Food Adventures in France

This post includes some food highlights from my recent trip to Paris & Nice. As a strong believer in experiencing new cultures through local cuisine, I took a break from pescetarianism and enjoyed some classic French dishes with duck, such as the magret de canard salad and duck confit (sadly not shown below). Paris, in particular, seems less accommodating to vegetarians, whereas Niçoise cuisine has a stronger Italian, Mediterranean influence with focus on fresh produce and seafood. 

A salad with "magret de canard" (thinly sliced duck breast)
Brasserie on Rue Saint-Honoré, Paris 

 Escargots à la bourguignonne (Snails with Herb & Garlic Butter) 

Soupe à l'ognion gratinée (French onion soup)

Brasserie near Musée d'Orsay, Paris

I had this despite mid-90s degree temperatures during the heatwave, and it was worth it. 

La boulangerie: Voted "#1 baguette" in 2010

Montmartre 

The baguette from this place has a more toasted exterior compared to others we had. 

Les moules frites (mussels & fries) 

La Storia, Nice 

For 13 euros, there was an absurd amount of mussels in the pot. 

Pain au chocolat & Quiche aux epinards (Chocolate croissant & Spinach quiche) 

Au Blé d'Azur, Nice 

This was what happened when I got greedy at breakfast one morning - something sweet & something savory (ish)

Cours Saleya (Flower Market)

Nice

I still daydream about this market and all the wonderful (mostly edible) treasures found there - flowers, veggies, fruits, soaps, olive oil, and jams. I bought delicious peaches and figs from this market.

Last but certainly not least... 

ICE CREAM! 

Berthillon's Ice Cream - pamplemousse & vanille (grapefruit & vanilla)

vs.

Amorino's - Yogurt & Mango

Montmartre

In this battle between the local favorite, Berthillon, and Amorino's gelato, I regret to say that Amorino's was by far superior. Maybe it's unfair to compare across different flavors, but even in presentation, Amorino's won me over with its flower-petal shaped design. 

Fenocchio Ice Cream - Nutella & Cocoa (L), Vanilla (R)

Vieux Nice

In Nice, there was a standout favorite, Fenocchio, which I first heard about through David Lebovitz's food blog and which I was lucky enough to find on the first night in Nice. There is a large selection of flavors from classics to more innovative ones such as "lavender" or "rose," I believe. I did try the avocado (avocat) flavor, which was deliciously creamy. 

Needless to say, ice cream was the unifying theme of this summer trip to France. 

C'est fini!