Barbra Austin

Of all the foods in the world to deconstruct, the galette complète, that perfect all-in-one meal of egg, ham, and cheese in a hot buckwheat envelope, seems like an unlikely candidate, and yet that’s exactly what I was faced with at La Compagnie de Bretagne, the new upscale crêperie in the Sixth.

No matter what your religious beliefs or disbeliefs may be, I think the best time of year to visit Paris chocolate shops is around Easter.

It’s possible that J’Go was once good. Indeed, when I revisited one positive review I remembered reading, there was ample evidence, both written and photographic, that this restaurant used to serve something that not only looked edible but appetizing and fresh.

What I ate was insipid and suspect.

I’ve been to and enjoyed Bread & Roses several times over the past few years.
The breads are all organic. The pastries are natural beauties. The quiches are deep and the savory tarts are filled with bright vegetables and herbs. Golden raisins peak out from a rock pile of scones…

I first visited this place with a couple of girlfriends more than three years ago. Our table wasn’t ready, so we waited with a glass of wine at the kitchen counter, where we tried to stay out of the way of the busy serveuse while chatting and watching the chef cook away. I was charmed.

The aptly named le Timbre is the size of a postage stamp, a single room with a tiny kitchen in the back. Every inch of space is put to use. There is a banquette along each wall, and you’ll need help getting in and out.

Continue reading at Girls’ Guide to Paris…

Now that summer is upon us, I thought I’d round up my favorite addresses for ice cream and sorbet in Paris.

It was a sort of twisted curiosity that drew me to Ralph’s, the restaurant in the new Ralph Lauren shop on the boulevard St. Germain. Fried chicken? A supposedly great burger? A staff trained by Danny Meyer?


I just wanted to see if they could pull this thing off.

“I’ve come for the burger,” I announced when I walked in.

It’s a big wide world of chocolate. There is no need to limit oneself.

Fall was on full display at the market yesterday.