September 2023: Back At It, Carrie Soloman's New Brunch & Paris Foodie News
Openings and what not to miss, dispatches from the foodie frontlines, hanging out in Colonel Fabien, and how you can win a week’s stay in Montmartre.
Back at it. As we start prepping nests for colder climes and earlier sunsets, I’m back at my desk after spending the summer exploring bits of France I wish I knew better, like the gloriously green Dordogne (have you been?). This instalment of What’s Up, Paris? is a little special because I’m joined by a colleague from a past life. A die-hard foodie, Florence brings you dispatches from the dining frontlines, in both English and French, in “Go with the Flo”. So, whether you live here or plan on paying us a visit, here’s the lowdown on places and faces making it a little easier to get back to the daily post-vacay humdrum. I hope you’ll enjoy this September edit as much as we did writing it. Happy rentrée, as they say here! - Roxy x
If you do just 3 things this month
If you only get around to checking out a few things this month, here’s why these 3 should be high up on your list.
What to do in Paris this September?
Nothing brings me more joy than ticking things off a list, so here’s what I’m making my way through right now.
Go with the Flo: Paris food news
Fancy cocktails and rebel-bourgeois cuisine in Paris with @Florence Valencourt, our latest What’s Up, Paris? contributor. Bon apétit Flo, wherever you may be!
Carrie Soloman: Reinventing the rules in the kitchen
I speak to the American chef who’s getting Parisians out of bed for breakfast.
Hanging out in a Communist hood of Paris
A micro-itinerary in Colonel Fabien with failsafe offbeat places to see and eat at.
Win a week’s stay in Montmartre and help to end hunger
Support Erica and Alain’s stellar work to help hungry families have access to top-quality food and beautiful flowers.
Photos: left, top and bottom, Veggies To Table. Right: @l.r.e.
The non-profit Veggies To Tables organic farm supports families in need in Maine, one of the most deprived areas in the US where as many as 1 in 5 children go hungry. Please donate in their Paris bonanza sweepstakes if you can, and you’ll be in the running for a week’s stay in a gorgeous Montmartre apartment (I’ve lived here, so I can vouch that it’s a real treat!) and a tour of secret Latin Quarter spots with me (putting those Lonely Planet guide-writing finds to good use). Alternatively, you can also lend a hand by contacting the farm and giving your time to help them on the ground.
Things I’m reading:
Paris Makes ‘Summer Terraces’ a Permanent Part of Cafe Culture - The New York Times
A Defense of the Ugliest Building in Paris - The New Yorker
How to Avoid Crowds in Paris - The New York Times
Meet the Galleries of Paris's Newest Contemporary Art Street - Artsy
Paris booksellers won't let their street stands along the Seine be removed for the 2024 Olympics - AP news
Work to restore, reopen the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris continues | 60 Minutes - CBS
