Paris | From your Parisian

November 19, 2014
by yourparisian 1 Comment

Paris Events: COMMON concert at the Bataclan

Last Sunday night (November 16th, 2014) I was lucky enough to go to the Bataclan in Paris to see Common perform while on the European leg of his Nobody’s Smiling Tour. Now this is a big deal for me as I am a super hip-hop fan and Common (from Chicago) is one of my all-time faves! Quick backstory: he was scheduled to play in Paris back in March 2011. I had my ticket and was super psyched to go see him. Then, either a day or so before the concert date, there was a fire at the Elysée Montmartre, the beautiful concert hall in the 18^th arrondissement, and it was cancelled! I was crushed and have been patiently awaiting his return ever since! You now have an idea of the level of anticipation we’re talking about!

Got my ticket, ready to go!

So unfortunately I haven’t met many fans of rap, hip-hop and RnB in Paris (and the few I have, like myself, don’t have too much spare cash) so I went on my own. First time going to a concert solo, but nothing should stop you from doing something you love, right? Got to the Bataclan and saw a huge line-up outside…great…they weren’t letting people inside yet. So I got in line and waited patiently in the rain. Chatted with two ladies visiting from California who happened to see he was playing tonight and decided to get tickets. The 45 minute wait went by quickly and once inside I immediately made my way towards the stage.

Dj FAB warm up!

The crowd is ready!

What’s nice about the Bataclan (apart from its original architecture dating back to 1865) is that there is a balcony for those spectators who want to sit but the rest is general admission and whoever wants to get close to the stage just has to get there first. I made it as far as three people from me and the stage. Three people blocking me from touching him…but I was CLOSE! Dj FAB warmed up the crowd with some old-school hits and then the lights dimmed and slowly the music of Forever begins started playing. The first Dj appeared (Dj Dummy, super talented!) then the keyboardist, another Dj, the backup singer (who FYI, I didn’t catch her name but she had a beautiful voice)…and finally Common, dressed in a green and blue printed black hoody and black jeans. As he appeared onstage the entire room exploded with applause and screams!

The entire two hours (well almost) that followed were beyond awesome! He sang a few songs off of his new album but the rest were his classics like Testify, The Light (loooove that song), Go and I used to love H.E.R. His energy was endless as he ran back and forth, jumped around and high-fived the people in the front row. He jumped off stage and into the crowd during the song Blak Majik (I was too far to the left to touch him) causing everyone to go wild.

In the crowd, but out of reach!

The highlight for me was definitely when he sang my favorite love song of all time Come close. He actually chose a girl from the crowd to come onstage and then proceeded to serenade her. The girls glued to the stage in front of me were clawing their eyes out with jealousy as he slow danced with this lucky chick (after having her wipe the sweat from his face with a towel). I think every female (and, hey maybe even some males) in the room would have liked to have been her…including myself. I am a total groupie after all! I sang each lyric of the song with him, which was the hugest thrill. “Its just a fly love song“…oh yes it is. My night was officially made, and after a few more great songs like Love of my life as well as a freestyle rap, he thanked the crowd and left the stage!

Luckiest girl of the night

But we wanted more!!!! After a few minutes of screaming and stomping from the crowd the gang came back and he sang a very emotional song (from his new album) called Rewind that. The second verse talks about his friendship with J Dilla (the amazing hip-hop producer who passed away in 2006 from lupus) and he tells the story of how they met and worked together and how he watched his friend getting sicker and wished he had won a Grammy award (which he soooo deserved by the way) before passing away. The whole song will really connect with anyone who has lost someone they care about or that wishes they could, for some reason or another, go back in time. It was very moving and I got a little teary-eyed. That’s the beauty of Common’s songs. They often tell a story and they touch your soul.

After that he ended the night on a high note with the song Celebrate, an upbeat song about living in the moment with your friends and celebrating life’s accomplishments. The crowd was all smiles and sang and danced together as one. He mentioned that it was his Mom’s Birthday, so we felt extra special being able to celebrate with him. Overall it was an amazing concert (I only wished it had lasted longer…oh and that I could have gone on stage and danced with him!haha) and I truly hope it won’t be too long before he is back in town!

P.S. For those of you who don’t know him (*gasp*) here is a link to my favorite song, Come close.

And for more info on the Bataclan theatre as well as its upcoming events: http://www.bataclan.fr/events.php

October 19, 2014
by yourparisian Leave a comment

Fast Food, Fast Review: The Grilled Cheese Factory

With the discovery of The Grilled Cheese Factory near Place de la Bastille, I now have the answer to the question: where do I find a grilled cheese sandwich in Paris? Opened only this year, I decided to try it out one Sunday afternoon.

Upon entering the rather small establishment, one of the friendly young men asked me if I was familiar with the concept (umm…of course!) of this sandwich, which he then went on to describe as the American equivalent of the croque-monsieur. While I find the two extremely different, I went along with his comparison and he continued to tell me how he, along with two other friends, decided to create this eatery after encountering this sandwich just about everywhere during their travels in America. With the huge amount of hamburger, hot-dog and American-style diners popping up all over Paris and becoming super popular, someone was bound to eventually introduce the grilled cheese sandwich to Parisians. I have to say that these guys have done their research, as aside from the food, the interior also has a distinct laid-back American deli feel to it with white brick walls, industrial lamps and bar stool seating all along the counters.

First thing you should know is that these sandwiches are not the basic kind you used to get as a kid (or definitely not what I remember), with a Kraft single melted between two pieces of white bread. Here the “Authentic” grilled cheese sandwich comes with 2 cheeses: Mozzarella and Cheddar (for 7 Euros)! Then there are the many variations including, “Chicken” with 2 cheeses, slices of roast chicken, honey mustard sauce and balsamic vinegar (12 Euros), “Mac and Cheese” with, yes, macaroni and cheese along with 2 cheeses and caramelized onions (10 Euros), and “Veggie” with mozzarella, peppers, tomato confit, and pesto (10 Euros), all of them completed with two thick slices of white or whole wheat bread and accompanied by their home made sweet tomato sauce. My favorite, and as usual the most expensive (sigh), was the “Pastrami”, with 3 cheeses, pastrami, pickles, and honey mustard sauce (13 Euros). While it was expensive, it was incredibly satisfying (oh the cheesy goodness!!!!) as my first meal of the day after an evening of heavy drinking the night before. These sandwiches are heavy, so don’t go here if you’re looking for a light snack! To complete their menu they also have soups (like good old tomato), salads, drinks and desserts.

Obviously, for a grilled cheese sandwich, I found them to be very overpriced, but in Paris this is quite normal when it comes to trendy American-style food restaurants. I won’t be coming here often, but if you have a desperate craving for a grilled cheese sandwich while in Paris it’s comforting to know where to find one. Until then, I’ll stick to my croque-madame…as let’s face it: everything is better with a fried egg on top!

Restaurant Details:

9 Rue Jacques Coeur, 75004, Paris

+33 1 77 10 67 83

http://www.thegrilledcheesefactory.fr/

My Rating:

3 thick slices of cheese out of 5

September 30, 2014
by yourparisian 1 Comment

Paris Restaurant Review: Buvette Gastrothèque Paris

I know! I haven’t written at all this month, not a great way to start out a new blog! In my defense however, my apartment was broken into (and yes, they took my only item of any monetary value: my computer) and then my sister came to Paris for a visit so I was literally unable to write a new blog post until now. Anyways, after that semi apologetic introduction here’s a little review about one of the places I took my sister to while she was here: Buvette Gastrothèque Paris, one of my current fave restaurants in the city of light.

La Buvette, still in the afternoon, before the dinner crowds arrive.

I usually go here in the evening when there is ALWAYS a line-up to get in and you have to wait for an hour or so to be seated, but as I had taken the week off work we decided to drop by for lunch at around 1 pm. It was a beautifully hot September day and I automatically asked the server if it was possible to eat outside. There were two little metal stools outside so we grabbed those, as well as a small wooden table, and the waiter balanced our water carafe on an empty silver ashtray stand, happy to help us out. Feeling very comfortable, surrounded by baskets of lemons and oranges, we began to look at the menu while enjoying the afternoon sun on our faces.

Space for a table for two

Interior of Buvette Gastrothèque Paris

I should mention quickly that Buvette Gastrothèque Paris is owned by Jody Williams, an American who first opened Buvette Gastrothèque in New York and then decided to do the same thing in Paris. So if you can’t make it to Paris but are closer to New York, then you should check it out, apparently the dishes are similar to the ones in Paris. Her venture worked out as she now has fashionable Parisians lining up every night to try some of her mouth watering dishes, sip on one of her creative (but pricey) cocktails, or pick a bottle of wine from the extensive wine list.

Lunch menu

Back to lunch! So, we each ordered a slightly sparkling lemonade and chose three dishes to share: white asparagus with homemade aioli and an egg mimosa-like mixture (7 Euros), black olive tapenade and a generous helping of ratatouille piled onto chunks of bread (5 Euros), and thinly sliced roast lamb mixed with white beans, a tasty vinaigrette and garnished with several Kalamata olives (10 euros). Everything arrived on a large silver tray and was a feast for the eyes. A light but delicious lunch! I should mention that the dinner menu is larger than the lunch menu and I have previously tried such wonders as the mini hachis parmentier and a grated carrot, cilantro and pistachio salad mixed with a light vinaigrette. Obviously you’ll probably want to order more than we did, but remember that here they favor quality over quantity! All the dishes I have tried are bursting with flavor in every bite. As we weren’t completely full, we ordered a tarte tatin (7 Euros), the caramelized apple upside down tart that was displayed on the long marble counter inside. The apples had that lovely rich caramel taste which was nicely toned down with a scoop of sour cream. Another great culinary experience at Buvette!

Lemonade and lemons!

Our delicious and light lunch

Dreamy tarte tatin

Afterwards, we wandered through the trendy SoPi (South of Pigalle) neighborhood, and thought how nice it would be if we could do this more often. I’ll have to patiently await my sister’s next visit but luckily I can find this amazing food whenever I want, as Buvette Gastrothèque is open 7 days a week from 8:30 am until midnight!

Restaurant Details:

28 rue Henri Monnier, 75009, Paris, France

+331 44 63 41 71

http://www.paris.ilovebuvette.com

My Rating:

5 little plates of deliciousness out of 5!

September 1, 2014
by yourparisian Leave a comment

Paris Restaurant Review : La Balançoire

You’re in Montmartre and looking for a place to eat. If you haven’t done your homework before heading out, it is easy to sit yourself in one of the many busy restaurants along the main streets around Abbesses métro station which, I’m going to be honest, can be pretty disappointing. So to inaugurate my blog (*giggles of excitement*), my first post will be a review of La balançoire: a great option if you’re looking for a restaurant in the 18^th arrondissement (my favorite area of Paris FYI) where the food is freshly made and tasty, the service is super friendly and the atmosphere is cozy and playful.

I had passed by this place on numerous occasions and finally got to check it out with my boyfriend on a Saturday night. Luckily I had made a reservation as, apart from our table for two, the place was otherwise packed. We sat down and immediately I saw it: a wooden swing attached from the ceiling with two long ropes! I mean I guess I shouldn’t have expected anything less from a place called “the swing” (English translation of La balançoire), but I was still surprised. The immature part of me wanted to go over there and try it out, but I decided, or rather forced myself, to resist (although I am totally going to come back with friends next time and reserve that table)!

The smiling waiter arrived with the menu written on a big chalkboard and proceeded to explain, in detail, the 6 or 7 entrées and main courses offered. I definitely appreciated this and my usual questions (i.e. what does it come with? what exactly is in the sauce? etc.) were answered. I ordered the house cheeseburger (16 Euros) and added bacon (because if adding bacon is an option, I add it…obviously!) and my boyfriend chose the beef tartare (18 Euros). We then played with the forks and spoons that were floating above our napkins, thanks to a hidden magnet in the table, and admired the charming décor around us that included jars of French candies, cookbooks, rows of wine corks, and vintage telephones.

Our dishes arrived along with a nice bottle of Bordeaux (24 Euros, but if you’re on a budget you can also just get a glass for under 5 Euros). My burger came served in an English muffin style bun (which I found original) with tomato, lettuce, a slice of cheese and two strips of crispy bacon, along with a side of super yummy fries and some mixed greens tossed in a light vinaigrette. I tried a taste of the beef tartare, presented nicely with an egg yolk on top, even though I have been scared to try this dish in the past (I’m a little paranoid when it comes to food poisoning)! It was clearly a finely chopped steak rather than the mince beef tartare I usually see, and the taste of Dijon mustard and capers mixed in that little bite I tried was divine. We still had some wine left, so we shared a mousse au chocolat (8 Euros) which was creamy and light and garnished with a few red currants.

When we finally asked for the bill, surprise, surprise: it arrived with a jar full of candies!!! And not just any candies, fraises Tagada (which, in case you don’t know, are those yummy little pink strawberry flavored and sugar coated marshmellowy treats)! We were too excited and started grabbing them by the handful. We paused at one moment wondering if perhaps we were in fact stuffing our faces with decorative candies that had been sitting in a jar for years, but we were reassured (yes…we asked) that they are in fact for us to enjoy and that they refilled the jars regularly. Awesome!!! I need to mention again, for those of you who don’t believe that polite Parisian waiters exist, that the two male servers were beyond friendly, laughed at our lame jokes (without even a hint of an eye roll) and told us that the owners have now opened a second restaurant, not too far away, called La boite aux lettres (which I will be sure to check out soon).

La balançoire is equally open for lunch, featuring a starter+main course or main course+dessert special for 15 Euros or the 3 courses for 18 Euros. With its constantly changing menu made up of carefully prepared French dishes, I will definitely be back.

Restaurant details:

La Balançoire

6, rue Aristide Bruant, 75018 Paris, France

+33 1 42 23 70 83

http://www.restaurantlabalancoire.fr/

My Rating: 5 strawberry marshmallows out of 5!

From your Parisian

Sharing my newest discoveries as I float through the streets of Paris. Restaurants, bars, events, all reviewed for you with love, from your Parisian.

Tag Archives: Paris

Paris Events: COMMON concert at the Bataclan

Fast Food, Fast Review: The Grilled Cheese Factory

Paris Restaurant Review: Buvette Gastrothèque Paris

Paris Restaurant Review : La Balançoire