Paris as seen from the bistro.

Paris. A place where dreams are made and inspiration is ever present to those needing it. Paris truly is a place of immense splendor with endless options towards any direction one may be going. Especially if the destination one seeks is regarding anything related to food. The dense amount of restaurants can be intimidating in size. From world renowned restaurants to the local brasseries, the bistros of old and the hip bars of new, Eating in Paris can be just as easy as following your nose.

By trusting instinct and following advice from prestigious guides, there are plenty of options to choose from. While hoping to eat at a good range of places that make up the current food scene of Paris, I have separated the meals according to their style. The bistros of Paris. Where waiters hardly wait, busers move plates with assertive energy, and chefs clap hands and yell in typical fashion. This is where people watching is just as much part of dinner as the bread. Wine is cheeper than water and no one goes home without having a meat of some sort. Finding foie gras is easer than finding a dressing-less salad. This food is the type that connects with all who appreciate good cooking. The lifestyle within a bistro is welcoming, timeless and distinct, a place that always has a seat with your name on it, you just might need to brush off the cigarette butts to sit...
Going straight for the basics by way of a dish that is a true representation of French cooking: Duck Confit.

Crispy skin, tender flesh and a strong flavoring of salt. The confit done in beautiful form with a savory side of duck-fat roasted potatoes, this is nothing new but everything it should be. With a full glass of red wine and the looming figure of a smoking waiter, this was a true welcome to the city of Paris.

Hoping to stay as close to the essence of the typical bistro dishes as I could, the classic escargots could not be passed up. These snails were served outside of their shells but still cooked in the shallow concave dish with herb butter. Like scallops from the rain-forest, escargot are slightly chewy but never rubbery, and the herb butter gives a luxurious fresh quality.

America may be known for it beef consumption, but the French also have a desire for a nice grilled piece of red meat. The serving size is much smaller in Paris. And nearly every steak is separately listed with different names. The basic "faux fillet" is a cut from the loin and is one of the most common steaks to be found. French beef has a great flavor but tends to be a bit chewy even when cooked to a desired mid-rare, but finding only this small discrepancy, the rest of the meal, with crispy 'frites' and a tremendous bernaise, sauce was spot on. There could have been so many other things to get while in France but this type of eating is one that always satisfies.

A 'rum-steak', coming from the end of the loin of a cow, was cut thinner and held a bit more flavor while being tougher than the other fillet. Soft and salty duck fat sauteed potatoes tend to be a common starch to serve withe dinner, and no complaints came from me on this decision.

In the world of French steaks, none more encompasses the flavors of Paris than that of the 'Onglet'. Being called a hanger or butcher's steak in America, because of its place in between the loin and last rib of a cow's anatomy and because many butcher's know this to be a great piece of meat and simply keep it for themselves. This 'Onglet' was worth keeping, cooked barley past rare and slathered with a sweet mass of caramelized shallots. Very tender meat that separated in easily eaten pieces with a taste as strong as any t-bone. Smooth potatoes were the starch this time and they were rich with butter and cream. A steak to slice and enjoy at any pace necessary.
Just as the food suggests, the pace of a bistro is based solely upon the comfort and satisfaction of those who dine. I saw an older woman send back a properly roasted full veal kidney, not because there was anything wrong with it, but that it wasn't exactly the way she would have usually eaten it.
From this ease of pleasure, I didn't feel the need to ever want anything more than the basics.

Frisse, lardons and a poached egg. A salad so simple, I could have made it for half the price in my own home. But it wasn't about a price value or practical reasoning, it was for an aspiration of comfort. Thick pieces of juicy pork belly and bitter greens, that were barley wilted from the heat of the pan, all covered in a light dressing of mustard, oil and vinegar. The fundamentals of this dish speak in such a loud language. Everything is bold and all so delicious, especially when the yolk is finally broken and transforms all into something so: right.

I love how the French can find a way to spark up nearly everything with a touch of animal fat. Salads are usually thought of as being low in fat and healthy, And while still being good for you, Parisian salads are hardly without calories. One bite of the lentil and preserved duck gizzard salad made the entire dieting system seem a travesty to humanity. There is something so great about organ meats...

A leek quiche, or tart as it was called, was filled with a smooth egg custard filled with delicately butter cooked young leeks. The leek was strong in flavor and came out as more of a vegetable than a simple aromatic.

Sometimes certain bistros are open all day where a simple glass of wine can quench the thirst from a full day of people watching. Its the pace of savoring a moment where the magic of Paris fully comes alive. That and the thought of pate.

In a bistro named LA REGALADE, all who dine are offered a tasting of the house made pork pate. Being handed the entire terrine with a basket of bread and a knife to slice out the desired amount, self control suddenly becomes nonexistent. Magnificent and good for the heart.

Following the pate was a selection of off the 'menu de-jour': boudin noir. Being made with a touch of creativity, the sausage was cut into small pieces and placed into the bottom of a hot pan. A creamy potato 'puree' was laid atop and in-between, cooking similar to how a upside-down cake is. A crispy sear is created and the entire 'cake' holds together on the plate.

Quail and foie gras is a hard thing to miss out on. Cooked to a rosy pink and covered in a sticky syrup of natural cooking juices the only thing that could have been better was a nice slab of seared foie gras. Acting like the icing on a cake, the foie was completely necessary. The bird didn't taste like some of the more generic 'supermarket' versions that are more easily found. The ingredients used were of high quality and seemed to have been sourced from a pristine location.

After previously experiencing the greatness of bone marrow, seeing it on a different menu grabbed my attention with scrumptious descriptions. These being the bones of a full grown cow, they didn't have the same richness as that of veal. They were still delightful with rock salt and toasted bread, a flavor so essential its worth risking mad cow for.

With many choices of dessert to tempt, I found it easy just sticking with the simple stuff. When ordering a chocolate mousse, I was nearly flabbergasted when my waiter brought a vessel, that could easily have held a few gallons, full of chocolate mousse. I was excited and scared at the size but everything came together when I realized they scooped out an amount to your specifics. Three small spoonfuls made up my serving, and It shouldn't have been any more. The mousse was light and ridiculously rich. As the cool cream and chocolate laid upon my tongue, I could feel the volume begin to decrease and become a lovely mixture of sheer decadence.

Ending the meal with a big bang of sugar isn't for every evening. Sometimes all it takes is a petit and subtle perking of the sweet tooth. Something like soft and buttery madeleines that were still warm from the oven and a strong espresso. Its always the little things that matter.
There are so many places to go and such a catalogue of fundamental dishes to experience. The style of the bistro is one that will never play itself out. Nothing brought in the way of innovation or stylized reinterpretations should be applied. Eating in Paris with such a level of comforted enjoyment, a timeless sense of romance is created that sparks a love for all with every bite.