And we haven't even mentioned the food yet. Simply put, the gastronomy is paradise. Unfortunately, it can be daunting. But thanks to Patricia Wells, it doesn't have to be. Her The Food Lovers Guide to Paris, now in it's fourth edition by Workman Publishing, is the book to help you navigate the world of Parisian food.
Far, far more than a guide to restaurants and cafés, Wells' book also takes you to city's best wine bars, markets, pâtisseries (pastry shops), boulangeries (bakeries), fromageries (cheese shops), charcuteries (prepared food to go), and chocolatiers (chocolate shops). In a chapter titled "Pour La Maison," you can explore kitchen and tableware stores.
You might call Patricia Wells an American in Paris - of sorts anyway. She was the food critic for The New York Times some years ago. She went to Paris in the seventies to write the first edition of this book and stayed. Wells also happens to be the only American who has been a food critic for a French newspaper. Her guide is info from a culinary insider who lives and works with the locals.
Wells points out the best and where to find it. She brings the book to life with a story about every establishment. It's like having a personal guide with you. Learn what the specialty of the house is, and how much it costs. She tells you about opening and closing hours. Best of all, you get descriptions of the most famous dishes in Paris.
Wells intersperses the book with 50 recipes from her favorite local chefs. The photography captures the essence of the Parisian spirit - it's a picture window for observing everyday life. Each chapter is thoughtfully arranged by being divided into arrondissements, or districts of the city. No matter where you are, she makes it easy to find a great place to relax over a coffee in a café or savor a baguette as you walk down the street.
Food terms are one of the most difficult areas of a language to master. No matter how much you remember of your high school or college French lessons, they're not going to help you understand a menu, let alone the culinary nuances you'll be faced with. You may remember that poulet is chicken, but figuring out how it's prepared and what accompanies it is another matter. Wells takes her book to a masterful level by including a 39 page food glossary - something you won't find in any other guidebook.
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