Eating in France: My picks

It's no secret that I love eating. Matt does too. That's how I know we're so well matched- we sometimes don't share food with each other, which is a mutually understood and accepted thing.

I tend to give myself a lot of freedom when I go to France, because they do a lot of things very, very well. Here's what I love to savor.

Beef Tartare.


Starting out with the scary stuff right away!

This one takes some getting used to. It's finely chopped raw beef that is seasoned and mixed with equally fine onions, sometimes capers, and possibly some other things. It's served cold, but more on the room temperature side of cold. This is typically served with french fries, and ohmygosh, can I just tell you the insane levels of pleasure you can have with one bite of cool beef and a hot french fry in your mouth?!

I'm drooling a little just thinking about it.

Café Gourmand.


This is probably my favorite way to end a French meal that doesn't involve cheese. The idea is that you get a little coffee (an espresso) and then the chef plops down any number of tiny little desserts onto a plate. Sometimes they're just petite versions of the regular size desserts they have, but oftentimes it's filled with stuff not even listed on the menu.

It's a mystery dessert tray! Oh yum!

And most places will offer a tea version if the espresso isn't your thing.

Foie Gras.

Definitely the most controversial thing I eat, I know. It's goose liver that is super fatty, lending to its rich and buttery consistency. It's pressed into a mold and sometimes served with bread and jams, and sometimes is seared. I had it on our most recent trip as an appetizer and it was accompanied with fruit-specked bread wedges and drizzled with balsamic vinegar.

Orangina.



It's so very French. For those who don't know, it originated in France and it's a slightly carbonated citrus-y soda. It's not overly sweet, which makes it perfect for sipping at an outdoor cafe with lunch.

Badoit Sparkling water.

I'm a water snob, it's no secret. I'm also an Evian-lover, too. I don't know what it is about French water, but the stuff is good. This one in particular is sparkling, and its carbonation comes naturally from traveling through gas and rock deposits. Until the 1950s, you could only get it at pharmacies. How elite. There is just enough carbonation to give it a nice taste, but not so much that it comes across as salty.

Truffles.

One of those mushroom-y things, the truffle is prized in French kitchens. They're found in specific areas and aided by truffle hogs, who have an ingrained truffle sense. It's so aromatic and wonderful in a variety of dishes. I like it in the form of a risotto, or, as was the case on our most recent trip, in the form of truffle oil drizzled over my creamy cauliflower soup. I even got Matt into it the first time we went to France.

It goes without saying I adore eating all the French cheeses, croissants and macaroons, as well as sipping all the wine I can get, too. But the above stuff is a bit harder to come by when you're not literally in France. Next time you're there, consider trying one of these tasty treats.