Emily in France 🇫🇷 How Much Time Do You Reserve for Apéro?
On time and social events.
Often, during the guided tours I lead, I find myself fielding questions about the differences between my hometown of New York and my adopted city of Paris. Seeing as I've been living here for over 15 years (and seeing as I moved at 19 – you do the math, but long before adulting), I occasionally find it hard to answer these sorts of queries. After all, I'm comparing life in Paris to a hodgepodge of NYC experiences, culled from my returns home on vacation or from the paltry experience I had before I took the plunge, and I can only imagine that, had I stayed in New York, my life now would look nothing like it did back then.
That said, if I try to get myself comfortable with making generalizations, there is one difference I've noticed and feel fairly confident about: In Paris, people tend not to plan more than one social event in an evening.
In New York, I often face off with a panoply of plans: after-work drinks, or dinner, or after-dinner drinks. And while sometimes, the evening is spent with the same people from beginning to end, it's not uncommon for an invite to include just one of these slots, the implication being that you're dividing your night in three, to maximize socialization with different friend groups.
Admittedly, I don't know if Covid changed this. But I do know that in Paris, this has never really been the norm,
In Paris, while it's certainly common to receive invites just for apéro or just for dinner, there is no underlying implication that the night will have begun – or will continue – with a different group. And that means that no one's really watching the clock; no one is asking themselves if apéro has tarried too long and it's time for dinner, or if dinner is taking too long so we miss the after-dinner drinks sesh. The implication – in my experience – of joining someone for a social event in Paris, is much like the implication of reserving a table at a Parisian restaurant: You might not be there all night, but you could be, and that promise, that possibility, makes the experience that much more pleasant.
Speaking of pleasant experiences, if you're enjoying The Terroir Podcast and want to reap even more of Caroline Conner's knowledge and expertise, you'll probably love her wine retreat in Lyon: a whole week of indulgence, joy, and exploration. It's taking place the last week of October; check out her website for more details!
Cheese of the Week
Of all of France's 1,000 cheeses, the members of the washed rind category are certainly the stinkiest. And within this category, I've yet to meet one stinkier than the Pavé des Flandres.
As its name suggests, this bright orange cheese hails from France's North (the same region that gave us Maroilles and its cousin Vieux Lille). Also known as Pavé de Calais, the cheese is colored with annatto and aged about a month, during which time it is washed with even more annatto. The result is a robust, piquant cheese with a super soft, creamy texture. Fans of strong cheese will certainly fall head over heels for this one – as I did – but a word of warning: It will definitely stink up your fridge!
To discover more of my favorite cheeses, be sure to follow me on Instagram @emily_in_france and tune into the Terroir Podcast, where Caroline Conner and I delve into France's cheese, wine, and more one region at a time.
Where I'm Going
1. To the Corbières, to take my French driving exam! (And hopefully either celebrate or commiserate with cargolade).
2. To Vivant2, to try out the newest iteration of Chef Rob Mendoza's vegan-friendly menu.
3. To Ten Belles, for one last chai at their newly renovated 10th arrondissement coffee shop before absconding from Paris for two weeks!
What I'm Eating
To review Early June with any perennity is a bit of an exercise in futility: After all, this natural wine bar just off the Canal Saint-Martin is forever renewing its chef-in-residence. By the time you read this, Chef Joel Aronsson will have departed, taking with him his spring-inspired menu boasting flavors from his native Stockholm. And yet, I can’t help but want to share the experience with you, in hopes that the next chef will continue in the same vein. More on the blog.
Discover more of my foodie finds via Instagram @emily_in_france.
What I'm Writing
1. Alex Hong is maestro behind San Francisco's Sorrel. The Michelin-starred chef is perfectly positioned, then, to guide visitors through the perfect day of eating their way through his adoptive city: He gave me his recommendations for doughnuts, fresh seafood, and one off-menu cocktail for InsideHook.
2. Why are people lining up outside this 84-year-old Chicago grocery store? I've got the answer for InsideHook.
3. From the archives: Doused in sizzling lard, cargolade is a harbinger of spring in Occitanie. I delve into this Easter tradition for Saveur.
What I'm Saying
1. The historic Dauphiné is perhaps best known for its creamy potato gratin, but it's also home to tiny ravioli and to some of my favorite creamy cheeses. Adjacent to the Northern Rhone and its phenomenal wines, it's a lesser-known region well worth a closer look. Tune in to the Terroir Podcast to find out more!
2. Whenever you start eating in France, whether you're sitting down to a several-course dinner or scarfing a sandwich on the métro, you'll hear the phatic expression – almost a rallying cry: bon appétit. This week on Navigating the French, I'm chatting with journalist Julie Barlow about why the expression definitely doesn't translate to "good appetite.” Tune in here to find out more!
3. The French elections are over, with sitting President Emmanuel Macron retaining his spot after a too-close-for-comfort second-round battle with FN candidate Marine Lepen. But before the results were in, I sat down with Lindsey Tramuta, host of The New Paris podcast, to explore some of the key phrases and symbols essential to understanding French politics in general and this election in particular. Tune in here.
What I'm Reading
1. Every year – usually upon returning from the reading-and-tanning-fest that is my annual trip to Cannes with my dear friend Emily – I tell myself I'm going to read more in French. And every year, I capitulate. But thanks to the proximity of my local library (and post-confinement opening hours), I've been making good on the promise this year, with Alain Mabanckou's Verre Cassé as my most recent foray. This award-winning book takes place at a 24-hour bar in Brazzaville, where the narrator, the eponymous Verre Cassé (Broken Glass) observes the regular patrons and shares the (often harrowing) stories that led them to become stalwarts of the space. Given the subject matter, the book is not an easy read, and I often had to set it aside before bedtime for something a bit more uplifting. That said, I wholeheartedly recommend it – especially seeing as Mabankou cleverly inserts a literary reference on nearly every page, rendering the book a bit of a scavenger hunt for bibliophiles.
2. Are the French falling out of love with their own cuisine? I ask myself this question on the daily – and so, too, has the Local, with this story about France's love of one foreign import outranking even that of residents of its native land.
3. I love reading about linguistic evolution (exhibit a: Because Internet by Gretchen McCulloch), so I was intrigued to read how Tik Tokkers attempting to sidestep the platform's algorithm have generated a whole new dictionary of slang words. In the Washington Post.
A bientôt !