mi pasta es su pasta: the big kahuna

the kahuna of all kahunas. the best of the best. la pièce de résistance...also known as the best food i've ever had in a 72 hour span of time.

coming to paris, i knew that it would be a unique and fulfilling experience in many ways. before embarking, i took a french oral exam, where i had to give a presentation on the topic of my liking in french (obviously). i elected to talk about "mon voyage culinaire" which began at the moment i was born but has been reinforced daily every day of my life. coming from a legacy of amazing cooks, each dedicated to the craft of their cuisine, i had a reputation to live up to. so in college i started this blog. but it was more than that. i discovered my love, my pleasure, my undying lust for food.

i sometimes worry that people mistake me for an obese woman the way i speak about food, but that is ok- that is my secret identity.

so yesterday, i went to a delightful reading at Shakespeare & Co. (my temporary nirvana) by author John Baxter, who discussed among many things, the art of flâneur-ing (sauntering without a care in the world among the streets of paris), holidaying in new york, and the culture of coffee. i realized that there are people who do this for a living: eat, sleep, breathe paris. and that is what i am lucky enough to do now. yes ok, i have some work to do, but in the scheme of things, what is life if not to be enjoyed and savored?

i went up to him sheepishly after the reading and revealed that i keep this food blog (even after he turned up his nose at the blogosphere and expressed his disdain for the loss of the written word), but nonetheless declared proudly that i am eating my way through paris, and he replied "well that's a wonderful way to see paris!"

so without further ado, i present my true parisian culinary journey and the quest for the best crepe in town.

Friday night I hit up 404 again. (best moroccan food on this side of the mediterranean). couscous, lamb tagine, chicken filo pockets, kebabs, you name it- roasted, broiled, boiled, steamed to perfection.

Saturday my partner in crime and i started the day off right with (again the best) banana nutella crepes in paris. je pense. in a little dingy looking, abandoned creperie from the outside in montmartre, we found a treasure...

sizzling, bubbling, gooey deliciousness.

from here, we strolled up and down the stone alleyways of a bygone era and poked our heads in "les deux moulins" (the cafe from Amelie). i got the shivers.

for dinner we indulged in a selection of tacos and guacamole from the best taqueria and the best kept secret in the marais. queso fresco, ternera, salsa, chips. my favorite bar is hidden in the back. for references, you must be my friend. so buddy up.

in the "cave" at "le violon dingue," i was poured my first long island iced tea and it was strong. i'm glad the scottish bartender understood me when i said "tres fort."

now we're getting into the heavy stuff. please hold as i stifle back tears of joy...ok.

just enough food for a group of six

sunday brunch was unlike any single meal i have ever eaten in my life. my friend and i flâneur-ed in late and sat down to the menu. I looked in the buffet column deciding what to pick. "no," my friend says, "you have to get all of it. the buffet only is served to children under 12." that's when i got nervous. "can i be 12?" i asked, scared for my arteries. but then, i had no choice. so i went to check out the spread. and what a spread it was. not a food group was missing, not a flavor overlooked, not a pastry overturned. a real american parisian fusion brunch in a restaurant eerily similar to your grandmother's living room.

ok, ok i'll get to the food now.

TA DA!

fruit, cheese platter, fresh breads resembling fluffy challah, rice pudding (a great addition), jams, butters, confits, yogurts, tarts, pies, cakes, croissants...the list goes on.