stay faithful to their own since there is so much variety.
Q: How many classes do you offer in Paris in a calendar year, and how quickly do they fill up? How far in advance do you recommend interested participants confirm?
A: We announce our classes in November two years in advance, so that in November 2010, for example, we announce the class schedule for 2012. Almost all classes fill up completely, but it is hard to say how far in advance people should reserve. The best is to watch the Web site (patriciawells.com), which always gives an idea of spaces available.
Q: I see that you’ve recently offered Tastes of Vietnam classes. What inspired you to teach there?
A: A student who has ties to Vietnam asked if we wanted to do it and it seemed like a perfect challenge. And it was. We have also taught classes in Florence, Venice, and Verona.
Q: What is your