The Louvre, Musée d'Orsay, and the Ultimate Bistro Experience

March 25, 2018 by Troy Colbert in Food, Paris, Travel, Art, Museums

The Louvre

I've mentioned before I'm no art expert but I know what I like. While I appreciate the classical artists, I'm much more drawn (no pun intended) to the impressionists.

The Louvre is obviously one of the great museums in the world. If you've ever been to Paris, seen a travel show about Paris, or seen a movie about Paris (DaVinci Code anyone?), you've seen the Louvre and it's now famous Pyramid entrance.

Here is my dirty little secret...I'm not a fan of the Louvre. Don't get me wrong, I fully understand the significance of the art in the museum. I am just not a fan of the place. It's way too big. It's ridiculously crowded. You really can't appreciate any of the major works because there are so many people around each one talking, taking selfies, and getting in your way, that the entire experience is just unpleasant.

So I approach visiting the Louvre like a military operation. Get in, do what I need to do, and get out.

I do notice that the museum has added a new section on art from Asia, Africa, North, and South America. I make a note to check it out.

Venus de Milo

Mona Lisa

Winged Victory

The famous paintings, sculptures and artifacts are everywhere. It truly is a spectacular collection. Again, it's the fact that you are looking directly at something that thousands and thousands of people have looked at and had their own ideas about that is so wonderful. I am pleasantly surprised with the art from beyond Europe. It's fascinating to me that the art is so similar despite the distance between the people who created it.

The key to enjoying the Louvre is doing lots of research before you get there, pick out the stuff you want to see, see those things and hit the road.

Musée d'Orsay

“The history of the museum, of its building is quite unusual. In the centre of Paris on the banks of the Seine, opposite the Tuileries Gardens, the museum was installed in the former Orsay railway station, built for the Universal Exhibition of 1900. So the building itself could be seen as the first “work of art” in the Musee d’Orsay, which displays collections of art from the period 1848 to 1914.”

— Musée d'Orsay website.

According to the dictionary, Impressionism is defined as, " A style or movement in painting originating in France in the 1860s, characterized by a concern with depicting the visual impression of the moment, especially in terms of the shifting effect of light and color," and, "A literary or artistic style that seeks to capture a feeling or experience rather than to achieve accurate depiction."

The impressionists broke away from the convention of what was considered "art" by the Académie des Beaux-Arts in France (who preferred paintings featuring historical or religious themes and figures). They wanted to paint out of doors, where the light changed the way they saw people and places. They wanted to paint landscapes and scenes of everyday life. Of course the Académie lost their collective minds, and the critics railed and mocked the new artists -- among them Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, and Paul Cézanne .

After years of being rejected by the Académie and banding together to show and promote their new style of art, the public began to realize that this new style was actually a legitimate form of art and embraced what the impressionists were doing.

Impression, soleill levant by Claude Monet. The painting that gave the movement its name. — *Impression, soleill levant* by Claude Monet. The painting that gave the movement its name.

Of course, today we look at these artists as masters and their works as masterpieces (to me even more so than the 'traditionalists" like David). I mean come on. Would you rather spend you time looking at paintings of some rich dude who could afford to have a famous artist paint his portrait or Monet's Impression, soleil levant? There is only one answer really.

The Musée d'Orsay, opened in 1986, houses the largest collection of impressionist and post-impressionist art in the world. I fell in love with this place when I was here in 2006 and if anything, my love has only gotten stronger. Unlike the Louvre, the d'Orsay is easily navigated. I could spend hours going from room to room. I'm fascinated by the impressionists and their work. The use of light, the individual brushstrokes, showing people living life. It speaks to me in a very deep, personal way.

Bistro Paul Bert

The truth is if you're going to Paris you need to have a French Bistro experience. You need to go to a place that is busy, full of energy, noisy (but not loud), and serves outstanding, classic, rustic food. There is no better bistro experience in Paris than Bertrand Auboyneau's Bistro Paul Bert.

The menus are handwritten on chalkboards in French of course, and with a little help from my awesome server (he literally had half the restaurant, kept everything moving efficiently, joked with every table, and didn't forget a single thing), I settled on the house-made, rustic paté, the fried grouper cheeks, the peppercorn filet with a cognac cream sauce, and the Grand Marnier souffl. FYI, my mouth is watering remembering this meal.

My table at Bistro Paul Bert

House-Made Paté

Tempura Fried Grouper Cheeks

Peppercorn Filet with Cognac Cream Sauce and Frites

Grand Marnier Soufflé

The paté is delicious. It's perfectly spiced and the quality of the meat is outstanding. It's one of the things that separates Bistro Paul Bert from other bistros. They actually own farms in Normandy and Brittany where they source most of their ingredients.

The tempura fried grouper cheeks are light and crispy. The house made tartar sauce is creamy and compliments the fish perfectly. I adore grouper anyway and this is a new twist for me. If I lived in Paris I would eat this dish as often as I could.

Full disclosure, I'm not usually a filet fan. I've always thought it was an overpriced, under flavored, cut of beef. This filet showed me how wrong I was. I wish I could do the Vulcan mind meld trick from Star Trek because it's the only way I could adequately describe my experience. Perfectly cooked, butter soft, exploding with flavor. The peppercorns, cognac, and cream enveloped the filet in a sauce that I can only describe as otherworldly. This is what comes from using an outstanding product, and perfect preparation.

What really impressed me was the fact that this dish could have been mediocre. Bistro Paul Bert is FAMOUS for this dish, and they could have half-assed it knowing that they were going to continue to sell portion after portion regardless of the quality. But they didn't. I have no doubt that if I went back 100 times and ordered the filet it would be as amazing every single time.

The soufflé was light and eggy, with a perfect balance of sweet (but not too sweet) and boozy (but not too boozy). Heavenly.

For those of you thinking, "You had dessert?!", I reply, "How could I not?!" Yes I was full, yes it was over the top, yes my cardiologist would have slapped me around if he saw me, but come on! There was NO WAY I was going to miss out on the perfect ending to a perfect meal.

So I saw amazing art and fed not only my heart and mind, but at Bistro Paul Bert my body and soul as well. Needless to say I slept VERY well after my most Parisian of days.

Hanging with Pablo and Eating Like a Local in Paris

February 26, 2018 by Troy Colbert in Paris, Wine, Food, Travel, Pastries, Blog, Chocolate

As I've mentioned before, one of the biggest mistakes I think people make when they travel is they fall into the trap of, "I may never get back here so I have to do EVERYTHING!" Their trip becomes one museum/tour/famous landmark after another, and they never really spend any time experiencing the city they're in.

People have come to Paris for hundreds of years and never stepped foot inside any famous landmark and had an incredible time. Frankly, if you came to Paris and only did five things -- drink wine, eat baked goods, eat cheese, sit in a cafe, and drink coffee -- that's a successful trip to Paris. I was determined to strike a good balance between "famous sites" and "local experiences" on this trip.

Blé Sucré

When I hear on good authority that there is a shop that makes a croissant that takes two days to make I have to go right?! Once again my friend Wendy Lyn comes through with the 411 on Blé Sucré,

The case of beautiful pastries at Blé Sucré. Photo courtesy of Tal Schultz.

Located in the 12th arrondissement -- and just two quick Metro stops away from my flat -- Blé Sucré is one of the neighborhood gems you can find all over Paris. As I enter the smell of baking bread and other goodies hits me. It's remarkable. The cases are full of gorgeous pastries and breads.

As much as I'm tempted to buy one of everything and end up in some sort of happy pastry coma, I am on a mission. I need to have a croissant...and maybe something else.

I end up with a croissant, a pain au chocolate, and a beautiful mini tarte tatin. Yeah I know. Give me a break, I'm on vacation.

Croissant, Pain au Chocolate, Tarte Tatin at Blé Sucré

Sheer bliss. The croissant is buttery, flaky, and perfectly made. The pain au chocolate is wonderfully decadent -- the quality of the chocolate is off the chain! The tarte tatin is really something. Flaky pastry base topped with a tart apple and drenched in caramel. I am so envious of people who can bake on this level.

I thoroughly enjoy my breakfast and decide to put the carbs and caffeine to good use and enjoy the 'Marais Walk" Rick Steves lays out in his Paris travel guide. It starts at the Place de la Bastille -- one block away from Blé Sucré -- and incorporates my next stop, the Musée Picasso. Two miles and two to three hours of walking will do me good.

Musée Picasso

Exhibition Poster for Picasso 1932. Image courtesy of the Picasso Museum.

Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) was probably the 20th century's most famous artist. He worked in many styles and across different media. You don't have to study Picasso very long to notice his very unique way of expression.

The museum itself is housed in the Hôtel Salé, a home built in the mid-1600's. Picasso was a working artist and owned many of the works he completed. His family also had a lot of his work and under French law, could donate the significant artwork in lieu of paying taxes. Therefore, the museum has over 5,000 pieces of Picasso's work including many on paper, ceramics, wood, and metal in addition to his paintings.

Lots of locals patronize the museum, and one of the things I like about the museum is it isn't set up to be a "greatest hits" venue. They have exhibitions throughout the year that highlight a certain aspect of Picasso's career or a specific time. The exhibition when I was there was Picasso 1932: An Erotic Year. From the Picasso Museum website:

“On the 15th of June 1932, Pablo Picasso makes the news: Tériade publishes an interview with the artist in the French newspaper l’Intransigeant, when the retrospective of his work was set to open at the Georges Petit gallery. As the critic introduces the artist by announcing « You will discover the expression of some of his ideas which are not only those of a painter, but also those of a man. », Picasso releases one of his most famous statements: « The art we make is a way of holding our newspaper. »

Both statements refer to the human and biographic dimension of Picasso’s work which will, indeed, become increasingly significant that year (1932). The artist, now face to face with thirty years of his own work, integrates the necessity to document his work day by day, by dating his paintings, sculptures, drawings and engravings. A procedure that leads to his capacity to keep a record of the most essential until the most modest traces of his exceptional life.”

1932 was also the year that Picasso's ongoing affair with muse Marie-Thèrése Walter was near its zenith. He had met her in 1927 coming out of a local department store and supposedly said to her, "You have an interesting face. I would like to create a portrait of you. I feel we are going to do great things together. I am Picasso." Clearly, Picasso had no inferiority complex.

Marie-Thèrése would become his muse and lover, give birth to his first daughter, and inspire Picasso to create some of his more famous works.

There were also several pictures of Dora Maar highlighted in the museum. Maar was Picasso's lover and muse after Marie-Thèrése. Maar was a surrealist and a well-known photographer. Dark haired and striking, Maar was very different than the blonde, curvy, Walter. Maar would be with Picasso through WWII and also become a major influence on his work during that time.

One of the more fascinating things about the museum's collection is how many of Picasso's ordinary, day-to-day things there are. I really enjoyed looking at items like handwritten lists of people he wanted to invite to a Christmas party; ticket stubs from a boxing match; photos of Picasso on holiday; and his horse who he had stuffed (Just kidding. That was Napoleon). What you realize is that, while he may have been an artistic genius, he was in many ways a regular guy.

I thoroughly enjoyed the Picasso Museum. It's definitely a place I can see myself returning to on future Paris visits.

Breizh Café Creperie

Crepes are iconic in France. The word crepe is French for pancake and they originated in the Brittany region in the northwestern part of the country where they were traditionally made from buckwheat flour.

There are dozens of crêperies throughout the city, but one name kept popping up when I looked into going somewhere -- Breizh Café. Conveniently located very close to the Picasso Museum, Breizh Café was the perfect place to have lunch.

Breizh Café, much like most of the restaurants I encounter on my trip, is small. They get the most out of their space by the use of banquettes. I'm shown to my table and check out the menu and the chalkboard for the daily specials. After the sugar rush I got from Blé Sucre earlier I'm going with a savory crepe for lunch. The staff at Breizh Café are friendly and helpful. After inquiring about several different choices I ask my server what he'd recommend. His recommendation is local ham, comté cheese, and a sunny side up egg, all wrapped in a buckwheat crepe and served with the amazing Breton Butter. I'm sold. I order the cheese platter as well because...France...cheese. Breizh Café is also known for their hard apple cider. Of course I have to order this to see how our Western North Carolina Ciders stack up.

Buckwheat Crepé with ham, cheese, and egg.

Cheese Platter -- Breizh Café

Local Hard Cider -- Breizh Cafe

The crepe is outstanding. The buckwheat flour gives it a much nuttier and heartier taste than a white flour crepe. The ham, cheese, egg, and butter are perfect additions. The freshness of all the ingredients sends the flavor level to 11.

I am very impressed with the cider. Not too sweet, not too dry. I love how it's presented in a ceramic pitcher and poured into an actual bowl. You really feel like your eating and drinking the way folks have done it in Brittany for hundreds of years. I've got to say that as fantastic as the cider is, some of the cider I've had in WNC is just as fantastic.

I felt completely at home at Breizh Café. The clientele is a great mix of younger folks, many with kids in tow, older folks, people discussing business, and tourists. Again, this has the feel of a real local joint. Certainly worth a return visit.

Au Passage

“In a happy uproar, Dave Harrison, a young Texan chef and his second Mans Engberg sends small dishes of a beautiful punkitude, arty without headaches. We share fresh plates from the board with friends”

— www.restaurant-aupassage.fr

There has been a movement going on in France for several years now. The "Old" way of cooking and dining is not necessarily considered the "Best" way of doing things by the latest generation of younger chefs. The idea that someone would have to dress up, pay a sizeable amount of money, and spend hours eating a meal, doesn't translate as well for todays younger diners.

Led by chefs like Gregory Marchand at Frenchie, Inaki Aizpitarte at Le Chateaubriand, and Yves Camdeborde at Le comptoir, the idea of this "Bistronomy" movement is to give people dishes made from high quality, local ingredients, at a much more affordable price.

Opened in 2011, Au Passage is a restaurant also on the cutting edge of this new wave of dining. The small-plate, tapas style of service fits beautifully into the idea of giving customers high quality ingredients, prepared with the highest skill, at a reasonable price.

Au Passage is on its third chef since 2011. The M.O. has been for the chef to be there for a few years and then go out on their own. The current occupant of the kitchen is an American! Dave Harrison grew up in the Dallas Metroplex, but spent time honing his culinary skills in Austin. I got to chat with him briefly after service and he is loving the opportunity to cook food his way. It's a great attitude to have. He's young enough to have the energy to cook amazing food from a menu that literally changes every day. There are days when the lunch and dinner menus change based on what is fresh and available.

I arrive and am given a seat at the bar. The atmosphere is busy, with a punk vibe. The patrons are boisterous and the music matches their volume. The menu is very interesting. Because they need to keep their per plate cost lower, Chef Harrison and his fellow kitchen staff use every bit of an animal they get. I decide to try pig ear salad, tripes with XO sauce and black radish, and sautéed duck hearts with roasted brussels sprouts. Each dish was exquisitely prepared. The tripe dish is one of the better things I've eaten in quite awhile. The richness of it was unexpected and the XO sauce was a perfect compliment to the tripes themselves.

Crispy Pig Ear Salad with Lettuce and Mustard

Veal Tripes with XO Sauce, Black Radish and Parsley

Sauteed Duck Hearts with Pan Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Pickled Onion, and Micro Greens

Au Passage has also embraced the Natural Wine Movement. I'll write more about this in a later post but for now just know that "natural" wines are younger, organic, more aggressive, and from wineries who have decided to make their way outside the traditional system. Much like the new wave of restaurants such as Au Passage. I have three different wines to go with the three plates. I rely on the server/bartender to guide me and he doesn't steer me wrong. An acidic white to start that works with the fatty pig ear and tangy mustard. Then two reds, one lighter and one more robust, to go with the tripes and duck hearts. Again, the wines pair really well with the food and bring everything together.

Au Passage Interior

Au Passage Interior -- Bar

Au Passage Chef Dave Harrison

Dessert was a decadent chocolate ganache with olive oil and gray sea salt. It was slight overkill after the richness of the meal itself, but it was well worth it.

Au Passage is a fantastic little place with a great vibe and show-stopping food. The fact that it was literally 50 feet from the front door of the building my flat was in was a bonus. Definitely worth a return the next time I'm in town.

So another eventful day in the books. I enjoyed some world class food, saw famous artwork, and I still have so much more left to do!

Next: The Louvre, the Musée d'Orsay, and the Classic Bistro Experience.

He Went to Paris, Looking for Answers to Questions that Bothered Him so....

February 05, 2018 by Troy Colbert

Ah Paris. One of the Crown Jewels of Europe. My family has a special relationship with this city. In 1944 my Grandfather, Charles Colbert, helped liberate Paris and then marched down the famous Champs-Élysées and under the famous Arc de Triomphe. Eventually he made it home, my dad was born. Fast forward 74 years and in 2018 I made my second trip to this beautiful city. A lot had changed in the 12 years since my last visit, but the spirit, the beauty, the elan is still as strong as ever. It's one of my favorite cities on the planet.

During my stay I saw some amazing things, met some fantastic, interesting, people, and ate some of the best food I've ever had in my life.

Where I Stayed

I like to use the internet and folks who are knowledgeable to guide me in planning my trips. This time around I used two folks nearly exclusively.

Rick Steves is someone I've known about for years. His guidebooks and television shows are great sources of material. He actually stays in the places he puts in his books, has been traveling for years and has built relationships with folks all over the world, and is a conscientious traveler. I use his books to educate myself about a place and his audio guides and walking tours are fantastic. You can find all of his information and order books at www.ricksteves.com.

The second person I relied on for all things Paris is Wendy Lyn. She is a native of New Orleans who has lived in Paris for 30 years. We have a mutual friend who turned me on to Wendy's website "Paris is My Kitchen". Again, she has made amazing connections throughout the city and provides information on places to eat, drink, stay, and shop. Her focus is mainly on the 11th arrondissement (district) but she's a great resource regardless of where you go in the city. Her website is www.wendy-lyn.com.

When I was in Paris in 2006 I stayed in an area called "The Marais". It's a real neighborhood. It's fun and funky. Close enough to all the major sites, but it's not going to break the bank to stay there. I saw no reason to stay anywhere else this time but I did have an option unavailable to me in 2006. VRBO. This time, I looked for a private residence rather than opt for a small hotel room. It was the right decision. I found a small studio apartment, one block from the metro, for less than 80 euros a night! I would have a place to base myself out of with a kitchen, wifi, secure entrance, and huge bed and tv. Of course I read reviews and emailed with the owner before I booked, but it was the perfect place for me.

What I Did

I had seven days in Paris. I had things I wanted to do, meals I wanted to eat, and places I wanted to see. I also made sure to set aside a lot of time with nothing planned. Paris is a walking city, and sometimes the best thing to do is to find an area you want to explore and do just that. Look at the architecture, check out the prices of flats (spoiler alert: they're expensive!), sit in a cafe and leisurely enjoy a cup of coffee while you people watch. The great thing about cities like Paris, London, New York, is that they're set up to give you as much as you want. Sure I was going to do several of the "musts", but I also wanted to see Paris like a local does. It was the right decision. This trip was life-changing.

Where I Ate

Paris is a destination city for food lovers. The cool thing is that, while you can still find the old-school places that do things the way they've been doing them for decades, there is a new wave of young, extremely talented chefs opening places that focus on whatever is fresh daily. Catering their menus -- many of which are printed at lunch AND dinner to reflect the freshest ingredients -- to a younger, hipper, and more diverse clientele.

I am an unabashed foodie. Life is too short to eat crappy, processed, industrial food. I am also a huge fan of shows like "Chef's Table", "Parts Unknown", and "No Reservations". I had researched several places I wanted to go. Most of them were small, local, and reasonably priced for a major city. I was going to eat where the locals eat when they go out for an evening.

I did have one meal planned that I knew was going to cost me and I knew I didn't care. I made reservations at the Michelin three-starred L'Arpege. I have admired Chef Alain Passard for years. His menu is mostly vegetable based -- the vegetables grown at his three farms outside Paris. He has held his three stars for 20 years and is a legend in the culinary world. To say I was excited is a gross understatement.

So with my itinerary flexible but set, my bags packed, and my phone loaded with apps to help me get around town and communicate with Parisians, I boarded the plane that would take me across an ocean and deposit me in the City of Lights.

Au Passage

Next: The Louvre, the Musée d'Orsay, and the Classic Bistro Experience.

Where I Stayed

What I Did

Where I Ate

COMING NEXT: The Neighborhood, the Sculptor, and the Greatest Lunch of My Life.