Whenever you travel, one thing is for sure- you're going to be eating out. I certainly did my fair share of that during my time in France, and here's some insight on what I ate , where I ate , and what you have to try while you're there.
The program that I was a part of provided two meals a day, so lunch was your own affair. This led to quite a lot of simple fair to keep me on budget, but I certainly didn't want to scrimp on quality, so what was a foreigner like me to do? I went exploring and followed the crowd. The place where I could see the locals eating every day was where I knew good, cheap food was sure to be found. Yes, I would splurge once in a while...but my 20 euro/week budget for lunches wasn't going to handle that sort of thing ever day no matter how good the food looked. One location that became increasingly popular (especially during the last week or so of my trip) was a corner grocery store called, Carrefour. People from all walks of life would crowd in every day during lunch hour (and yes, you get a full hour over there) to grab their choice of pre-made sandwiches, baguettes, fruit, etc. It was sort of like a build-your-own packed lunch, only they did all the work for you. This typically cost me between 4-6 euro/day, and I always had plenty to eat!
I only drank bottled or filtered water while I was there, and here's some good news for you hydrating tourists out there- water is SUPER CHEAP!!! A 2-liter bottle of water is only 15-35 centimes, depending on what city you are in. No joke. In Paris, a 6-pack of 2-liter bottles is just over 2 euros, so my friends and I made good use of that during our summer trekking through the City of Light.
Remember that gorgeous photo of some awesome-looking pasta from the beginning of this post? That was from one of many Italian restaurants that dot the cafe circuit of the French streets. This particular dish was served piping hot, the pasta was soft and yet firm enough to hold the sauce and cling to the fork. I'm assuming this denoted that it was freshly made and not dried. The clams were not over-steamed, and easily came out of their perfectly presented shells. The star of this dish was certainly the sauce. It was so absolutely delectable, that I actually told my friends that I would have licked the plate clean if it had been socially acceptable!
This next set of pictures are from the cafe and snack shop at the edge of the garden at Château de Chambord, which is a popular tourist location and visitor center. Our whole tour bus was rather hungry after our tour, and soon devoured a good share of the delicacies seen above.
Ah..! Donuts! You are my nemesis...why can't I ever resist you? For the record, my "trio" included a pink one, a plain sugared one, and one with the white icing and confetti. They were pillowy soft, definitely made on site, and the sweetness of the icing harmonized with the delicate yeast - dough taste, a chewy bite with a slight crunch from the topping.
Fig Tarts; they looked great, and were a pretty good size, but I was too full from my donuts to indulge.
Learn more or plan your visit here: https://www.chambord.org/en/
These couple of images are of a gorgeous raspberry tart that I thoroughly enjoyed while in Paris. I cannot recommend Paul's Boulangerie enough to you all. Their food was excellent; a nice crisp crust on their chewy baguette sandwiches, and lightly sweet custard filling with glazed berries over a crumbly shortbread crust. I had the Poulle Crudette on poppy seed encrusted bread, with this lovely tart for dessert. Everything is made so fresh, that they frequently run out of items early on in the day. Paul's only makes small batches of their sumptuous baked goods every day so as to not have too much, if any, waste left at closing time. Although there are multiple locations around the city for convenience, this bakery was near Rue Rivoli (where our hostel was located) just a block or so from Notre Dame Cathedral. Learn more or plan your visit here:
https://www.paul.fr/en/
This last little number is from the Palace of Versailles, the King's own castle restaurant. This "bianca" was the most decadent dessert I had during my entire time in that country. The outside texture reminded me of what a marshmallow looks like, but the delicate mousse underneath defies adequate description! A center of pure, blissfully thick raspberry puree over a sugared graham crust gave way to ombre layers of flavored mousse that were accentuated by the fresh berries and gold leaf on top. White chocolate garnish and raspberry coulis completed the experience. If you have 21 euros to spend on a culinary and gastronomical experience, then you have to try this dessert on your next trip to Angelina located in the Palais de Versailles. Learn more or plan your visit here:
http://en.chateauversailles.fr/plan-your-visit/facilities/restaurant-angelina
Although there was nothing overly remarkable about this picturesque ice cream cone, it came as a welcome relief in the palace gardens on that blisteringly hot day in July during our visit. In a country where air-conditioning is limited and walking isn't, you'd understand my exhilaration with this treat if you were there.
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