Persistent Distraction

My Favorite Paris Restaurants

I'm a creature of habit.  I wouldn't go to Paris without visiting at least two of these places:

Restaurant Les fêtes galantes
17, rue de l'école Polytechnique
75005 Paris

The restaurant is tiny, the walls plastered with souvenirs from visitors (business cards, money from every country on earth, even one wall with bras of all colors), and the chef has a sense of humor.  But most of all, Les fêtes galantes offers serious, delicious food.  It is refined French cuisine with the occasional North-African twist (tomato soup with a hint of mint; a cumin-scented sauce on crispy tender sea bream; chocolate cream puffs...).  The prices are so reasonable, and the welcome so warm and friendly, you will enjoy the food even more.

(I have no photo of this place and could not find one to poach; I shall correct this soon.)

Restaurant Perraudin
157, rue St-Jacques
75005 Paris

Traditional French cuisine, in a setting to match (red-and-white checked tablecloths).  It is family-style food, so there is nothing surprising here; it's simply excellent, Parisian comfort food.  I have never had a better salad than the assiette de crudités at Perraudin:  the French know their vinaigrette.  I always follow that with sole meunière, buttery and lemony and served with boiled potatoes and spinach...not everyone's taste, so if you don't share my sole addiction, try the lamb accompanied by creamy, garlicky gratin dauphinois, a house specialty and just about the best potato dish I’ve ever tasted.  The wine list is lengthy and excellent.   

Restaurant Georges
6th floor, Centre Pompidou
19, rue Beaubourg
75004 Paris

Gird your loins against the most ridiculous hipster snobisme (that of the staff, not of your fellow patrons), and take the elevator (as do those in the know... the escalator is for the uninitiated) up to the sixth floor of the Centre Pompidou.  Go late afternoon/early evening, before dinner, and nurse a €10 Perrier or glass of wine (and then have dinner elsewhere).  For all of these trials, your reward is a gorgeous, panoramic view of the city, from a cheeky yet almost bleakly chic space that continues the Dr.-Seuss-Minimalism of the rest of the building. 

Petit déjeuner

It's Sunday.  This is what one should be having for breakfast:

And one could, if one were at the Comptoir du Panthéon, in the Rue Soufflot, in Paris.  This is one of the rare extant examples of Food Porn from my latest Paris outing. 

In Rotterdam today, the choices are rather limited, as it is a public holiday and everything is closed for two days.  Happily, Auntie Shell has stocks of caffeine and various delivery systems, so the buzz is provided for, if not the ambiance. 

Eating Swans

Dear Auntie Shell,

Why do people eat chickens and ducks and geese, but usually not swans?

Sincerely,
Curious Bird Enthusiast

Dear CBE,

While searching for the answer to your question of why swans are not generally considered food, I came upon several inconclusive answers, and one poetic one.  Here are the top five:

1.  Some people claim that swans are not eaten simply because they do not taste good, while others claim the contrary.  The question of whether swan meat is good to eat usually does not enter into the argument. 

2.  In the U.K., swans either are, or are widely considered to be, the property of the monarch; in any case, they are a protected species.  To be in possession of a dead swan, even one which has apparently met its fate accidentally, can prompt a visit from the police (during which visit one is advised simply to offer coffee or tea and biscuits, and resist the temptation to impress the officers with more exotic delicacies).

3.  In many other countries, even those with no crowned head claiming dominion over the graceful birds, most Cygnus species have "endangered" or "threatened" status and are protected.  This may explain why a search on  the term "swan" on epicurious.com returns no recipes, and why Swan McNuggets are not likely to appear on a fast-food menu anywhere on the planet.

4.  Some translations of the Bible list them in Leviticus amongst animals not to be eaten (though most people agree that this is a mistranslation of the name of a species of owl). 

5.  On a message board I read the best, if most cryptic, explanation to this puzzle:

"We don't eat swans because they're not bread, but hyacinths."

This response met with some confusion.  The author of the mysterious post, when asked by a bemused reader what she was "ingesting," answered, "Saadi."

Auntie Shell is sure she was referring to this passage, translated from the 13th-century Sufi poet:

If thou of fortune be bereft,
And in thy store there be but left,
Two loaves, sell one, and with the dole,
Buy Hyacinths to feed thy soul.

--Moslih Edden Saadi

So, there you have it.  We don't eat swans because they are beautiful, are symbols of grace, beauty, music, and poetic inspiration; and like most beautiful things, they are rare, and therefore make better food for the soul than for the body.

Troubled by a mystery?  Send your question to [email protected]. All inquiries which can be investigated with an internet search engine and a medium-sized chunk of spare time will be entertained.  Please don't make me do math.

I'm almost hungry, and Amsterdam is just an hour away...

My favorite places to eat in Amsterdam:

Los Pilones
Kerkstraat 63

This was my neighborhood favorite when I lived in Amsterdam. The owners are charming and helpful, the decor is kitschy and whimsical:  brightly-painted tables, and Diego Rivera-style murals where Frida Kahlo appears next to Vincent van Gogh.  The cuisine is very simple, authentic Mexican food.  The margaritas are excellent, and if you like true mole, this is the place to have it.  The portions are small by Dutch standards, which is a good excuse to start with their perfectly-prepared guacamole or some flautas de pollo.

Small World Café
Binnen Oranjestraat 14

I make excuses to go to Amsterdam just so I can have lunch here.  The fresh tuna with tapenade sandwich is wonderful, as are the grilled chicken with avocado and red onion, roasted vegetables with ricotta and pesto, and several other equally yummy choices.  They also make dishes to take away:  lasagna, Spanish tortilla, deli salads and gorgeous carrot cake and cheesecake.

Zotte
Raamstraat 29

One advantage to living in the hectic, tourist-trampled Leidseplein area was being just around the corner from his pub / eetcafe that offers Belgian beer and food in a rather dark space decorated with old ads for Belgian beers.  It was a favorite place to go and have whatever was the daily special:  steak or salmon filet in a classic or clever sauce, and always salad and excellent frites for the table (some say the best frites in Amsterdam are those sold in Handboogstraat, but I prefer Zotte's).  If you get there around six, when the kitchen opens and the music is mellow, you have a fighting chance to find a seat and to chat with your dining companions.  After eight, it's a struggle to get to the bar or to make yourself heard.

It's Rotterdam, and I'm hungry...

Here's where I go:

Panini
Binnenwegplein 9e

There is no seating, only a semi-sheltered counter to order your takeaway Italian sandwich or slice of pizza.  But even on the coldest day, it is worth standing in the ever-present "queue" (more like a cluster) when you are finally presented with your ciabatta mozarella with plump sundried tomatoes, or a tender, crisp slice of Pizza Margherita, which they drizzle with olive oil and garnish with a whole basil leaf (this practice may have been modified by now, to adapt to perpetually windy conditions).

Curry's!
Oudedijk 152

I've only recently discovered Curry's, so I need more data.  But on my first visit, the lamb madras was freshly spicy, the nan fluffy, and the Bindi Bhaji was the most wonderful dish we ordered.  Yes, Virginia, it is okra in a spicy sauce.  Do with that information what you will.  Note to you worldly types who think "This is Holland; how hot could the vindaloo be?"  Think again.

Happy Sushi
Kruisplein 42

Yes, it's conveyor-belt sushi.  So I'm not saying it rivals your favorite sushi bar in your hometown.  But it's open later than your average restaurant in Rotterdam, it's quick, WYSIWYG, and if if what you crave doesn't come around to meet you, you can press the button to summon the pretty girl, and she'll bring you a fresh tekka maki or a plate of crispy fried prawns.