Citizens of the World: A Stoic Podcast for Curious Travelers - Paris Travel: Insider Advice on the Best Dining, Drinks, and Shopping

Episode Date: November 7, 2017

Bestselling author and Paris resident Lindsey Tramuta says that for a time, Paris had become prisoner to its own grand history. While chefs and artists in other countries innovated, Paris rested on its laurels, serving up mediocre food and experiences to tourists seeking a cliche. In this episode of the Postcard Academy, I talk to Lindsey about her book, ‘The New Paris.’ 🇫🇷 Lindsey’s book champions the creative class that’s rejecting complacency. Inspired by the creativity they see in other countries, and disillusioned by the financial crisis, artisans and entrepreneurs are striking out on their own. We talk about the people and places making Paris a contemporary city bursting with energy 🇫🇷 In this ultimate Paris guide, you’ll learn more about Lindsey, an expat from Philadelphia, and hear where to go in Paris for the best food, cocktails, shopping, and so much more.    Links to everything we discussed can be found on postcardacademy.co   If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and tell a friend about the Postcard Academy podcast.     You can follow Postcard Academy on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.     If you’re feeling especially kind, please leave a review on iTunes. This helps people discover us. 🤗  Do you ever go blank or start rambling when someone puts you on the spot? I created a free Conversation Cheat Sheet with simple formulas you can use so you can respond with clarity, whether you’re in a meeting or just talking with friends.Download it at sarahmikutel.com/blanknomore and start feeling more confident in your conversations today.

Welcome to the Postcard Academy. I'm your host, Sarah Micatel. In last week's episode, my guest Katie Parla shared some of the best restaurants in Rome, and she also explained why it's possible to get a bad meal in the city. The same is true in Paris. My guest today says that for a time, Paris had become prisoner to its own grand history. While chefs and artists in other countries innovated, Paris rested on its laurels, serving up mediocre food and experiences to tourists seeking a cliche. Today I'm speaking with Philadelphia native and Paris resident Lindsay Trimuda about her best-selling book, The New Paris. Lindsay's book champions the creative class that's rejecting complacency.

Inspired by the creativity they see in other countries and disillusioned by the financial crisis, these artisans and entrepreneurs are striking out on their own. We'll talk about the people and places making Paris a contemporary city bursting with energy. You'll hear about the best places to go for food, cocktails, shopping so much more. I've included all the details for you on postcardacademy.com, so don't worry about writing anything down. And now to my conversation with Lindsay. Welcome, Lindsay. Thank you for joining me today. Of course. Thanks for having me. So you are from Philadelphia, but you've been in Paris for about 10 years now, is it? Yeah, I mean, my 11th year already, if you can believe it. So when

did this love affair with France begin? Um, well, I, I'm. Well, I'm. It started at a fairly young age. I started learning French when I was 12 in middle school when we're forced into language study, but without any expectation that it would carry me even through high school. And what I discovered was that I really enjoyed learning it. And there was something about the melody in the language itself that I found beautiful. And then when I learned more about the culture, you know, it sounded like my value. were more in line with theirs.

And then I was able to go to France when I was in high school for a couple of weeks. And then again, when I was in college twice, and that really sealed the deal for me. I find it really interesting that you said you identify more with the French culture than the American culture. What do you mean by that? Well, that could get me in trouble. I just mean, you know, as soon as I learned that culturally speaking, the French really value things like time spent around dinner table together, time away from work to, you know, have a breather, refresh, recharge their batteries, travel, those things. It just seemed like their priorities were in order and Americans were just,

you know, living to work. So after school, you decided, yes, Paris is a place for me. I'm going back. How as an American were you able to make that happen? How were you able to live and also? work in Paris. It was tough. I did my last semester of undergrad in Paris and then stayed. I was at that point living with my boyfriend, who became my husband, so he's French. And I tried to get a job the way anybody would get a job, but I only had a bachelor's degree. And the education system here is a bit different. And college students, basically all of them intern. And that internship sort of acts as an entry-level job. So where Americans who just graduated from college are able to start working in these junior-type roles, well, those roles are actually given to interns in Paris. It turned out that I,

you know, sort of the way forward, especially if I wanted to have a career in France, was to go back to school. So here, for certain types, sort of a certain category of job, you really need to have a master's degree. And so I went to grad school. I studied global communication at the American University of Paris. And, you know, it wasn't ultimately in my sort of life plan. I did not expect to go to grad school, or at least not then. But, you know, I was in a different environment and it worked out. So I did that and then immediately started, you know, I did have an internship at the end of that that program, which of course gave me the experience that, you know, no company was going to give me as a full-time salaried employee.

So I got my way into branding and advertising, and then once I graduated, was working in tech. But meanwhile, while I was in school, I got married. And that's legally how I was able to stay. So I still had my student visa, but I was able to change the status of my residency card because I had gotten married, and I was now with a French citizen.

And so then I had, you know, I was allowed to work. And I eventually found myself in different types of jobs. You know, I'm writing a lot. I write for magazines and newspapers and I still do consulting for agencies doing digital and social media strategy because that pays the bills. And, you know, it's still one of my interests. And I also really love your blog, Lost in Cheesland. So that actually started back when I had just graduated from grad school and I was really frustrated. I was quite lost as the name entails. And it was really sort of a venting platform. and I never anticipated it would become anything else.

And then it did. And I started taking it more seriously and, you know, spending a lot of time working on it and going out and discovering things and talking to people. And did this lead to your books? Well, I would say that my work as a journalist led to the book. I had obviously been documenting some of these changes that the city had been undergoing for different outlets. And, you know, but always sort of, you know, oh, there's this food. movement happening. And that was very different from what might be happening in the arts or in,

you know, hospitality. And so the book was actually me realizing that there was this link between all of the changes and wanting to document that. So your new book, The New Paris, it celebrates the new creative class that's transforming Paris. Before we talk about the new, I would love for you to just give us some context on the old Paris. So you've said that Paris had become, the victim of its own deified history, that mediocrity had become the accepted norm. I'd love for you to talk more about that. And then also the role that Paris cliches may have played in that. Well, I mean, Paris has gone through so many evolutions in its history and has been super

progressive at many points. And it always positioned itself or, you know, the authorities, the people in power, the intellectuals were really raising Paris up to be a leader in any number of fields. And that's a meaty history to uphold over time. I mean, certainly you have architecturally, culturally, artistically, economically, gastronomically, I mean, it was just so strong in so many areas and looked upon by other nations. with such awe, I think even when I moved here, there was, there were these sort of grand restaurants revered in all the guidebooks. But if I were to go to any number of them, I would leave feeling

like I was missing something. Like, you know, what is so good about this? So they're sort of resting on their laurels. Exactly. Exactly. And, and I think there's also, to a degree, you know, when you're a tourist capital, you think, well, it's fine. There will always be other tourists. And I think that's a mentality that happens in any number of, you know, tourist destinations where you think, well, it doesn't have to be perfect because there will always be someone new coming in. You know, and why, what is the incentive to try harder? But that created that mediocrity that I mentioned. And you really felt that in food. And that's when, you know, food critics from around the world were starting to question whether there was still any, you know, any value to what was going on in France.

could we really look to France or Paris anymore as an inspiration? And I think that shook them up a bit. And that's when there were some key chefs and key restaurant owners who wanted to make things better and wanted to show that not everybody was cutting corners. And so that's one major area where change was truly felt. And so tell me more about this new Paris and the new B-Chi. movement? Well, what I called the new Paris, again, it's meant to be kind of tongue-in-cheek, because like I said, there are many, many points in the city's history where it was seen as new

and innovative. But for me, it's at once a movement, very energetic movement, where people are creating and reviving traditions and trying to make the city a more open place. And it's also you know, more of a global city. So not just in statistically there have always been, or sort of, you know, if you look at a census, there have always been immigrants and foreign populations. But, you know, that cosmopolitanism seemed to be sort of just on paper and not in practice. Was there really much openness to those other cultures, whether it's them themselves or the ideas that they bring and their concepts and that that really started to change. So for me, the new Paris is also sort of this open arms curiosity and acceptance of other other ideas, other influences and it and not being treated as though it's going to somehow endanger the Parisian lifestyle or the Parisian identity. Yeah. And it's true what you say about social media. Like we're not living in bubbles anymore. We can see what's happening in New York. We

can see what's happening in Berlin. Entrepreneurship seems to just be taking hold everywhere in the world. You know, historically, the French have had more job protections than they probably do now. And if they don't have this job protecting them anymore, it's like freeing in a way to go out and start your own thing. Yeah, it's scary. And I think some people won't thrive in that kind of an environment, but a lot of people have. And, you know, I look even the fact that, you know, the fact that I was interested in a number of different things. And even now I do have, you know, sort of different revenue streams and different activities that I do. You know, that is less seen as bizarre as it would have, you know, 10 years ago, even eight years ago, five years ago. And I think that's just, yeah, the culture is shifting.

The job market is not at all what it ever used to be. And, you know, and so it's sort of forced people to realize that things are changing whether you like it or not. And how has Paris changed you? Let's start with food. How has Paris changed the way you eat? I definitely eat a more diverse array of foods, whether it's from vegetables to meats to meats to preparations. I don't find much joy in cooking myself. But I will say that when we do go food shopping and when I do, whether I'm cooking or it's my husband cooking, I want to make sure we have the right things, the right produce.

And by right, I mean sort of doesn't necessarily come from a million miles away, is plucked from the local green grocer versus a big box supermarket. And I really want to try to support, and I've been doing this ever since I've been here. you know, the different artisans. So, you know, going to a cheese monger, going to the Greek deli to get, you know, feda and pita and all sorts of things like that. So it's just identifying who these makers are and how I can help support them. Continuing with food, Paris is becoming more a vegetarian-friendly. I'd love to hear a little bit more about that.

What's been good is that there have been a lot of big chefs who have, not only overhauled their menus to include more plants and vegetables, making sure they weren't just these side dishes, but actually part of the main feature of any dish, even meat dishes. But then, you know, the extension from there is having all vegetarian options as well. So it has to sort of, it typically starts at the top with big chefs who are willing to make those changes and see the value in that and maybe the need from clients. and then it goes down the chain and you get people who open, you know, 100% veggie places. We've got this great, we've got many at this point, but, you know, there's one I'm thinking of.

It's a Mediterranean almost, I don't know how to describe it. I mean, it's like a Mediterranean canteen and it's all sorts of veggie salads and tarts and there's Shack Shuka and other things like that. And it's great. What's the name of this place? It's called IMA. I am a right on the canal Samartan. Did you have him on your podcast?

No, not him. I had, who did I have? Oh, I had Guy Griffin from Cafe Obrcomf and Cafe Merrickour. Okay. Who also has Shack Shuka on his menu, which is great. He was one of the first people to do it. But his restaurants are not 100%. veggie. But this EMA place definitely is. And there are others, you know, there are tons of other

examples now. And it was sort of like, oh, people either are eating that way all the time or maybe they're just, yeah, I, you know, I eat meat, but I don't want to have it all the time. And and so the fact that it started, you know, from sort of top chefs and made its way down has been great. Moving on to coffee. So visitors to Paris often have a very romantic idea about sitting in a cafe all day, drinking great coffee. Talk to me a little bit about this culture and also the quality of coffee in Paris. Well, the distinction that needs to be made first is just that. It's that there's cafe culture and then there's coffee culture. And in Paris, those two do not or have not traditionally mixed together, which means you have the cafe set up, which is a social

gathering place. Historically, it's been also a place for the resistance to form. One writer has called it, has called the Parisian cafe a cauldron of thought and conversation. And the drink itself was an accessory to that. And then you have coffee, which if you take what, you know, what has been served in in Parisian cafes for generations, it's, it's pretty bad. Part of that has to do with the types of beans that the colonials were harvesting in West Africa and were bringing back. But then you also have in just rampant miscarre, misuse. There are beans that are overroasted. They're stale.

The machines aren't clean properly. You know, an espresso might sit on the machine for, you know, an ungodly amount of time before it served to you because someone forgot, but you're still going to get it, even though it's no longer. you know, it's no longer good. And it hasn't been treated as a fresh product, although it is. And so you have this, this, the emergence of a coffee movement, which is, you know, what we call third wave or specialty coffee, where these, the beans are coming from the right altitudes. They're coming from sometimes single plantations. So you're tracking not only the quality of the bean, but then how it gets transported, then how it gets roasted, then how it's brewed, then how the barista will pull the shot or prepare your latte.

So it's just an actual, it's treated now as an actual fresh product, but not everywhere. So it's still kind of a niche product. It'll be in Anglo-style coffee shops. That's starting to change too. Some hotels and nice restaurants are serving much better quality coffee supplied by local roasters. And you also have a place like La Fontaine de Belleville, which is from, it's sort of a corner cafe run by one of the Parisian roasters themselves. And it looks exactly like, you know, your quintessential retro Parisian cafe where they start. of beer and croqu monsieur and ham sandwiches. But the quality of the coffee they're serving is far better. And it sounds like that trend in quality is taking place in the cocktail world as well. I've read before that the 1920s were sort of the golden era of cocktails in Paris.

And then that quality sort of went down for quite a long time. And then in the 2000s, it started to evolve for the better. Can you talk to me a little bit about how that came about, how that like positive change came about? Well, you know, the cocktails were always served in luxury hotels and you'd have maybe some mojitos in, you know, dive bars and just regular bars where people weren't actually looking to consume anything that was creative or interesting or with fresh ingredients. It was just, you know, whatever your classic, you know, and in Paris when I moved here, it was the mojito. That was, I mean, anyone, you go into any bar and that's what someone was ordering. But you have the experimental group who are at this point known even outside of Paris because they have establishments in London in Ibiza and in New York. And they really spearheaded this entire change.

They had traveled. When they were students, they were spending time. in Canada and they were spending time in the U.S., and they saw this rising cocktail movement, that there were bars that were at the time it was, you know, the big boom of prohibition-era style cocktail joints or speakeasies. But it was fun. It created a different environment. The cocktails themselves didn't cost a fortune, and everything was really well-made. Different types of spirits were being used. Fresh syrups, homemade. made condiments, all of these different things that no one in Paris was doing.

And if you wanted any kind of elaborate or classic cocktail, you were going to the hotels, and that cost like 20 to 25 euros a drink, if not more. And so they came back to Paris and we're like, okay, there's something we can create here. And initially, when they launched the experimental cocktail club, it wasn't easy. I mean, they still got people who were asking for mojitos when they came in. And, you know, they sort of let that fly for a while. But then would try to say, well, you know, if you like that and that kind of a drink, you know, let us make something else for you that you might like. And that just sort of got things rolling.

And they were sort of the primary leaders. And then you had quixotic projects, a group that came after. And they started off with a place called Candelaria. One of my favorite places in Paris. And also co-founded by our group. friend, mutual friend Josh. Right, right. And Josh is American. The other two founders, one is American and one is Colombian. And they, I mean, it was really a simple idea, you know, a talkeria in the front. You go through this unmarked door and you're in a cocktail bar. It's just

that those cocktails were, you know, above and beyond what anybody had ever tried here. And they've gone on to win tremendous awards and are still ranked. very highly in the world's 50 best bars listing just this year. I don't quote me on it, but I want to say they're in the top 15. And well deserved, I would say. I had the best drink of my life in Candelaria. It was a cilantro margarita, which to me sounded awful. But when I tried it, I was like, wow, this really, yeah, impress me.

Well, you're certainly not one of those people who can't tolerate cilantro. Apparently, there are just some people genetically that taste soap when they eat it. But, you know, those two really got all this off the ground. And now you have rum bars. You have bars like Los Andiqua that really celebrate French spirits, spirits that French people themselves barely know and barely understand. Konyk and Afmaniac are, you know, 95% of the production is exported. So, of course, the French aren't the ones drinking it.

So, you know, there's a big celebration of what can be done with mixed drinks. And that's wonderful. So there's a vibrant cocktail scene. And really, they caught up quite quickly. You know, you think 2007, that's not that long, considering that it was far more mature, the market or the scene was far more mature in parts of the U.S. and in London. So, you know, not a bad performance, I'd say, from the French. So where would we find you and your friend hanging out on a Friday night?

Well, if I'm not at home with my cats, which has become more of a common scenario, I might be in any number of places. I might be at Martin, which is in the 11th. And it's, I mean, it's so hard to explain because it's so much more than a wine bar. And it's so much more than a like a cab at manger, which means, I mean, because you can go and have a drink, you don't have to eat. But it's all, I mean, they're all, it's all small plates. And when I say small plates, I mean, that sounds, I tend to eye roll now when some place is a small

plates restaurant because I always end up hungry. But here, it's really not expensive. So you can order one of everything for yourself if you want and you'll be fine. And that's the thing. It's inexpensive. It's super laid back. You end up running into, you know, your neighbors and other people who are, are into food and wine in the, in the, in the community.

Um, and the wines are inexpensive too. So it's just an old, like, just laid back. And there's no specific design of the place. You might, you can barely see that there's a sign, but it's called Martin. And I do like to go there. I also sometimes stop for a cocktail at Bizzou, which, um, is all, almost across the street from, from Martin, which is a cocktail bar, um, where there's no menu and you tell them what you like, what kinds of flavors you like, if there are any spirits

you like, and they'll concoct something for you. Or I might be at Café Mericou, because they just launched Apeiro. So they're now open through early evening from like, I don't know, six to 10. So yeah, I like to stay local. And that's your neighborhood, the 11th. Yeah. So basically everything I've just cited is in the 11th. It sounds like a great neighborhood. No, it's super fun. And there's so many options. You could go up to La Bouvet, which is a tiny wine bar that's very well loved. You can go to Clamado or Septim La Cave, which is a wine cellar or Cabam-Morges. So, I mean, there are really so many options in one neighborhood that you really don't need to leave. And then on occasion, I will say I like something a little bit fancier.

And when I had a friend in town recently who had never been to Paris, she said, I really want to go to the Ritz. I know that sounds, you know, kind of ridiculous. and it's over the top. And I was like, you know what, let's go. And there is something fun about straddling both of those worlds, you know, hanging out at your local dive or a canteen, and then occasionally just splurging on the experience of being in the environment of a palace hotel. So, yeah, I think Paris is great in the sense that you have sort of for high, middle, and low,

there's a hangout everywhere. So if I were going to come visit you for the weekends, and let's say I've never been to Paris. Where would you take me? I mean, I would do a lot of walking, so I would tell you to bring your walking shoes, definitely around the canal and everything that's developing over there, but even further up toward the Bessand de la Villette,

so that's in the 19th. And, you know, there are these art house cinemas that flank the water basin. And as you go up, there's a craft beer brewery. You've got this awesome cafe. a third space. It's like a hybrid space called Le Pavilion de Canoe.

And inside, it's all decked out like an actual home, sort of an old-fashioned, kitschy home. But, you know, it operates as a cafe so you can go in, get coffee, snacks, cake, whatever. But you can choose any room in the house.

So you can have your coffee in the bathtub upstairs. That sounds so cozy. And through the window, you see the water. So it's just, it's just sort of a collection. and to me, something that could exist only in Paris. But I would take you up there because that's an area that's really wonderful,

and it's like a village onto itself. I would probably take you for lunch or dinner at Le Sincondeu, Foulg Saint-Den-Den-I, which is one of my favorites in the San Dune area. And then, you know, who knows? Maybe surprise you and take you to the left bank, of all places, and to a restaurant I really like there. So it would be a lot of walking. and a lot of exploring and then choosing based on whatever we feel like.

So stay out of the taxis and just walk around. I mean, I do a lot. Yeah, I mean, I really do a lot of walking. I take the bus when that's most convenient. I take the metro. And, and yeah, I mean, Uber's are here if you really need them. But it's such a well-connected city that you really can do everything, either by foot, two wheels, or on the bus or the metro.

So what are some tourist traps we should avoid, whether it's food or attractions, and maybe what are some alternatives? Well, that's a tough one because I would say as a general rule, the establishments that are, you know, found directly around major landmarks like the Eiffel Tower or Notre Dame are pretty touristy, mediocre, you know, overpriced for what it is. In another example, though, our friend Josh from Quixotic Projects has just launched a restaurant called Les Grants in the Palais de Tokyo, which itself is a kind of monument. So that's in the 16th arrondissement, and it is a contemporary art museum. And he and his team are now behind this fantastic bar restaurant that's inside the museum. So I look at him as an example of like, that's an alternative. You don't want to eat around the Eiffel Tower. or you don't want to eat, you know, somewhere, you know, around the place de Trucaderou,

because it's, you know, you really aren't convinced that any of it is going to be of quality. Well, then you walk down to the Pellida, Tokyo, and you go into his restaurant. And I hope that will start to get things changing in terms of museum dining. But other than that, like if we look at San Michel, which is a high tourist area, I would say just keep walking and know where you want. want to go to eat. I mean, that's really the thing. I find Paris to be a tough spot when you just want to improvise unless you know. So I know a handful of street food places and restaurants that might be open all day. So if I find myself in that neighborhood, I'm not totally at a loss. But if you're

traveling and you don't know and you have not done any research, you might end up feeling stuck. And there are so many, I mean, there's like a landmark in every neighborhood. So it's really tough to avoid some of these traps. But I mean, I guess my key suggestion is to do a minimal amount of research. And if you think you're going to be around the Louvre or the Eiffel Tower on a given day, make sure you've sort of scoped out a couple of options before you head out. Yeah. Well, people should definitely be checking your book and your blog to because you don't want to go all the way to Paris and have a bad meal because there's no need. Like there's no you don't need. It's easy to not do that. How can we not look like a tourist in Paris? Give us some fancy.

and tips. I see that these like big oversized backpacks have come back. Like maybe don't take that if you're going to go to a go out to dinner. Wear shorts only when it's warm out. I mean, that's is a dead giveaway that you're a tourist when you're wearing short. You know, Americans tend to be able to withstand cold temperatures and still wear shorts. I don't I don't understand it. I mean, I just saw a guy the other day wearing shorts and a t-shirt and I'm like, he's freezing outside. And you just know they're not from here, which is fine. I mean, good on him if he's happy doing that. But, you know, it does stand out.

Muted colors are generally better than wearing anything very flashy. But I'd say just be comfortable. There's nothing worse than seeing someone who's trying too hard to fit in and just look like they can't even walk or they're just miserable. Who are some of your favorite French designers? Well, designers are shops. I mean, it's sort of a mix, but I really love Cézanne. And the designer herself is actually, her name is Morgan. But her brand Cézanne has now launched in New York City as well, which is good on many people's bank accounts.

I'm a big fan of Kitsunei, but it's very expensive. So I really only ever buy anything if it's on sale, and like I mean significantly on sale. I like Vesja for sneakers. It's all very sustainably and ecologically produced. I like Contoire du de Coutonier, just sort of sophisticated,

well-made blouses, pants, jackets, that kind of thing. And in terms of big designers, yeah, I mean, I'm more into jewelry, I think, or bags and going straight to an actual designer. I tend to shop more at, you know,

more established brands that aren't necessarily major chains. But I'm not shopping at, what would an example of a very famous style? I'm not shopping at Chanel or Dior. Right. Because it sounds like Paris especially. Now has a lot of new people coming up who, you know, you could get something maybe a bit more original. Oh, completely.

I mean, in terms of bags, there's a designer I like. I mean, her brand name is Fovett, but the designer, Claire, is someone who is doing fantastic leather work and all handmade in her little workshop, which also is a store called Aturier Kuan. And she shares that space with the jewelry designer named Luis Demas, and I have her jewelry too. So I tend to gravitate toward, especially for accessories, people like that who are really talented and who I want to support more than the big guys. Yeah, and you talk about that in your book as well, the French families who are sort of reviving these traditional crafts. Could you share some of those stories? And also I'm specifically interested in about paper because I just think that's so gorgeous. Yeah. I mean, I've been really pleased to see that stationary and cards and all sorts of paper goods have come back. And I think in any case, I mean, Americans have always, you know, there's the brand hallmark clearly did not come from France. People don't really give as many cards for any old occasion. That's very American. But so when they do write something, it's really kind of meaningful.

And I think we're all sort of overwhelmed by our digital appendages these days. And so it's been a great opportunity for brands like Papier Tigger and Letterpress de Paris to come about because they have a market. And it stands out, certainly when you're shopping. And you're like, oh, look at these beautiful cards. and you realize that they're all made in traditional ways. You know, the letterpress brand especially, I mean, it's all printed in-house. They had to get special machinery. The trade itself was, you know, dying out.

And he's one of the people who have been reviving it, and they do special collaborations with French designers and have different designers work on different sets of cards. And they're all signed by the designers so you know you're getting something really original. And it's just beautiful. I mean, it's not a huge operation, but, you know, the printer he works with has been in the industry for so long. And finally, he's printing things that he actually, you know, feels good about. He thinks they're cool and they're beautiful and they're artistic. And there are examples of these trades also like, you know, in leather making and jewelry making, all of these traditions need to stay alive. And so having these small atuliers or workshops,

some of which you can actually visit and they double as boutiques is great because you see the person there. Or at least you know that everything in there has been handmade and is unique. Can you give us one or two more examples? And also is there a specific like neighborhood where a lot of these can be found? You know what? It's really all over. I would say there are big areas though where you're starting to see a proliferation of more like independent boutique. like this. So in the North Marais, which is where I shop a lot, in the ninth, in the 10th, and a

smattering of little boutiques in the 11th as well. But like Alex Rennis is a ceramicist who has a beautiful boutique in the third. And so she makes dishware, cups, other types of accessories, but then also on the upper floor, she does jewelry as well. So, you know, it feels like, okay, this is something I'm going to get here and really nowhere else. You also have, well, Astier de Villat is far more well-known and far more expensive in terms of the porcelain and ceramic work. But again, they too revived an old trade. In terms of clothing and bags, I mean, you have Verbreuil, which is a family-run luxury leather goods. so bags, wallets, key chains, this sort of thing, and they work with the best leather makers in Europe,

some of whom are like the only ones to have the skill to work with certain types of leather. So, you know, I think there's this real desire on the part of many people, many entrepreneurs or crafters to make sure, even though they're young and they're innovating and they're, you know, producing styles that may not have existed before, that they're really, still honoring the trades of the past. And I just want to book my ticket right now to Paris. I love design. There's never a bad. Before I let you know, I would love to do a quick lightning round of some of your Parisian favorites.

Okay. Pastry and pastry shop. Okay. So I have two. Food of patisri, which, and I don't know if you want me to explain it, but it's a concept store, which means nothing to. a lot of people, but that essentially means that under one roof, you have a variety of different desserts and pastries and chocolates and things from chefs across the city.

So rather than having to go to all of them, you've got a pretty robust sampling in one place. I also really love Bon Ton, which is in the Marais and it's Sablet cookies, which are filled with a variety of different creams, ganache. other beautiful things, fruit or chocolate or with hazelnots, whatever's in season. And it's just an absolute favorite. How about bakery? So there's one in my neighborhood called Utopia or Utopia or Utopia, basically. And it's great.

It looks like your average neighborhood bakery, but turns out some really impressive things. they do a coal baguette. So it's all black, you know, very ashy, among other breads that are beautiful. And then they have beautiful pastries themselves and tarts and cakes and things like that. And very, very good viennuisri, which are breakfast pastries. So, you know, your croissant or your pan-o-z-amonde or your pan-o-a-chocotta, briosh, all of those things. Beautiful at Utobi. Do people buy baguettes every day?

Is that a real thing? A certain generation, certainly, I do see them buying baguettes, but then as you get younger, it's usually like more rustic loaves or what's called a baguette tradition, which is a different sort of baguette, which has more restrictions on it. You know, what actually is considered a baguette tradition has some very clear elements. But, yeah, I mean, people are still buying bread. It's less than before. And by before, I mean, like 10, 20 years ago, the consumption was much higher.

Where do you go for brunch? Usually Cafémerichour. And what do you get there? Oh, sometimes I'll get Czech chakshuka. Sometimes I'll get a green bowl, which has hulumi and quinoa and avocado and pickled onions and that kind of thing. He also does amazing pancakes that change with the season. So he'll have toppings usually with ricotta, but also with, um, seasonal fruit. Right now he's got

kiwi and figs. It's beautiful, flavorful, you know, just a different way of doing pancakes. Where do you go for dinner? Typically at a place called 10 that, right in the 11th and it's beautiful. It's simple. They know me. I know them.

I feel comfortable there on the menu changes regularly, so I'm usually able to try a variety of different things. How about wine or cocktail bar? Well, I mentioned Martin before, and cocktails I'd say my hangout of late is Bizzou. So that's the place I was telling you about that is across from Martin where there's no menu, but you can specify what you like. And he'll even customize a mocktail if you're not drinking alcohol but want something great. And I've actually had that before and it's fantastic, very creative.

I love that you could get a signature drink. Yeah. It's such a special thing, especially maybe even a birthday or something. It is special. The trick is then, if you really liked it, trying to remember the combination so that they can recreate it easily. They need a system. Are you a museum going? Very rarely, but my favorite is the Musei d'Orsay, which isn't a super original favorite,

but it just, there's something about that museum when I'm inside. I just feel inspired. You're obviously a resident, so you're not staying in hotels, but do you have any recommendations of where people should stay when they visit Paris, either neighborhood or actual name of a hotel? Well, that really depends on budget, and I know that really, you know, runs the gamut. But, you know, I really like Hotel Providence. Hoxton is a new hotel. It's fantastic. That is a British group, and they have a hotel in London and Amsterdam.

and so now their Parisian hotel is probably the most grand of them all. It's beautiful. And, you know, on a smaller budget, I think you've got a place like Hotel Paradee, which, you know, may run max 100 euros a night for a small room, which is still pretty good if you want, you know, comfort and cleanliness and that kind of thing. So really it just depends on budget. I can also give you high luxury, but I don't know that that's going to feel like that. Throw one out there. Throw one out there. Why not?

I really think the work on the Hotel de Crion was amazing. I really think they did a fabulous job redesigning it. And I, you know, some of the people that knew it before throughout the last, I don't know, four decades, four or five decades would say that, you know, it's lost a piece of its soul. But it had, it was really in need of a, of a refresher. It was very old, very dark. And now it's, I think it's beautiful. And the rooms are, now, not speaking about the suites and the apartments in there, which are going to run you, you know, a pretty fortune.

But, you know, the other rooms are just very smartly designed, comfortable, bright, and lovely. So that's definitely a glamorous experience to have. Is there any etiquette dining or otherwise that foreigners should be aware of? saying bonjour when you and au revoir or bonsoire when you leave an establishment so whether it's a shop or a restaurant it's kind of important and also if you're going to ask anybody a question so let's say a salesperson you have to have said bonjour first or else they won't they won't answer you you know just be polite and i think they that will that will speak volumes well perfect thank you Lindsay, where can people find more about you?

So I'm on the gram, the Instagram on lost in cheese land.com, which is my website. I also have a portfolio website, but that's really for my editorial work, and that's LindsayTremuda.com. And on Twitter and Facebook, so really it's just the same name. It'll be Lost in Cheeseland, so spelled N instead of I-N in the middle. and yeah, and if people head to lost and cheeselun.com, they'll see all the ways to contact me. Yes, so we want people to have the best dining and shopping experiences and everything. So you're happy to help.

You're a great resource for that. So thank you so much, Lindsay. Thank you. I really wish I were sitting in a Parisian bathtub drinking coffee right now. How about you? And that's a great tip to say hello when you enter a Parisian shop. I used to be too shy to do this because I thought they would hate my accent and be rude to me. And then they were totally rude because I didn't say anything, and then I would think that's so rude.

But then I found out, oh, it's actually really important in their culture to say hi when entering somewhere. So it can feel a little uncomfortable to try and speak French, but the effort is appreciated, and when you really think about it, it's just hello and please and thank you. Okay, you'll find Lindsay's great tips on postcardacademy.com slash Paris. And the next time you're in the city, make sure you get drinks at her friend Josh has placed Candelaria, rated best cocktails in the world for a reason. If you'd like today's episode, please share it with a friend and leave a review on iTunes. This helps people discover the show. That's all for now. Thanks for listening and have a beautiful week wherever you are.

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