My Little Agency

For this week's blog piece I had the privilege of interviewing Florence Mula from My Little Agency Paris. Florence is a well traveled, extremely organized and motivated lady who took the brave step of setting up her own company here in Paris! 

Saturday wining and dining with Preston: wine pairing continued

During Elinor's interview with Preston Mohr, our Feels Like Home in Paris wine maestro, she asked him for some concrete ideas for perfect pairings for a dinner party. They decided to go with classic French dishes. 

Time traveling in Montmartre: Rue Caulaincourt yesterday and today

Rue Caulaincourt is a street in the 18th arrondissement here in Paris.  It was 'founded' in 1867 and named (after the General de Caulaincourt, the duke of Vincennes) two years later. We have taken some snaps of the street which we hope capture its grand yet down to earth spirit.  I adore rue Caulaincourt; for me it should be on everyone's list of unmissable Paris streets to wander along!  We have taken some pictures from a book showing how the road used to be.  As you can see it was in quite bad shape, having been constructed on the site of the wooden shacks of the Butte Montmartre.  In these pictures it is however starting to bear a resemblance to the road we know and love today.  We have included a picture of the first omnibus to travel the street, plus our shot of the fab 80 bus that now runs the length of rue Caulaincourt.  Ah, how times have changed!

Tropical Thursday food for thought at Ave Maria!

On the French version of 'Come dine with me' (Un diner presque parfait… a much more idealistic title; in fact a much more idealistic concept over here, but we will save that for another time) one of the things nearly everyone exclaims when summing up the food they have just eaten is "Vous m'avez fait voyager!" / you made me travel!  This comes up when the food is exotic in any way, even if it comes from the region next door.  Those french dinner guests are some escapist eaters.  Well, I found somewhere in Paris that really made me feel as though I had traveled somewhere - in this case to a far-flung tropical island in the pacific!

Wednesday Wanderings- Finding the perfect picnic spot!

 

As much as I love the hustle and bustle of the city of light, the born and raised country girl inside of me sometimes screams out for some peace, serenity and green grass! So for today's Wednesday Wanderings I will be taking you to a park on the out skirts of Paris.

Tuesday Tidbit- "The Legend of the First Champagne Glass"

For this weeks Tuesday Tidbit Anne Marie looks into the legend of the First Champagne Glass!

Nowadays flutes are more commonly used when serving champagne. However the term still remains  "I serve you a cup", as the coupe retains more flavor and bubbles of champagne then the flûte.

Paris People: Monique Wells of Entrée to Black Paris

I had the pleasure to chat with Monique Wells, half of the Discover Paris team that comprises of her and her husband Tom Reeves back in my old neighborhood in the 5th at cafe Verse Toujours.

Now we do love those who try to present a Paris that goes beyond the typical tour book attractions so I wanted to delve a bit into one of the "sub-companies" that emerged from this dynamic duo, Entrée to Black Paris - Now wait, before you get any preconceived notions about it being a tour for blacks only, I invite you to read this profile closely.

Paris People: Monique Wells Continued - A little Q & A

One of the amazing things that comes from living in such a wonderful city like Paris, is the people you meet. It is interesting to see what draws others in and keeps them here longer than they had originally intended.


I've given you a bit of the background on Discover Paris and Entrée to Black Paris now let's find out what Monique thinks about the city she loves.

Sipping on Saturdays - Preston Mohr is Wining in Paris

This week's Sipping on Saturday takes us on an oenological journey with Preston Mohr, a Feels Like Home in Paris friend and the acting sommelier at our cheese & wine classes.

Preston's passion for wine is always something that dazzles his friends. No one ever has a problem deferring to him when the wine list is presented at a restaurant. We thought it would be interesting to pick his brain a little to find out where all this knowledge comes from and see if we too could become wine "experts".  From proper temperature to pairing, Preston shares his tips for proper wine etiquette with us.

Friday Foto: rue Mouffetard

A bit of nostalgia this Friday, Yetunde takes us to rue Mouffetard. A pictoresque cobbled street in the Latin quarter. 

When I was a student in Paris, I lived on rue Mouffetard in the 5th. This little cobble-stoned street was a wonderment to me everyday and night. The fresh fruit stand outside my window (I lived at the bottom at #140), was a delight to look upon. Strolling up the street had me smiling and gazing upon the beautiful facades of the various specialty shops. At the time I lived there, this little "bijou" at number 89 rue Mouffetard Mococha was not there yet and if it had been I probably would have been fatten myself up with all the delightful chocolates they sell. So this Friday I bring you a photo of rue Mouffetard and the Mococha chocolate shop. . . More on Mococha to come.

Mococha - 89 rue Mouffetard Paris 75005
Metro: Censier-Daubenton (line 7)

Thursdays Food For Thought- Creme Brulee

For this weeks Thursdays Food For thought Anne-Marie is cooking up some Creme Brulee!


As I am truly not gifted in the art of cooking, I asked a good friend of mine for an easy to use recipe for Creme Brulee! (Trust me if I can do it so can you!)

Creme Brulee which is french for "burnt cream", is a classic dish which consists of smooth custard with a caramelized sugar topping. The origins of this delicious dessert are hotly debated with the main contenders being Spain, France and Britain. (To whoever it was who thought up of this delicious dessert, thank you!!) 

Wednesday Wanderings along the Seine..by boat!

Like many major cities, Paris benefits from a river cutting through it, and what better way to see the main sites than by boat with a glass of champagne in hand?! It is exactly what I did last week with two friends, also residents, so on the lookout for something to try out to get us feeling like tourists again!

Our starting point was at the foot of the Eiffel Tower.  We walked down to the Seine and bought our boat trip tickets from the Vedettes de Paris company, ready to embark within the next half hour.  We chose a ticket for 16 euros that came with a glass of champagne, just to add that extra French touch, but the normal ones cost 12 euros.

Tuesday Tidbit- Metro Names Abbesses

 For this weeks Tuesday Tidbit Anne-Marie is going to tell us the story of Montmartres very own Abbesses metro station.

Big art: Anish Kapoor at the Grand Palais

The yearly Monumenta exhibition at the Grand Palais has landed! This year it's Leviathan, an enormous work by Indian-born British artist Anish Kapoor.  Monumenta invites an artist to take over 13,500 m2 of the nave of the Grand Palais and fill it with a remarkable artwork.  And remarkable this certainly is. 

You are ushered into the exhibition through a red and black revolving door, and out you step into a cavernous red bubble. The space is made up of three pod-like structures and cast in a rubber/canvas membrane.  I wanted to climb up the sloping walls and slide back down! But I'm not sure this would go down too well with the museum-going Parisian public.  The sun was shining brightly projecting the patterns of the Grand Palais's roof onto the space's rounded surfaces overhead.

Sipping on Saturday at L'Assassin

Looking for a relaxed  bar to have a pint (my British spirit shining through..) and a bite to eat amongst friends? I know the perfect place! I have been wondering for a while about whether to blog about this bar, as it has sort of become my local, but I think it needs to be shared!

L'Assassin is a classic bistro-style bar with a fun laid back attitude.  The drinks are varied and inexpensive, the beers on offer are more interesting than in many Parisian bars and the food is simple and tasty.  Perched just on the boundary between the 20th and the 11th arrondissements this bar attracts a boho crowd of all ages and benefits from a friendly staff and good music playing at all times.  There are often live music evenings; the most recent ones I have seen were bossa nova  with a fantastic saxophonist and jazz with various different singers taking turns on the microphone and bringing their own styles to the music.

Alex's Recipes! You've met the chef now get to know his cooking

After doing the piece on Alex we thought it would be nice to share his recipes with you from the class in which we took the photos. Fresh, colorful and tasty, that's the trick to cooking up delectable delights. See what's on the menu with Chef Alex!

Glazed Wild Asparagus

Wendnesday Wanderings: Take a stroll in the Bois de Boulogne

Eric and I have started our new health kick - have to burn off some of the food we've been consuming for the sake of all these blog posts. Actually the real objective is to prepare ourselves for a walk that will take us across the country over the course of several days. A few kilometers every week (in addition to my regular daily walking), should do the trick.

Macaron Taste Testing!

Ever since I have set foot in Paris I have been receiving recommendations (or orders in some cases) on where to find the best macarons in Paris. So we here at the Feels Like Home In Paris office have decided to take on the very difficult task of determining once and for all where one can purchase the best macarons in Paris. (I know, I know its a hard life!)

Paris People - Meet chef Alex of Cook'n With Class: A Texan takes on French Cuisine

This week, Ann-Marie brings you a personality profile of Alex Dreyer, one of the newest chefs at Cook'n With Class.

Many of you maybe wondering why out off all the chefs in the whole of Paris we decided to chose Mr. Alex Dreyer for our Paris personality profile. Well I could lie and say it is simply because he is a magnificent chef who deserves to be acknowledged. But that would only be half true. We chose to interview Alex not only because he is clearly talented! No, we chose Alex for his non-stop, never ending, contagious energy and charisma. The man is like a ball of energy every time he enters any room and we wanted to get the scoop on his take on Paris.

Sipping in 70s Morocco..in Paris! At Andy Wahloo

It seems to be the fashion in Paris to serve mojitos everywhere; at fancy bars, at student pubs, at any and every happy hour, it is the drink of choice. I have sampled a few, but I tend to stray away from them as there is such a glut you never know whether you're going to get a quality minty extravaganza or an insipid pale green excuse for a cocktail. I had heard that the best ones were to be found at a bar called Andy Wahloo in the 3rd, so I went to try it out.

Friday Fotos: Pont des Arts

A few years back a friend of mine decided to hold a birthday picnic on the Pont des Arts - a really great little popular spot for gatherings of the like. It is another wonderful find in Paris. I don't think I know any other city where people make use of a footbridge in this fashion. Though it was unusually chilly on the July evening we had our picnic, things are currently warming up nicely in Paris so grab your baguette (tradition), your cheese and your wine (ah yes, unlike some capitals, you can feel free to consume your alcoholic beverage outside in Paris), and enjoy the view.

My Friday Foto? Pont des Arts (from a far). hope you like it.

Thursday Food for Thought: Hope Cafe - Organic food in Montmartre

Organic as everyone knows is definitely "à la mode" at the moment worldwide and especially in Paris. With all the buzzing around the fab bread in Montmartre, it seems fitting that this Thursday Food for Thought be about a Montmartre restaurant.

I had already tried out the Hope Cafe when it first opened. My first visit didn't leave me dazzled so I thought that I would give it another try to see what may have changed. So off Ann-Marie and I went to try it out for lunch. - Yetunde

Wednesday Wanderings - Daytripping in Saint-Germain-en-Laye

Elinor wanders outside of the city to the beautiful Saint-Germain-en-Laye for a beautiful day trip!

Although I feel I have been fairly adventurous with my wanderings within Paris itself, I have not strayed out of the city very much yet. I decided it was time to change this with the arrival of the spring sunshine, so I organised a day trip with my brother and some friends to Saint-Germain-en-Laye for a relaxing countryside day trip. I got up early, packed a picnic (including some chilled vouvray, yum!) and rallied the troops. Luckily we had picked the hottest day of the year so far, so we were set for a very summery trip! I had heard that this town in the western suburbs of Paris was well worth a visit for its history (it was founded in 1020), its elegant tree-lined streets, its castle and its forest. The town has a very illustrious past: prior to the French Revolution in 1789 Saint-Germain had been a royal town, with the castle being the birthplace of many monarchs, amongst them Louis XIV.

Georges Brassens Exhibition at the Cité de la Musique

This week our guest blogger Nancy takes us on a visit to an exhibition featuring one of the great icons of French music.

Last Saturday evening I went with my boyfriend to the Georges Brassens exhibition at the Cité de la Musique. He has been a big fan of the French singer since his childhood, my knowledge was however very limited, so the exhibition offered a great opportunity both to delve into some French culture and gain some brownie points with the boyfriend!

We first strolled through the modern Parc de la Villette, a veritable cultural landscape, where you can find the Cité de la Musique, the concert venue Zénith and the spectacular architecture of La Grande Halle, nestled in the vast park and gardens.