Bourdain Fixer's Guide to Paris

In one of my former lives I was a producer - radio, television, and film - so I can say with some authority that producing is a lot like cooking. There's a hell of a lot of preparation - all for a product that gets consumed rather quickly.

And hopefully savoured - whether it's in the moment - or in memories without end.

I believe that so much depends on ingredients and technique - and I'm not only talking about Ducasse or Scorcese here. I'm talking about a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and home movies. I'm saying that if there people involved in the process who are doing it because they really love it - and maybe for people they love - we cannot help but create something wondrous in this world.

So how lucky was I to get hooked up with the crew you see above? From left to right, you have Tracey Gudwin, Camera; Chris Collins, Exec. Producer/Director/Camera; Anthony Bourdain, "humble host'; and Diane Schutz, Associate Producer. Not pictured is Lydia Tenaglia, Exec. Producer/Director - who manned the Zero Point Zero mothership back in New York - along with her and Chris' newborn babe. I cannot say enough about how much they all enriched my life.

Before they came to town, I visited every location that we were going to use in the show. That meant crisscrossing Paris and just beyond - feuled by many shots of espresso, glasses of wine, and an absinthe or two - with friends old and new.

In the case of Pascal - one of my most adored former chefs at Cordon Bleu - it was an impromptu family meal at the back of the boulangerie. He was just finishing up an open-faced omlette - a big skillet with barely set eggs, rich with crispy chunks of salty and fatty lardons, and smothered in generous handfuls of nutty, finely-grated Emmental cheese. Of course there was bread. We passed whole baguettes around the rough wooden work table-cum-dining table - breaking the golden, crackling crust with our bare hands - pulling apart the beautiful, creamy mie with a final tug.

When I write more about the places we visited - and about the people who allowed us into their lives - I will link back to this list.

And then there are the ones that got away. There were a few places where we wanted to shoot, but for one reason or another, couldn't. We might not have been able to bring them to you on camera, but I have other means, no?

Also, I've received some very nice emails from people asking if I would do tours and/or provide production services. I said I would think about it and respond here. Yes, I will - but we have to work around my cooking schedule. Anyone still interested can email me directly for rates.

Thank you all - I'm still savouring the experience - I hope you are too.

Le Royal
212 rue de Grenelle
75007 Paris
01 47 53 92 90
- breakfast cafe

L'Hotel
13 rue des Beaux Arts
75006 Paris
01 44 41 99 00
- Oscar Wilde suite

Cantada II
13 rue Moret
75011 Paris
01 48 05 96 89
- absinthe bar

Peter Schaf
Liqueurs de France
- absinthe expert/distiller

Caves du Roy
31 rue Simart
75018 Paris
01 42 23 99 11
- absinthe shop

A la Tour de Montlhery (Chez Denise)
5 rue Prouvaires
75001 Paris
01 42 36 21 82
- Les Halles bistro

Musee des Egouts de Paris
Pont d'Alma, rive gauche
75007 Paris
01 53 68 27 81
- sewers

Marche International de Rungis
1 rue de la Tour
94152 Rungis
01 41 80 80 00
- wholesale market and butchers' cafe

Julien Aurouze
8 rue des Halles
Paris 75001
01 40 41 16 20
- rat exterminator

Chez Robert et Louise
64 rue Vieille du Temple
75004 Paris
01 42 78 55 89
- fireplace grill

Pascal Pinaud Boulangerie/Patisserie
70 rue Monge
75005 Paris
01 43 31 40 66
- bakery

Cafe de la Mairie
8 place St. Sulpice
75006 Paris
01 43 26 67 82
- sidewalk cafe

Au Village
86 avenue Parmentier
75011 Paris
01 43 57 18 95
- Senagalese restaurant

Philippe Langlet
6 place d'Aligre
75012 Paris
01 43 45 35 09
- cheesemonger (Travel Channel Sneak Preview)

Comments

[Amy]

Fab show! Loved it and it was fun to see you in action at the market. It also brought back great memories. I ate at Chez Robert et Louise several years ago and the restaurant was completely full. The door kept opening with people looking for seats and finally Robert turned the sign to "closed" and locked the door! Everyone inside just smiled at each other, it was so funny, and so French. I'll never forget it.

[Louisa]

Amy - thanks! And your story is so funny! And that was probably Robert's son-in-law who works there just about every service with his wife and her mother Louise!

[Gail]

The best part of the show was the bakery (but then I'm a bread fiend!) so your story about Pascal and the simple meal shared there delighted me. Thanks for sharing all the background tidbits.

[Steve]

Louisa, just to let you know, your link for the Rungis Market is totally empty. I did see the episode, including the segment with you at the Rungis Market. BTW, how do find the meats in Paris? The beef cuts in France are very different than in North America.

Also, do you know if AB owns the rights to 'No Reservations', or is owned by the Travel Channel?

[Louisa]

Gail - I'm so happy to hear you're a fellow "bread fiend"! Is that Atkins thing over yet in the States? ;) And yes, as much as I love so many of the people we worked with, Pascal has a special place in my heart - he's the one who first showed me how to bake baguettes at Cordon Bleu. I'm so touched that he's been able to share his craft with so many other people now too.

Steve - thanks for letting me know about the Rungis link! I've fixed it. How do I find the meat in Paris? Let me put it this way - chicken tastes like chicken, beef tastes like beef, lamb tastes like lamb, etc. There's not a lot of need for marinades or sauces - as great as simple reduced sauces may be. And I'm not just talking about Charolais beef - I'm talking about steaks from the supermarket. And yes, the beef cuts are different here. I got a great little pocket guide from the agriculture show here last fall - it's hard for me to keep track! They said they were planning on putting one online this year - I'll let you know.

[Carlos]

Louisa, thanks for sharing! I enjoyed the show very much and I was just wondering -- Who decided which locations in Paris to visit? Was it all up to Tony or were there also inputs from the producers/you? I'm glad that the French were gracious enough to allow you to film inside their bistros/bakeries. Did you have any problems at all when filming?

[docsconz]

Thanks for the list. I was particularly curious about the boulangerie.

[Steve]

Louisa, I didn't make a point of looking for it when viewing Rungis Market segment, but were you about the only female there?

Louisa, I don't have cable so haven't been able to see the show (missing you as well as a chance to see Paris just isn't fair!!) but I want to mention that there's a typo in the name of one of my favorite cafés, the Café de la Mairie in Place Saint Sulpice. Oh, to be having coffee and Pierre Hermé's macarons there right now!!

[Emi]

Thank you for posting the places visited; in particular the boulangerie! I was fervently writing down locations in my poor oblie ('d) French and Googling with the wrong spelling,no surprise, without any luck. What a relief to see your latest entry! Yet another bread fiend (soon to be baker/pastry chef)~emi : )

[Louisa]

Carlos - there were a few locations that Tony/the producers knew for sure they wanted to shoot - the hotel, Chez Robert et Louise, and Rungis. The others - they knew the kind of places they wanted to shoot - and it was my job to find the actual locations. So I drew a lot on my own personal Paris - my baking chef, my regular cafes/bars/bistros, etc. We luckily had very few problems while shooting - the few we did are in the "ones that got away" category! ;)

docsconz - you're so welcome - I hope you get a chance to visit Pascal when you come to Paris.

Steve - you're right - other than Tracey and Diane in the crew - I think was one of only two females at the Rungis cafe. I forget sometimes - I'm used to being the only female in markets/kitchens. It can be quite a challenge but I guess I'm used to it!

(anon) - Thanks so much for noting the typo! I've fixed it. And yes, Cafe de la Mairie is the unoffical Pierre Herme salon de the - tea room - since his boutique is right around the corner! I've introduced many friends to his famous pastries and macarons there!

Emi - you're so welcome! Happy baking!

[john]

Hey Louisa,

I'm going to be in Paris crashing w/ some friends very soon and was wondering if you could tell me how to get the lowdown on when and where the temporary restaurants will be, if any, are still happening.

Loved the post on the Nutella resto and now I have made it my mission to get one of those cool Nutella knives.

Don't know how well you know Montparnasse, but if you could recommend some nice restos in that area I would be extremely grateful!

Also, if you need some guinea pigs for your food tour dry runs, sign me up!

Salut and keep up the wonderful posts,
John

[Louisa]

John - there are still a few summer temporary/ephemeral restaurants. Here's a link to an article that lists them - in French - but the names and dates should be easily understood
http://www.figaroscope.fr/restaurants/dossier_134.html

As for Montparnasse restos, eGullet generally has a lot of great recs.

And I will keep you in mind as guinea pigs. ;

Thanks and bon voyage!

[john]

Thanks for the link Louisa. Looks like I may be able to try one or two.

I completely forgot about eGullet and great of you to remind me; gonna do some snooping in some of the reviews to see what is hot or not.

Have fun and look forward to more great anectdotes from your upcoming el Bulli session.

Cheers and take care,
John

[Louisa]

John - yeah, I was looking over that list and there's a couple that I was reminded to try too - before they're gone! And yes, it's El Bulli or Bust very soon!

[Donna Duigou]

I loved the Paris show. At 23, a bar manager in an American French restauant, my first trip to Paris and my first stop was to view the huge hole in the ground made by the relocating of Les Halles. Very sad, but your trip to Rungis reminded me of my venture to what was and now is, the most amazing place.
Now a little older, I go to Paris to also 'seek out the good stuff'. Mostly also, after dark....see you there...DD

[Louisa]

Donna - Les Halles lives on at Rungis. And yes, see you around, girl...

[Ore]

Louisa, I got to 'kinda' meet you the other night when I quickly glanced over at the TV - I didn't have time to see the whole show but I caught the part where you and TB are in the meat market, right before you go in for 'breakfast'. Awesome job! How I miss getting the whole birds in, and whole sides of pig, lamb or veal...US Food laws often suck!!

[ken pefkaros]

Loved the show. Just got back from France. I'm lucky to be married to a French woman so I get to go to Paris at least once a year. I'd also recommend Chez Josephine one of my fravorite bisto's, and Brasserie Lipp for their Cervelas!

[Louisa]

Ore - so good to have been met! US food laws - we don't need to stinkin' food laws!

ken - Chez Josephine - aka Chez Dumonet - famous for their insanely rich French black winter truffle omelettes - served in a truffle cream sauce no less! Have you ever had the choucroute garnie at Brasserie Lipp?

[ken pefkaros]

Yes - Chez Dumonet is fantastic. I love the Choucroute at Lipp, but in the summer I have the steak tar tar instead! At Dumonet I have seared Foi Gras in a veal and cepe sauce and the crevettes!

[Mike]

I would like to know what the meal he had at the au village was, it looked like a pork in white sauce but it really looked good and i would like to know what it was.

[Louisa]

Ken - it's cepe season again! I just had some beautiful ones the other night at the new Senderens - cooked 3 ways.

Mike - I think Tony had chicken yassa. Au Village is a Senegalese restaurant and most Senegalese are Muslim so I'm pretty sure there was no pork - and no meat in white sauce!

[ken pefkaros]

How were they cooked. you are lucky to be able to enjoy them. My wife made pembronata (veal stew)great fall dish which we dranl with Domaine Tempier's Bandol Rouge. Since we live in the Bay Area, we cook more than go out due to the abumdance of ingredients. Tell me how the cepes were made. Inspiration for saturday night dinner.

[Louisa]

Ken - the cepes 3 ways at Senderens were grilled, sauteed, and raw actually. At Ducasse we actually served them as a garnish to fish - great dish - thinly sliced, overlapping layers, brushed with clarified butter, and then over a filet of bar de ligne/wild sea bass rubbed with soft roasted garlic - sauteed in butter and finished in the oven.