{"id":201,"date":"2018-02-27T16:09:18","date_gmt":"2018-02-27T21:09:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/distinction\/?p=201"},"modified":"2018-02-28T15:18:25","modified_gmt":"2018-02-28T20:18:25","slug":"barefoot-in-paris-a-foodie-follows-the-path-of-ina-garten","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/distinction\/2018\/travel\/barefoot-in-paris-a-foodie-follows-the-path-of-ina-garten\/","title":{"rendered":"Barefoot in Paris: A foodie follows the path of Ina Garten"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ina Garten, also known as the Barefoot Contessa, has made no secret of her love for the gastronomy of Paris. On a recent trip to the City of Light, I decided to try as many of her favorite places as could be digested in a few days.<\/p>\n

Frenchie, the Bar at Le Meurice hotel, Ellsworth and Chez L\u2019 Ami Louis are a few of the stops that were made. All were exceptional, with one minor disappointment. <\/p>\n

\"Quiet <\/a>
Quiet during the day, the bar at the five star Le Meurice with view of the Tuileries garden park at 228 Rue de Rivoli on the right bank is hot spot at night. credit Patricia Sheridan <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Chef <\/a>
Chef Gregory Marchand known as “Frenchie” a nickname chef Jamie Oliver gave him when he was working in London. (Patricia Sheridan\/Post-Gazette) <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Inside <\/a>
Inside the “Frenchie” the original restaurant started by chef and owner Gregory Marchand on tiny Rue Du Nil. It added Frechie Wine Bar across the street and Frenchie to Go next door. (Patricia Sheridan\/Post-Gazette) <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"The <\/a>
The exterior of Frenchie to Go on Rue Du Nil in Paris, France. (Patricia Sheridan\/Post-Gazette) <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"The <\/a>
The lobster roll at Frenchie to Go that Ina Garten enjoyed. (Patricia Sheridan\/Post-Gazette) <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Patrons <\/a>
Patrons enjoying a bite at Frenchie to Go sitting on the outside counter looking in. (Patricia Sheridan\/Post-Gazette) <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n

The Frenchie empire <\/strong><\/p>\n

On the narrow, cobbled Rue du Nil in the 2nd arrondissement, chef Gregory Marchand planted his culinary flag in 2009. He began with Frenchie, which quickly became so popular that he opened Frenchie To Go and the Frenchie Wine Bar. If the name seems like overkill for a restaurant in Paris, it\u2019s because it originated with an Englishman. <\/p>\n

\u201cJamie Oliver gave me the nickname Frenchie when I worked for him in London. It stuck to me,\u201d he recalled in a tableside interview. \u201cI moved to New York and worked at Gramercy Tavern. It stuck to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mr. Marchand grew up in an orphanage and that is where he discovered his love for cooking. The cooks were off on weekends so the children made their own meals.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was something to keep me out of trouble for sure. I had to choose a path because school wasn\u2019t for me,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Does the chef, who opened Frenchie Covent Garden in London last year, ever ponder his unlikely journey from an orphans kitchen to culinary celebrity?<\/p>\n

\u201cI think about it every day.\u201d<\/p>\n

Frenchie has a formal prix fixe menu and reservations are a must, but the service is friendly and the food outstanding. Wines are paired with each of the five courses. Our first course was a cheese puff pastry and second was a small terrapin egg with foie gras. Dinner just kept getting better and better with each small plate. <\/p>\n

What Ms. Garten likes about Frenchie is the chef\u2019s take on American cuisine. On her Food Network show, viewers were introduced to Mr. Marchand\u2019s lobster roll at Frenchie to Go. With a side of real french fries, it was a savory, satisfying meal seasoned with memories of Maine. It\u2019s one of Ms. Garten\u2019s favorites.<\/p>\n

Frenchie to Go has a Brooklyn deli vibe, very different from the restaurant. The wine bar across the street also serves food and is a sort of consolation prize for those who didn’t get a reservation but want to experience something Frenchie before leaving Paris. It\u2019s also a good pre-dinner drink spot if you do go to Frenchie.<\/p>\n

\"The <\/a>
The roasted chicken at Chez L’Ami Louis. (Patricia Sheridan\/Post-Gazette) <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Inside <\/a>
Inside Chez L’Ami Louis at 32 Rue Du Vertbois in the 3rd Arrondissement. (Patricia Sheridan\/Post-Gazette) <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n

Chez L\u2019Ami Louis<\/strong><\/p>\n

Praised by cookbook author Patricia Wells and craved by generations of hungry patrons, Chez L\u2019Ami Louis has been a staple of the Parisian food scene since 1924.<\/p>\n

Located at 32 rue du Vertbois in the 3rd arrondissement, its red-and-white checked cafe curtains, worn floor and walls coated with varnish, and the aroma of roasting chicken create an atmosphere as delicious as its roasted chicken and potatoes.<\/p>\n

The food is served tableside by mildly disdainful waiters. It\u2019s the kind of service only the French can provide and it somehow enhances the experience. Louis is expensive, but you\u2019re paying as much for its long and storied history as for the meal. <\/p>\n

\"Inside <\/a>
Inside the small bistro atmosphere of Ellsworth at 34 Rue de Richelieu, Paris. (Patricia Sheridan\/Post-Gazette) <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"A <\/a>
A simple bowl of strawberries and cream served at Ellsworth restaurant know for using seasonal fruits and vegetables in their dishes in Paris. It was opened by American Ex-Pats Bradan Perkins and Laura Adrian who also run Verjus their much fancier restaurant. (Patricia Sheridan\/Post-Gazette) <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n

Ellsworth<\/strong><\/p>\n

Fresh as a spring breeze, this little restaurant is the polar opposite of Chez L\u2019Ami Louis. It\u2019s bright and light with original stone walls, golden oak woodwork and smiling servers.<\/p>\n

You will be smiling, too, especially if you get the fried chicken. Exquisitely seasoned, crisp on the outside and tender on the inside, it\u2019s the perfect quick lunch. So if you only have time for one thing, that is what you order. What is surprising is that this American staple is made in a French restaurant owned by Americans with Canadian chef Hannah Kowalenko.<\/p>\n

American ex-pats Braden Perkins and Laura Adrian opened Ellsworth in 2013 on 34 rue de Richelieu. They were already running Verjus, their successful and more formal restaurant with a prix fixe seven-course menu. The fruits and vegetables on the menu are only those in season. <\/p>\n

E.Dehillerin<\/strong><\/p>\n

This shop stands in the Les Halles district where chefs once gathered at market stalls to buy meats and produce for their restaurants. E.Dehillerin is where the Barefoot Contessa likes to buy her cooking utensils.<\/p>\n

This place is set up like an old hardware store, but in place of hammers and screwdrivers are pots, pans, graters, knives and all manner of cookware. After enjoying so many wonderful meals in Paris, I felt compelled to buy something and hopefully awaken the chef within me. I think I left with a paring knife.<\/p>\n

\"Bartenders<\/a>

Bartenders at the five star Le Meurice Hotel in Paris mixing up drinks for thirsty customers. (Patricia Sheridan\/Post-Gazette)<\/p><\/div>\n

Le Meurice\u2019s Bar 288 <\/strong><\/p>\n

Bar 288 in the five-star Le Meurice hotel looks exactly how you want a bar to look: dark wood, leather seating and low light from tiny table lamps. Its atmosphere is ideal for sipping and recapping your day.<\/p>\n

Ms. Garten touts its whiskey sour as the best in the world, so I ordered the $56 cocktail. Even before I took a sip, I was disappointed. It was served in a martini glass, and that is just wrong. It should be served in a tumbler, as it was at Preston Field House in Edinburgh, Scotland, where you can actually have the best whiskey sour in the world.<\/p>\n

Of course, it\u2019s all about who mixes the drink. Maybe it would have tasted better if Ms. Garten had made it. Here is the Barefoot Contessa\u2019s whiskey sour recipe:<\/p>\n

\u00be cup Jack Daniel\u2019s Tennessee whiskey
\n\u00bd cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (3 lemons)
\n\u00bd cup freshly squeezed lime juice (4 limes)
\n\u2154 cup simple syrup
\nMaraschino cherries<\/p>\n

Combine the whiskey, lemon juice, lime juice and syrup. Fill a cocktail shaker halfway with ice and two-thirds full with the cocktail mixture. Shake for 30 seconds and pour into martini glasses (or tumblers). Add a maraschino cherry and serve ice cold. Makes 4 drinks.<\/p>\n

Patricia Sheridan: psheridan@post-gazette.com, 412-263-2613, Twitter: @pasheridan.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Ina Garten, also known as the Barefoot Contessa, has made no secret of her love for the gastronomy of Paris. On a recent trip to the City of Light, I decided to try as many of her favorite places as could be digested in a few days. Frenchie, the Bar at Le Meurice hotel, Ellsworth… Read more »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":204,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"coauthors":[18],"acf":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/distinction\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/30\/2018\/02\/distinction-paris-ina-meurice-bartenders-2.jpg?fit=1500%2C1008&ssl=1","wps_subtitle":"The Barefoot Contessa is a fan of French gastronomy. We try some of her favorite spots in Paris to the delight of our taste buds.","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p9EDbT-3f","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/distinction\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/201"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/distinction\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/distinction\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/distinction\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/distinction\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=201"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/distinction\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/201\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":266,"href":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/distinction\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/201\/revisions\/266"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/distinction\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/204"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/distinction\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=201"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/distinction\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=201"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/distinction\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=201"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/distinction\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=201"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}