Baby Bottles of Wine

Yep, you read that right. The day after our Fontainebleau/Vaux-le-Vicomte excursion, a group of us went to Le Refuge des Fondues in Montmartre to celebrate Y.'s birthday.

At this point in my stay here in France, I've gotten pretty good at sifting through restaurant reviews. It's not uncommon to find wildly conflicting reviews about the same restaurant, with some patrons touting an establishment as "the highlight of their Paris vacation," and others saying it was the most over-rated tourist trap they'd ever fallen for, with bad service to boot.

First things first - ignore American complaints about poor service. In the States we're used to charismatic unemployed actors grinning at us as they regale us with descriptions of the day's specials and fastidiously note all our special orders - all in the hopes of getting a big fat tip. Here in France, service is compris, and leaving a tip is completely optional - a reward for truly outstanding service. Since I'm an obviously a poor foreign student, no Parisian waiter expects me to leave a tip, and the service usually reflects that. Mais, tant pis! I'm just here for the food, anyways.

Alors, I could tell by the reviews online that Le Refuge des Fondues was going to be fun. The people who wrote negative reviews online sounded like old farts. The people who wrote positive reviews sounded like they were young, adventurous, and had a good sense of humor.

Although Y. claimed she had called the restaurant and made a 6:30 reservation for us, they restaurant refused to seat us until 7:00, claiming they they didn't even open until then. Oh well - we strolled around Montmartre for a bit. We were finally seated at a long table against the wooden walls, which are covered in scribbles and carved signatures of past patrons.

The meal was prix fixe at 21€ per person, which got us all apéritifs, a plate of hors d'œuvres (head cheese, cheese, pickles, olives, and spicy potatoes), a choice of cheese or meat fondue, and - of course - the famous biberons (baby bottles) of wine (choice of red or white).

I think the wine has to come before the fondue to help you numb the guilt that comes with consuming ridiculous quantities of bread and molten cheese.

On nights like tonight, calories don't exist...

As one review aptly put it, it's neither the best wine in Paris, nor is it the best fondue in Paris - but it's one of the best quirky Parisian experiences you could ask for as a hungry/thirsty study abroad student!

Day 1, Meal 1 : Salade "Y Fé Cho," Chez Lili et Marcel, 13e arr.

After two flights, the RER B, two métro lines including missing my stop twice in both directions), and carrying some very over-loaded bags, I looked like I had just run a marathon (sweat and all). I'm surprised the waitress was willing to let me sit in a decent establishment. Other than a piece of soda bread at the Dublin airport, I was running on empty.
Imagine my vegetarian delight when I stumbled across the street from the métro stop and found this gem on the menu!

The name of the dish is a slang-y, phonetic way of saying "It's hot out!" salad, and could not have been more apropos: in the center of the dish is a jar of that cooling summer classic, gazpacho; this is surrounded by mixed greens, sliced cucumber and tomatoes. A liberal slice of watermelon is flanked by two slices of cantaloupe. Atop the jar of gazpacho is a "brochette" (skewer) of tropical fruit: mango, kiwi, pineapple. The bottle to the left is extra vinaigrette; the bottle in the center is just water (sorry, folks, I was already drunk on sleep deprivation); the pail to the right was filled with hearty chunks of baguette.

Re-fueled, and re-hydrated, I was able to present myself halfway normally to my generous host who is letting me stay with him until I find an apartment!