Every month, The French Experience will publish a calendar of antique fairs that are “professional” markets, meaning the vendors are dealers of antiques — versus garage sale finds. Each listing is summarized with the following information:

• Entry cost and audience, along with the time the show is open:
  🔷 Free entry, open to the public
  🔶 Paid entry, open to the public
  🔴 Professionals only

• Number of vendors (the number of vendors may be less during holiday periods or inclement weather):
  ✷ (50 or less vendors)
  ✷✷ (50 to 100 vendors)
  ✷✷✷ (100 to 250 vendors)
  ✷✷✷✷ (250 to 500 vendors)
  ✷✷✷✷✷ (500+ vendors)

• Location: 🌐 with clickable address to Google Maps, and the region of France the antique fair is located

• Website: 🔗 (if available)

TFE Insider Tip: While indoor events usually occur as planned, if there is inclement weather, outdoor events may be canceled with no notice. Dates are validated to the best of our ability: If a date should change after this calendar is published, we’ll send out an email to all subscribers of the change.

All of France comes alive in May! Warmer weather and sunny days throughout the country bring a feeling of reawakening and celebration. Enjoy a terrasse, shop a glorious flower market, or simply walk around and take in all the emerging springtime beauty. The antiquing season is upon us!

There are many large antique fairs to choose from this month— we’ve listed 13! There are several fairs in Normandy, some with over 2,000 dealers, and one in Paris that is always lovely and easy to get to by the Metro. The fairs listed are mostly “professional,” meaning the vendors are dealers of antiques … versus garage sale finds — two of the larger fairs are a mix of individuals and professional dealers.

TFE Insiders Tip: The French Experience has created an informational page on how to read this monthly calendar.

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Ever wonder what those distinctive cups are called?

In 1840, a small skirmish in the 17-year long French conquest of Algeria became memorialized as The Battle of Mazagran.

The story goes a French contingent of 132 soldiers, holed up in a fortification at the town of Mazagran and facing a siege by several thousand Algerians, was running out of gunpowder and supplies. In a stroke of luck, French reinforcements arrived just as the defenders were about to make a last stand, and the siege force retreated. There is an apocryphal story that the Algerians served the “victorious” French mint tea as a sign of peace … in distinctive conical shaped cups made of silver.

While the standoff was relatively minor and only lasted a few days, the French press touted the event as a great victory.

Mazagran Fever Takes Over

Details of the battle filled Parisian newspapers, and Mazagran became the talk of the city. A replica of the fort was built on the Champs Elysées, and all matter of merchandise was produced to commemorate the event. The French government went so far as to issue a commemorative medal and rename a street in honor of the victory. Rue de Mazagran still exists today.

As Jennifer Sessions writes in her account of France’s Algerian wars, By Sword and Plow, in 1840 people started dressing in a “Mazagran” style: “Mazagran pantaloons, hats, gloves, shawls, etc. became instantly and universally the vogue,” a magazine reported at the time.

But the most enduring legacy of Mazagran was iced coffee. According to the story, French soldiers in the fortress ran out of brandy to mix with their coffee and began using water instead.

After the battle, French cafés popularized “un mazagran”: coffee served in a tall glass, sometimes over ice, with a beaker of cold water alongside to dilute it further.

Coffee was introduced to France by way of Constantinople in 1644

And those distinctive conical silver cups in which the French were served mint tea? It seems that one of the officers was so impressed with their shape he brought one back to France and showed it to his friend, Charles Pillivut. Factory Pillivut modernized the original form, billed them as — what else? — Mazagrans, and went on to produce thousands of porcelain copies. His however had the added benefit of warming the hands of the coffee drinker if the contents were hot: The conical form was perfectly ergonomic, allowing both hands to wrap around the cup.

The Mazagran craze died out in the 1950s, and now the iconic cups are mostly available only in brocantes and second hand stores throughout France. In our travels we see many examples of vintage Mazagrans in the flea markets and antique shows, but alas, most are newer and are decorated in an overly sweet way. Worse yet, matching sets are almost impossible to find.

Luckily a French company is offering a modern take of the classic form.

Sources: Thanks to Wikipedia and Sara Laskow over at Gastro Obscura

In the mid- to late 1800s the first restaurants in Paris were born. Much like the large department stores that were coming into fashion at the time, bouillons were large spaces where hundreds of the Parisian bourgeoise could order a meal.

These bouillon employed a unique system of service: One was handed a menu card showing all food and drink options upon entering. A server would check off the customer’s choices and present the card to the kitchen. The card followed the meal back to the table, and was used to pay the cashier.

This concept of organization, along with highly decorated surroundings (in the Art Nouveau style), quality food, moderate prices, and cleanliness, was completely new. And much like their department store counterparts, they were wildly popular. By 1893 there were 400 bouillons in Paris alone.

By the 1920s, these Belle Époque establishments were considered passé, and the great brasseries took their place. Most bouillon closed, but the few that were mercifully saved are experiencing a resurgence in popularity.

As a francophile, a foodie, and an armchair historian I’ve always been fascinated by any authentic holdout of Parisian gastronomy, so on our trip this past December I decided to eschew the cafés … and my favorite crepe stand … and experience four of these remaining institutions. I offer these reviews to anyone heading to Paris looking for a deeper dive into food and history.

Bouillon Chartier

This is the only bouillon to still carry the name of its original 1905 founders, Frédéric and Camille Chartier. As I walked up to the entrance at 2:00 in the afternoon a group of French businessmen were walking out groaning, which I took as a good sign. Sadly however, the meat-heavy menu was the least interesting of all four bouillon I tried, though the prices were most reasonable. (I don’t understand spaghetti on any menu in France, here there are two options.) I had the Oeuf Mayonaise (7.5€) and Duck Confit (13€). Dependable fare.

Getting there: 59 Boulevard de Montparnasse. (6th). Metro line 4 to Montparnasse-Bienvenüe. Web: bouillon-chartier.com

Le Bouillon Julien

Located just steps from Porte Saint-Denis, Julien was established in 1905 and still operates under the original motto “Here everything is beautiful, good, and cheap”. The exuberant Art Nouveau interior is original! I found the menu options to be authentic and quite varied. Points for offering Tête de Veau and Tripe for the adventurous. You can’t really go wrong with the Brandade (12€) or the Terrine de Canard (10€), both were delicious. I highly recommend a visit for a quick lunch and photo op!

Getting there: 16 rue du Faubourg-Saint-Denis. (10th). Metro line 4 to Strasbourg-Saint Denis. Web: bouillon-julien.com

Le Bouillon Racine

Le Bouillon Racine is a charmingly decorated and beautifully cavernous two story space with an equally large bar next door (le Bar du Bouillon). The menu is impressive, offering a prix fixe lunch menu for 19.5€, and a three course dinner option Menu1900 at 44€. I had the Escargot (14€) and the Lamb Parmentier with thyme (26€). Both were quite good!

Prices were a little higher, with the average main at 30€. Reservations are recommened for dinner.

Getting there: 3 rue Racine. (6th). Metro line 4 to Odéon.

Web: bouillonracine.fr

Brasserie Vagenende

My favorite! Created in 1904 in a former 19th century patisserie, Vagenende (formerly Le Bouillon Chartier Odéon) offers the most sophisticated range of menu options. It’s decidedly upscale, but maintains the bouillon vibe, and is moderately priced. I highly recommend dining here …. more than once if possible! While there, four Parisians at the table next to me were going all out: Champagne, Oysters and Bone Marrow for starters. Then Sweetbreads, Sole Menuière, Duck … it went on and on (check out their fabulous menu here). That’s the vibe at Vagnende: celebratory! I had the Braised Leeks (9.5€, divinely subtle), Steak Tartare (24.5€), and finished with Vagenede’s house made Chocolate Mousse (13€).

I’ll definitely be coming back for my own celebratory meal with friends.

Reservation is recommended, though I walked right in for a late lunch.

Getting there: 142 Boulevard Saint Germain. (6th). Metro line 4 to Odéon.

Web: en.vagenende.com

A note of appreciation: François-Régis Gaudry has accomplished the seemingly impossible: Organizing and presenting a 400 page compendium of Parisian gastronomy: Let’s Eat Paris. Cheers to him and the dozens of contributors, chefs, historians, and illustrators who made the book happen. Our bouillon adventure wouldn’t have been as complete without his book.

Want to really learn about a country or town you’re visiting? Go grocery shopping! Hold off on the museums and the guided tours, and head straight for the local supermarché or open-air market. For those of us who treat grocery shopping like a sport, this isn’t just an entertainment — it’s a philosophy. Because food isn’t just sustenance. It’s culture, identity, and a direct measure of quality of life.

The Grocery Store as a Cultural Barometer

After years of wandering the aisles of bustling open-air markets and supermarchés throughout France, I’ve learned a truism: People should feel compelled to cook — not out of necessity, but out of inspiration. That inspiration can come from beautiful ingredients, a well-designed kitchen, or the joy of sharing a meal with good friends. But more often than not, it begins in the grocery store.

Unfortunately, here in the United States, grocery stores often fall short of that promise. In my opinion they're not places of discovery or delight, but places of frustration and, most disappointingly, social stratification.

A Tale of Two Garlic Bulbs

Take a recent example here in my hometown of Chicago: A simple quest for garlic turned into a mini odyssey. The first store had a meager offering—four or five sad, shriveled bulbs. The second? Only organic garlic, and at double the price.

What should be a basic, affordable pantry staple suddenly felt like a luxury item. And it begs the question: when basic ingredients become markers of class or wealth, are we not inching closer to something like a caste system?

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Vive la France: A Grocery Store Utopia

In France, fresh, high-quality food is a given—not a privilege. Whether you're meandering through a village market or pushing a cart through a suburban Carrefour or Leclerc, abundance and accessibility define the experience.

Produce in French supermarkets is nothing short of legendary, and not just for its range or beauty. Each item is labeled with its region or country of origin, and often includes harvest dates.

Even beyond produce, the selection is remarkable. Fish—both fresh and canned—line the aisles in impressive variety. Prepared meals are both inspiring and affordable. The bread aisle alone can bring a tear to your eye, and don’t get us started on the wine: plentiful, drinkable, and shockingly well-priced.

One Carrefour outside Chartres that I visited felt more like a gourmet IKEA than a traditional supermarket. Wide aisles, creative displays, and a sense of joie de vivre made it clear: this was not just about shopping. This was about living.

The Soul of a Society, on a Shelf

American grocery stores, by contrast, often prioritize branding, status, and convenience over quality, variety, and affordability. Organic sections feel performative, and pricing can feel predatory.

Food should connect us to place, tradition, and each other. And if a society can’t deliver that in something as basic as a grocery store, what does it say about how we value life itself?

So next time you travel—or even just cross to a different neighborhood—step into a local grocery store. Take in the smells, the colors, the prices, the people.

You might learn more about a culture in ten minutes than in an hour at a cultural exhibit.

And you might just be inspired to cook something beautiful.

As I’ve written on a few occasions, heading blindly into the French countryside in search of antique shops or fairs can be a risky venture. Internet searches (“brocante near me”, or “antique shops”) only tell part of the story in an industry that remains resolutely old school. While personal interaction and relationship building are almost universally prized by French antique sellers (with some story telling along the way), things we Americans have come to expect from businesses such as regular hours of operation or a strong social media presence aren’t as important. Ultimately, the French way is better, as those personal relationships with dealers can be incredibly rewarding and really, they’re the key to consistently finding amazing things. It’s getting to that point that’s the real work!

Knowing the effort it takes to build a dependable shopping circuit … a chain of relationships if you will … we’re always thankful for any tip that yields a new source for antiques.

With that sentiment in mind, this article tells the story of how we found one of our favorite, no-fail, professionals-only grande deballages in the Loire region of France: An area of rolling green hills, acres of brilliant yellow rapeseed or sunflowers (depending on the time of year), and miles of Plane Tree lined highways. It’s an article I’m particularly happy to write and share, as within it you’ll learn not only how to get there and what to expect, but how to apply for and receive a Carte d’Accés (needed to enter) before you go, and even our recommendation for a nearby budget hotel with a great breakfast!

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It’s late May in Chicago and still cold. Coming from the south of France, already deep in early summer mode … think nightly terrasses, a warm Mediterranean breeze, and an Aperol spritz with friends … makes returning to the chilly Midwest all the more difficult to handle. As I sit at my computer, ever hopeful we’ll break 60 degrees but still in a sweater and thick socks, I’m waxing philosophic over one of the last stops of our recent antiquing trip: The ancient, tiny, and spectacularly beautiful Saint-Rémy-de-Provence.

Why Saint-Rémy, you ask? Its pre-Roman origins? Its history as an intellectual center, the birthplace of Nostradamus? Maybe it’s laid-back Mediterranean ease, or its chic shopping district?

The real reason I’m thinking about Saint-Rémy is for its most famous artist-in-residence: Vincent van Gogh, who lived there between 1889 and 1890. More accurately, he lived in an asylum just outside the city.

Van Gogh left an indelible mark on this jewel of Provence, and the many fans who come to Saint-Rémy pay homage to his legacy through what is known as the Van Gogh Walk. It’s a pilgrimage, really, through the town and landscapes that inspired Van Gogh to paint some of his most famous works.

The Backstory

After a series of mental crises in the city of Arles culminating in the infamous ear cutting, Van Gogh voluntarily committed himself to the Saint Paul de Mausole Asylum just outside Saint-Rémy on 8 May 1889. At the request of his brother Theo, Vincent was granted two adjoining rooms in the asylum, one of which he used as a studio. It was here that, in just one year, he would produce 150 paintings and drawings while under the treatment of the asylum director, Dr. Théophile Peyron. Those 150 works include the masterpieces Sunflowers, Irises, and The Starry Night.

Want to learn more? Read about Van Gogh’s experiences in Arles and Saint-Remy in his own words: The Letters of Vincent van Gogh

By May 1890, believing the once restorative life at the asylum was no longer helping (he suffered periodic attacks, possibly due to epilepsy), Van Gogh left Saint-Rémy for Auvers-sur-Oise near Paris, where, sadly, he took his life just two months later.

Both Saint-Rémy and its sister city, Arles (just 15 miles to the southwest), figure prominently in the painter’s life and oeuvre, and both have historical Van Gogh walks that should be on everyone’s bucket list!

The Walk

The Van Gogh Walk is a free, self-guided tour that takes you from the center of the historic district and out of town, past fields of cypress and olive trees, to the grounds of Saint-Paul, originally a 12th-century Augustinian monastery.

Begin your walk just outside the Musée Estrine, located in the heart of the old town (number 1 in blue on the map).

Bronze markers are embedded in the pavement at regular intervals to guide your way. Along the walk are 19 informational placards: Each featuring a different painting created during Van Gogh’s stay, and facing a vista that may have inspired the work. Excerpts of letters written by the artist further tie the painting to the landscape … and inspire one to consider the deep ties Van Gogh had with his surroundings.

The walk out of town and into the countryside is a wonderful way to unwind and really take in the beauty of Provence. When a warm wind is blowing (as it was when we were there) one sees the connection between flowing grasses, or olive trees with their fulgent leaves, and the sinewy, energetic brushstrokes that characterize Van Gogh’s later work. The artist captured the very essence of movement and light like none other.

Saint-Paul de Mausole

The walk ends one kilometer (a little over one half mile) at the gates of Saint-Paul de Mausole. But the tour isn’t over! Buy a ticket at the gate to visit this stunning monastery-turned-hospital-turned-museum, parts of which are still operational today. The buildings, grounds, and plantings of Saint-Paul are breathtakingly beautiful and exude a deep sense of peace.

The hospital wing that housed Van Gogh has been converted entirely into a museum. Visitors are free to tour its reconstructed kitchens, dining rooms, laundry, treatment areas, and doctor’s offices. Towards the back of the building, past the laundry hall, is a collection of rooms where Van Gogh may have lived.

While there, you are encouraged to take your time, and thankfully there are no docents standing guard to hurry you along. Likewise there are no cordoned off areas or posted signs of any kind telling you not to touch or what to learn.

It’s a powerful experience to physically walk in Van Gogh’s footsteps, to see where he painted, convalesced, where he bathed or spoke with his doctors. The museum itself is reverently quiet … giving the impression that all the characters in the story have only momentarily left, and may return at any moment.

When you’ve taken it all in, exit through the gift shop downstairs and tour the huge gardens at the back of the asylum, where lavender, purple iris, and red poppy fields beautifully frame the 12th-century structure.

At this point the tour is complete! It’s time walk back into town and maybe enjoy one of those Aperol Spritzes I wrote about earlier.

If this experience is on your bucket list, you’ll find it’s a homerun. The self-paced nature of the walk, the surrounding Provence landscape, the authentic plantings … everything about the Van Gogh Walk … is incredibly restorative. We left feeling energized, and with a deeper understanding of the artist and his last years of life.

Happy hunting!

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Resources

1. General Information: Van Gogh Walk

2. St. Remy Office of Tourism (get your free map!): Click Here

3. Learn more about Saint Paul de Mausole: Click Here

4. Learn more about Saint Rémy de Provence: Click Here

Once you leave a city or large organized event and head into the countryside in search of antiques, you’re pretty much on your own. We’ve spent hours in the car chasing leads only to find a brocante is closed for the season, has gone out of business or … my personal favorite … has mistakenly listed their home as the store address.

Are you looking for an alternative to the Paris flea markets but don’t know where to start? Discover this largely unadvertised, dealers-only antique route between Chartres and Le Mans where dozens of brocanteurs are selling their wares.

Be one of those in the know with our fully researched and personally shopped itinerary!

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Did you know that as of January 1, 2025, those little paper Paris Metro tickets are no longer? Seasoned public transit users will remember buying them, each good for one one-way trip. We have plenty of memories of forgetting which ones had been used, and rummaging through pockets to find the unused ones. I’m sure we have plenty of them still in our luggage!

Instead, all Metro, RER, Bus, and Tram routes are now on the Navigo system, which utilizes a refillable card or a smartphone app. There are two types of passes you can purchase:

Navigo Easy is a transferable, rechargeable card for occasional travelers, which can be purchased and charged at one of the many ticket kiosks located in the Metro system. The card can be passed to multiple travelers during the day.

Navigo Decouverte is a non transferable card that must be purchased in person and involves getting a photo of yourself and attaching it to the card. Definitely not easy!

TFE Insider Tip: If you plan on using public transportation, there are quite a few aspects to the new system you’ll need to know, take the time to familiarize yourself with it before you go!

Here are our tips for buying a Navigo Easy card:

The new Navigo system uses two kiosks, one to purchase cards and one to refill. Make your inital card purhase at a Tickets kiosk (middle picture above).

Purchasing a Card

Follow the prompts on the video screen to purchase a Navigo Easy card. The card itself costs 2 €.

You’ll have to select the type of ticket you want to load onto the card:

• Metro tickets (inner city) are 2.5 €

• Bus/Tram (inner city) tickets are 2.50 €

• Airport tickets (inner city train to and from CDG) are 13 €

Next, select the number of “tickets” or one-way trips you plan on taking. You cannot enter a dollar amount. This is different than card-based public transit systems like those in New York or Chicago. If you choose the Metro tickets option you will have to buy at least two.

You can use a credit card or euros to pay.

With Navigo Easy you can preload up to:

• 20 Metro-Train tickets

• 20 Bus-Tram tickets

• 20 Paris region to Airport tickets

• 2 Paris Day Passes

TFE Insider Tip: Unfortunately, if your card is loaded with Metro-Train tickets, you cannot purchase an Airport ticket. Yikes! You’ll have to “use” all the metro tickets before loading an Airport pass.

Whew!

Refilling Your Card

Loading the card is thankfully a little easier. Look for the purple kiosk titled Rechargement, hold your card on the tap station (see below) and follow the prompts. Make sure you hold the card on the tap station for the entire transaction. Note you cannot refill your card at a “Ticket” kiosk.

Introducing the Navigo Easy App

Want to skip standing in line? Navigo Easy has a corresponding phone app. The Île-de-France Mobilités app allows you to purchase and manage your Navigo Easy tickets directly on your phone, replacing the need for a physical card. Available for both Android and iOS.

Last Words

As you can see the new system is somewhat complicated … in fact we’ve noticed Parisians themselves are having a difficult time navigating it. With our tips though, you’ll be able to sail right through and get to your train.

Happy travels! If you’re in Paris let us know if our article helped.

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Spring is finally, slowly, taking hold in Chicago. As I write this article, having returned to a chilly zone 6A from a glorious 75 degree France, I’m reminded how Richard and I seem to always leave The States wearing winter coats, only to shed them upon arrival at the Charles DeGaulle Airport. I’m also reminded of the one Spring trip that changed it all.

Have you read our origin story? How we drove around France in the Spring of 2019 in a rental car packed to the roof with beautiful things, desperately searching for a way to get it all home? We eventually figured it out after a lucky break.

Consider the following article part one in a tutorial of how to “get it all home”, or how to simply navigate your way through an overwhelming first experience at the professionals-only deballages. When you finally get through the mystery of getting it all home, be ready for the thrill of the hunt!

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Last month we traveled to France to stock up on new antiques for this year’s Fall shows, but we want to share some of our favorite items with you.

We found an amazing selection of copper! Among our favorites are a set of four Allez Freres sauté and sauce pans, a Charlotte mold from the Orient Express, a very large rondeau — perfect for a risotto, and a daubier —(think Beef Bourguignon), all newly polished and re-tinned and ready for use.

There's a very large 17” E. Dehillerin gratin pan and a copper cash box lined in silver, also by Dehillerin — we think the latter was made in the early 20th century, but it could be earlier since it’s a one-of-a-kind piece.

Go to https://www.thepiggykitchen.com to shop for these items.

In antique glassware, we found a handblown cider pitcher and several handblown bee catchers. Last spring, we had eight of these beecatchers at the Marburger Farm Antique Show, and they sold out on the first day.

Also, there’s a selection of antique Limoges and Wedgwood dessert plates, a complete and lovely Limoges dessert set, and a set of hot chocolate cups. We love to mix and match our Limoges!

If you want to get the jump on some of the best pieces we’ll have this year, check out our website: https://www.thepiggykitchen.com.

Happy hunting!

I’m all about the story.

Among the other French food and cooking-related things I’m on the lookout for is ephemera: Paper items that were not supposed to survive much longer than their creation date. I have a growing collection of turn-of-the-century French department store catalogs, business cards and handwritten recipes and can geek out imagining what hands something may have passed through or what attic something was squirreled away in to have survived housecleanings or even a war.

Case in point: This folio-sized paper menu I found in an antique shop in Lyon, lists — in beautifully preserved deep purple ink — the options available for dinner at four different restaurants on March 19, 1929.

As I dug a little deeper into those restaurants, I discovered that they were all run by one person: Léopold Mourier, a man, who in 1890 at the age of 28, was himself considered the premier chef of Paris. Monsieur Mourier invented Lobster Thermidor and by the 1920s was Paris’s celebrity restaurateur par excellence.

I also discovered that the four restaurants listed on the menu, Café de Paris, Pré Catalan, Armenonville and Foquet’s, were wildly popular in the 1920s. Of particular note are:

• Foquet’s, where some of the greatest entertainers of the age hung out to see and be seen — luminaries like Josephine Baker, Charlie Chaplin, Maurice Chevalier, Marlene Dietrich and Edith Piaf — is still in business at 99 Avenue Champs-Élysées

• Pré Catalan, a Belle Époque gem located in the Bois de Boulogne, was converted by Mourier into one of the most fashionable eateries of the early 1900s — Le Pré Catalan is now a four-star Michelin restaurant

Unfortunately, the mythic Café de Paris, the jazz hot spot of it’s day, closed in 1955 and the building was demolished.

Turns out his menu is really a window into what chic Parisians were having for dinner on an early spring evening during the Jazz Age.

So Then, What’s for Dinner?

The gorgeous script makes deciphering everything a bit of a challenge, and there may be a number of gaps in my translation. If you can read French and want to help with some of the things I’ve missed, I encourage you to leave your comments below. I’ll update this article as I receive your ideas.

Starters and Fish Courses

An incredible offering of starters and seafood:

• Mussels and Oysters start the menu off at 25 francs per “demi douzaine”.

• Hors d’oeuvres include a Windsor Bisque, Tartine, Oxtail St. Marmite, Croûte of Pork, Nicoise, and a St. Germain

• Buttered Skate, Smelt, Scallops, Trout or Sole Meunière, Lobster Thermidor (of course), Turbot, Salmon with Hollandaise, and Langoustines

Meats and Sides

The meat courses and sides are slightly easier to decipher:

• A Filet of Beef Richelieu (sold out), Poularde Cocotte Beaulieu, Rice with Veal “Cuisse” with Celery, Noisette Sole le Monaco, Duck a l’Orange

• A Wild Duck Quenelle, Saddle of Lamb, and another lamb dish

• A selection of four Terrines: Duck, Volaille

• Roast Beef (interestingly in English), a Camargue Veal, Chicken Roulade, Foie Gras Mousse with Port Gelée

Sides include:

• Mushrooms, Spinach, Brussels Sprouts, Artichokes, Endives, Cauliflower, Haricot Verts, Asparagus, and Tomatoes

Dessert

• Armenonville Ice Cream, a Pear Josette, Strawberry, Coffee, Vanilla Ice Creams, Vanilla or Chocolate Pot aux Creme, Fruit Compote, Cherries Jubilee

• A glass of Whisky

Digging a Little Deeper

That’s quite an impressive offering. I’m sure like me you’re struck by how extensive the menu is. There are 13 fish dishes, 17 meat dishes, 11 sides and 11 desserts … all going on at four different restaurants, at four different locations. Consider the management of such an endeavor: Shellfish, fish, meats, terrines, en croûtes, stews and roulades all have their own unique prep. And how large must these kitchens have been to accommodate such a variety? In my copper-laden imagination I’m picturing a bustling, noisy back of the house, full of gleaming, steaming stockpots, warmed saucepans, satiny silver flatware, and stacks of beautifully white porcelain dishes.

So how much did these dishes cost in adjusted dollars? A quick Google search reveals that in 1929, one dollar equalled 25.5 francs, and that one 1929 dollar is the equivalent of $18.70 today. So those demi douzaine oysters at 25 francs cost around $19 today. The foie gras mousse, the most expensive item on the menu, would cost $25.67 in adjusted dollars.

Not terribly different than what one would expect to pay today.

Even for a city, and a time known for its exuberant expressions of la belle vie, this mid-week menu (March 19 fell on a Tuesday) is wildly adventurous ... really, a foodie’s dream! It’s understandable how Monsieur Mourier was one of Paris’s celebrity chefs in the 1920s.

But it wasn’t to last. We know from history that the United States stock market crash occurred just seven months later, and by 1931, France was deep in its own economic depression. Parisian café society wouldn’t recover to a similar level until the 1950s … well after World War II. To me, this ephemeral bit of paper is a direct view into the very heights of those wild, jazz-infused Parisian nights.

Want to help me translate the whole menu? Leave your comments and insights by clicking the button below.

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Do you live for the thrill of the hunt? Do you dream of digging around acres of antiques looking for deals? We have the place for you!

Imagine a curated exhibition with well over 750 participating vendors. It’s such a great show, in fact, that we never miss it when we’re in France … and the designers and friends we have brought have never been disappointed.

And if that wasn’t enough, it’s located in the lavender-scented Occitanie region of France, near the country’s third-largest city, and occurs five to six times a year. Is your interest piqued?

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I’m probably not the only home cook that’s a little pastry curious: Fascinated by the process and the results of a perfect puff pastry but thoroughly apprehensive at the thought of making it (all those episodes of British Baking notwithstanding). Bravo to those who march gallantly into their kitchens and pull it off, but rough puff is about as adventurous as I get.

Are you like me? Do you stand at pâtisserie windows, marveling at the beauty, the range, the consistency of what’s inside? Do you ever wonder how it’s all done? Or are you simply in Paris looking to make a more meaningful, less touristy memory? Then I think La Cuisine Paris (80 Quai de l'Hôtel de ville, 75004 Paris France), an English-speaking pastry school started by Jane Bertch, is for you.

Meet Jane Bertch

A little backstory: Meeting blindly in Paris several winters ago through a mutual acquaintance, Jane and I — the owner of La Cuisine Paris — became instant friends. Both Chicago natives, our similar work ethic, and not-so-secret desire to flee the Midwest gave us plenty of common ground.

As we walked the 4th Arrondissement, the Paris “Marais,” and chatted that afternoon, I learned how Jane pulled off the seemingly impossible: moving to Paris on a job transfer in the banking industry with un peu knowledge of the language, then leaving that job in 2009 to start an English-speaking cooking school (staffed by Parisian chefs). I’ll leave the more salient details to her must-read book The French Ingredient, but the sheer audacity of her story was more than a little awe-inspiring.

Jane showed me all around the 4th Arrondissement that winter afternoon, past art schools, streets featured in “Emily in Paris,” and around City Hall, also known as l’Hôtel de Ville. We spoke of life in the Midwest … and Paris.

At the end of our visit, I took a tour of her shop and its three kitchens … then bid goodbye with a promise to one day take a class. I was thrilled to have met her.

If you’re planning a trip to Paris, I encourage you to take a look at Jane’s website and its offering of cooking, pastry and baking classes, and market and restaurant tours. There are morning and afternoon classes, each no more than four hours long, allowing one to take two a day, or simply have half the day free.

Fast forward to May 2023

Rounding the corner of the glorious Hôtel de Ville one early May morning years later, I walked south along the quai with coffee in hand, past waiters quietly setting up their tables, bouquinistes, and a few early joggers.

Across the Seine, the buildings of Île Saint-Louis silently glowed in the morning light. (How easy it is to become a flâneur when such incredible beauty is everywhere). In no time I had arrived at number 80 Quai de l'Hôtel de ville.

Jane knew we were in Paris for a few days ahead of a shopping trip in the south of France, and had signed me up for “Le Croissant and Breakfast Pastries” in the morning and “Technical Tartes” for that afternoon. I opened the door shortly before 8am, knowing I was going to work.

The lobby was mostly full of Americans, all enthusiastic to start. Something about being on vacation, the spring morning, and knowing our class would be in English helped set a tone of mutual ease and chattiness. Where were we all visiting from? How had we heard of La Cuisine?

I learned that three different classes were being taught that morning, each in one of the three separate kitchens. “Le Croissant” was being taught downstairs, so down my classmates and I went, where chef Mathieu Teissier introduced himself and got right to it.

“Le Croissant” was taught in three sections: Making the yeasted dough, then making the puff pastry, and finally using the puff to create croissants and other pastries!

Chef Mathieu was a pro and an excellent teacher, having graduated from the famed Le Ferrandi. This was the case for most of the chefs at La Cuisine: All had professional chops and were working in their field within Paris! Not a bad way for a lowly home cook to learn pastry.

What followed was three hours of full-contact baking. Each of us (about six or seven) took a place around an enormous stone-topped island to measure, mix, blend, knead, and roll out pastry after the chef’s demonstration.

You can see from the image above just how many pastries we all made that morning! By the end of class, we had created pain aux chocolat, kouign-amann, cinnamon rolls, and other treats along with classic croissants. When the noon break came, everyone agreed they needed it. We were all exhausted.

The afternoon class, “Technical Tartes,” was taught by a different chef and consisted of lemon curd, chocolate, salted caramel, and fruit tarts.

Unfortunately, my phone died sometime around lunch, so I have no pictures from the afternoon class.

By the end of the day we were spent, but we all left with take-home recipes and bags of the sweets we’d made that day.

Was I a pastry chef now? Hardly. But I left with something even better: a deeper appreciation for the craft, the confidence to try it at home, and the kind of memory that stays with you long after the pastries are gone!

My hot take on La Cuisine? If you’re in Paris and like to bake, it’s a must. Where else can you learn the proper way to make pastry? I feel the classes are as much a part of the cultural patrimony of the City of Lights as any painting in the Louvre.

La Cuisine Paris is in the middle of Paris. Just a wonderful place to start a stroll down the Seine right after class!

Resources

• Planning a trip to Paris? Make your experience even richer by booking a pastry or cooking class at La Cuisine Paris.

• If you love French pastry but have never dared to make it yourself, why not learn from the best? Check out La Cuisine Paris' class schedule and find the perfect one for you.

• Curious about how an American built a world-class cooking school in Paris? The French Ingredient by Jane Bertch is a must-read. Get your copy here.

Stopping in a small town to shop. Discovering a charming off-the-map brasserie. Exploring acres of sunflower or lavender fields at your own pace. Getting that perfect shot of Chartres cathedral. How to do it? Drive!

Driving through France allows one to experience the countryside and culture in a way like no other. If your French experience begins and ends with Paris, you are missing out on thousands of years of history, art, architecture, viticulture, and gastronomy.

The French highway system is top rate and the people themselves enthusiastic road trippers, so if you’re the adventurous type looking for a deeper dive into all things French, we recommend renting a car and getting on the road to create some new experiences. Get out there!

TFE Insider Tip: The French highway system is called la autoroutes

There are many similarities between the French and American highway systems, including rest areas (aires), exits (sorties), and filling stations (aire de service). There are even two similar brands of gasoline available: amongst Total Energies, Avia, and Carrefour, you’ll find Shell and BP.

Be aware that Shell and BP stations do not accept U.S. credit cards at the pump, requiring you to present your card to the attendant. (We believe it’s because of the way the expiration date is electronically stored on U.S. cards…for some reason you will NOT encounter this problem at a Total, Avia, or Carrefour station)

Unlike a U.S. gas station however, you cannot tell the attendant you want to “Fill it up (Le plein, s’il vous plaît)”, you must indicate a specific Euro amount that you’re purchasing, then leave your card at the register while you pump. This can obviously present a problem as you’ll have to guesstimate how much fuel you need.

With this in mind be aware of a few things:

1. Gasoline is priced and dispensed in Liters, not Gallons (3.78 liters = 1 U.S. Gallon)

2. The average tank capacity of a French car is between 50 and 60 liters

3. There are plenty of service stations throughout the entire highway system

Our recommendation: skip Shell and BP entirely and wait for a Total or Avia station, or in a pinch, buy enough gas to get you to the next station.

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Last fall on a shopping trip, I came across a Charlotte mold. The minute I picked it up, I noticed it was special — and different from those we’ve purchased in the past. It was heavier than usual, and the details more refined, so I looked a little closer.

This particular Charlotte mold had two distinctive stamps. First was the stamp of the maker: LeFevre Fréres. Second, a very prominent “W L.” After twenty years of looking at antique copper I had an inkling of it’s history, but was eager to know more. We bought it.

Backstory — The Orient Express

In 1869, a Belgian engineer named Georges Nagelmakers was traveling through the United States and noticed the train he was on had sleeping, restaurant, and salon cars. After returning to France in 1876, Nagelmakers went on to create the Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits, a company that would build and operate a new class of trains throughout Europe: trains with dining cars, sleeping compartments, and observation decks. Seven years later “The Orient Express” was born.

Each luxury train had its own kitchen, and each kitchen had a full batterie de cuisine: every pot, pan, gratin, and utensil needed to go into battle, as the French name alludes — pieces of exceptional quality, made by only the best cookware manufacturers, and stamped with the distinctive “W L” (Wagon-Lits). Even today, pieces stamped with “W L” are instantly recognizable for their quality, heft, and finishing detail.

— now more about this Charlotte mold

This Charlotte mold was made in Villedieu les Pöeles in Brittany, and dates to the early 1900s based on the maker’s mark and the lack of a train number. Earlier pieces were proudly stamped with such to keep them from being stolen.

Due to its weight and excellent condition, restoration of this mold was fairly straightforward: The existing tin lining was removed, a new tin lining was applied, and the mold was polished to a mirror finish.

How would it be used

I loved watching Julia Child make an Apple Charlotte on “The French Chef!” It’s the perfect size for a large chocolate soufflé or, of course, a Charlotte cake, which I haven’t quite worked up the courage to try.

I also haven’t quite worked up the nerve to sell the piece. Until something better comes along, it’s holding a place of pride in our kitchen.

Every morning, 365 days a year, fishermen bring their fresh catch to the Fish Market in the Port of Marseilles! The vibrant atmosphere includes the smells of the sea and the chatter of vendors and shoppers. The market offers a wide variety of seafood, essential for local dishes like bouillabaisse and grilled sardines.

The Vieux Port of Marseille is a historic center of maritime culture, featuring a daily fish market that attracts both locals and tourists. Founded over 2,600 years ago, Marseille has a strong connection to the sea, with the fish market serving as a vital part of its trading and fishing activities. This market has endured various challenges, showcasing the community's resilience and spirit.

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There’s something undeniably captivating about the words “French”, “Antique”, and “Cookware”, isn’t there? But when you add “Copper” to the mix, you’ve unlocked the ultimate combination of beauty and functionality.

Judging from the overwhelming response to our restoration videos, we know we’re not alone in our obsession. And while over the years we’ve imported, restored, and sold hundreds of copper sautés, saucepans, braisers, and gratins; stockpots seem to inspire people the most.

And why not? They’re irresistible! Who isn’t tempted to bring one home and whip up a batch of chicken stock, or even a Bouillabaisse (much like the one we tasted in Marseilles), with some French cafe music playing in the background?

This month, we’re spotlighting a truly special piece: A stunning antique French copper stockpot, ready to transport you to a charming bistro kitchen. Join us as we unveil its history and meticulous restoration, transforming it into a showstopper ready for its next chapter.

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If you know anything about me, you know I love getting in the weeds with an intractable French recipe, mucking about with a few ingredients surreptitiously carried home in checked luggage: French flour picked up at a Monoprix, local spices from the bustling market in Aix-en-Provence, or a tin of Sel de Guérande. All in the hopes of getting as close to authentic French food as one can get here in the States.

Why? Because in our experience everything tastes better in France.

I have a vivid memory of cutting into a locally made baguette one morning at a modest hotel just outside of Le Mans. Whether it was the flour, the water filtered through French limestone aquifers, or the salt harvested from the marshes of Brittany, that unassuming bit of bread tasted better than anything we’ve ever had in the States. It was a revelation—and a reminder that knowing how French food is supposed to taste is everything to us.

That pursuit of authenticity has shaped our kitchen at home. Dog-eared copies of Patricia Wells’s The Paris Cookbook (of which I’ve bought dozens of copies to give to friends) and The Balthazar Cookbook (a SoHo institution) occupy pride of place because, in my opinion, these books celebrate not just French flavors but also the authentic process of cooking à la française.

Knowing our penchant for such behavior, it shouldn’t come as a great surprise that we’ve spent years tinkering with one of the most divisive recipes in French cuisine: Bouillabaisse.

What is Bouillabaisse?

Ask a dozen French cooks what an authentic Bouillabaisse contains, and you’ll likely get as many responses. But there's some common ground: invented by Marseilles fish mongers using the unsold day’s catch and already popular around the Mediterranean in the 1700s, this hearty stew consists of a variety of soft and firm-fleshed fish, tomatoes, olive oil, fennel, onions, garlic, thyme, bay, and saffron.

Beyond that, the disagreements begin.

Potatoes? White wine? The addition of shellfish? Orange peel? Sea Urchin? Serve the fish in the soup or after the soup? The toasts served with the dish: rubbed with whole garlic cloves or left dry? And what about all the nuances in making the Rouille—that magnificent, garlicky accompanying spread that is simply a must?

It’s an argument tailor-made for the French and their love of specificity. Even Elizabeth David seems to have thrown in the towel after considering such contortions, admitting in French Provincial Cooking, “It is useless attempting to make a bouillabaisse away from the shores of the Mediterranean”. But even after reading such an opinion, we felt liberated to experiment and create our version of this meddlesome recipe.

And yet.

Much like that baguette in Le Mans, we wanted to know: What does authentic Bouillabaisse taste like?

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To find the best train tickets for travel in France, use the official French railway website SNCF, as it offers the most direct access to deals and allows you to purchase tickets directly from the source.

The SNCF Website

SNCF is the official French railways website, and the itineraries and prices provided are the same as those available in train stations in France.

Tickets for RER and SNCF trains can be purchased on the SNCF website.

Enter the destination …

… and options are returned for departure. After selecting your departure and outbound date, select “See Prices” at the bottom of the screen to continue.

Note the duration under each selection:

• “Direct” means you don’t have to change trains — but there may be stops between your departure and destination

• “1 connection,” or more connections, means you’ll need to change trains somewhere between your departure and destination

Buy Tickets Earlier for Cheaper Prices

Buy your train tickets as far in advance as you can. Using the same itinerary but choosing a different date a month later, returned the following prices …

… that were a significant discount from the previous search.

TFE Insider Tip: Before arriving at the train station, have your ticket handy as it will be needed to board the train. Prior to traveling, take a screenshot of your ticket and save it to your phone in the event your cellular service is unavailable when you arrive in France.