I have been tagged for 2 memes

One from my friend Robin from Poughkeepsie about “my 5 favorite places to eat at my location”.
And the other from Susan about “7 random things about me”.

Let's start with my 5 favorite places to eat on a regular basis :

      Ok, I am lucky enough to live in Paris, a foodie paradise. But you will probably be very surprised to learn that we don’t go to the restaurant very often. As I cook a lot, we don’t feel like going out often, so I am not the best person to recommend restaurants in Paris. But, well, I’ll try to do my best :

1- For good quality “plats du jour” and great desserts, I go to the “Pause-Café Bastille” in the 11^th arr. for lunch, every time I go food shopping at the close-by picturesque Aligre Market. It is located on rue de Charonne, a street known for its numerous good bistrots and restaurants.

    2- For my monthly “Thaï fix”, I go to the tiny Rajapreuk in the 6^th arr. (not very far from “Le Bon Marché” department store). Their spicy shrimp salad made with lime, mint, lemongrass and chilipepper is the best I ever had. I often dream of it at night and I hope I will be able to re-create it at home one day. Their main dishes are a bit disappointing, but I don’t mind. I also have yet to try the “Villa Papillon” in the 2^nd, a Thaï restaurant that has been strongly recommended by Asian Food obsessed like me.

    3-  Close to my husband’s pharmacy in the 10^th arr., we regularly enjoy lunch at “Poêle deux Carottes”. No decoration, very simple comfort food with a few choices (the potato gratin and the roasted chicken legs with a great sauce are to die for, good homey desserts). It is facing the Canal Saint Martin, in the new “bobo” Parisian neighborhood. A no-frills bistrot, with about 15 tables, full of locals. 

    4- I also go quite often to “Chai 33” a restaurant located in Bercy Village in the 12^th. Not that the food is outstanding, but it is above average and I like the decoration and the great terrace and, above all, wonderful people-watching !!

    5- We do have a wonderful sushi restaurant 100m from our apartment, named Nissaia. Once you taste sushi in the USA, the Japanese restaurants in Paris seem to lack of creativity and taste (and sometimes, freshness). But that one has recently open and I can honestly say that it is as good as in the USA. The choice is wide, the presentation of the plates very classy and above all, the freshness of the fish is not even questionable. A beautiful terrace in the summer.

• Le Pause Café Bastille : 41 rue de Charonne, 75011 Paris. Tel : 33 1 48 06 80 33
• Rajapreuk : 18 rue Mayet, 75006 Paris. Tel : 33 1 45 66 51 57
• Poêle deux Carottes :177 quai de Valmy, 75010 Paris. Tel : 08 99 78 27 01
• Chai 33 : 33 cour Saint Emilion, 75012 Paris. Tel : 08 26 10 07 95
• Nissaïa : 172 rue de Paris, 94220 Charenton le Pont. Tel : 01.53.66.26.26

Now 7 random facts about me :

1- I have a twin brother. Some of you already know it. As kids, we were very close and as we were in the same class, I was crying everytime the teacher was mad after him. He often had problems with the teachers because his handwriting was awful (and it still is, lol).So my parents decided to  separate us at school and actually we both enjoyed it. Now he lives thousands of miles from me, in Los Angeles. But we see each other at least 3 times per year.

2- When I was a student in Business, from the age of 19 to 22, I used to work as a stewardess for Air France every summer. I can tell you it was the best summer-job ever ! Well-paid, great hotels, fun destinations. I had the opportunity to visit almost all the capitales in Europe, as well as many countries in South America, the West Indies and great Cities in the USA. I think one day I will write a book for my daughters (to be read after I die) about all the weird stories that happened to me as a stewardess !!

3- I lived a whole year in 2 foreign countries. I was 19, still living with my parents, and my business school had an exchange program with foreign students. This is how I happened to live 6 months in London and 6 months in Madrid, Spain. Not sure this is where I improved my skills in both English and Spanish as I was sharing apartments with fellow French students. But one thing is sure, this is when I discovered how much I enjoyed cooking for others ! Anyway I had no choice, it was that or starvation!!

4- When in London, I worked as a trainee for a journalist at “The Sunday Times”, Carole Leonard. She was a very clever and funny woman. I learnt many things about journalism thanks to her and I wanted to thank her for that. I bought flowers to be delivered to her at the office. I bought them at Harrods and spent my week salary for that !! She was a single at that time (1989) and it was so funny to see how excited she was when she saw the gorgeous bunch of flowers and then how disappointed when she realized that I was the person behind the flowers !!! Sorry Carole !

5- My husband and I are both Parisian born and raised but we met in a foreign country!!! And it took us 9 months to realize that our feelings were more than friendship. Given my slowness for many things, I think "turtle" would have been a more appropriate nickname for me (instead of froggy).

6- I give cooking classes in English in my apartment in Paris. I do that very occasionally because I want to keep it fun and intimate. This is why I don’t even have a website and never mentioned it on my blog. We met wonderful people whom we are still in touch with. I had once a very nice young man from NYC, working in Fashion and he was so pleased with the class that he sent me an enormous parcel with a dozen clothes from his collection . And they all fit me !!

7- And last but not least, Nicolas Sarkozy (our new President) married me in 1995 !!... haha, gotcha ! No, I am not Mrs Sarkozy, I just meant that he performed our wedding ceremony, lol !! He was the mayor of Neuilly Sur Seine, the city where we got married and as a mayor he could perform some weddings from time to time. So I am the proud owner of several pictures featuring Sarko, Hubby and me !

Comments

[Cynthia]

Alligator! :) I've never had that.

[Foodiefroggy]

Cynthia,
I have been to both Guyana (where I went to a restaurant and ate the oddest thing in my life, alligator) and Barbados (beautiful little island). I also know Martinique, Guadeloupe, Antigua, St Thomas, St Barth, Puerto Rico and Granada.

[Cynthia]

Anne, that last one there # 7 about being Mrs. Sarkozy really had me laughing alound for some time. Very funny.

It is such a pleasure to know about you. Which countries did you visit in the West Indies? I live in Barbados but was born in Guyana, South America.

[Jihan]

Tu es adorable!

Really Anne,
I just love you! Could you please mail yourself in a little envelope to me? Come tutor me in your culinary charms!

[Susan]

Anne -

Your memes are just wonderful. It's so funny, but we don't eat out that much, either, even though we are in New York with too many restaurants. A twin brother, a stewardess, a cooking teacher -- all great tidbits of who Anne is outside of food.

Thanks for sharing and participating!