Welcome to the French Today Blog

Welcome to what is perhaps Paris’s most rough and rumpled neighborhood. Born January 1, 1860, during the re-alignment of the arrondissements, the 19th is a mix of old buildings in disrepair, tower blocks (on the hideous side) from the 1960s and 1970s, and lively commerce, all fueled by the immigrants who have been showing up here for over a century. In 1900 more than 80% of the population was working class, and it remains so today.

Le Beaujolais Nouveau est un vin rouge fait à partir de raisins Gamay de la région du Beaujolais. Alors que la plupart des vins rouges s'améliorent avec l'âge, le Beaujolais Nouveau se boit jeune: il est supposé être bu dans l'année.

Sa sortie est règlementée: le Beaujolais Nouveau innonde le marché à partir de minuit une, le troisième jeudi de Novembre, quelques semaines seulement après que les raisins du vin ont été récoltés. La fermentation est si courte que le vin est souvent très fruité et léger.

There are so many good restaurants in France... It's a shame to waste a meal in a mediocre one just because you didn't know. But fortunately, there is now a great site to help you make an informed choice: lafourchette.com.

Twisted trunks of Tanche olive trees, their leaves sparkling like silver in the warm soleil de Provence, bear buds of ripening promise for the fall.  Tree-ripened olives will go to the mill to be crushed, oozing into delicious, rich huile d'olive.

Happy Halloween to you all!

French people don't typically celebrate Halloween. In the 90s, young international hipsters started to have costumed parties for Halloween, and some bars and restaurants took the trend as well (French people typically love costume parties, they are very popular for New Year's Eve or Birthdays, even among grown-ups). Stores tried to get advantage of Halloween, and it's not unusual to find a "carve your Halloween pumpkin (une citrouille)" display at your local grocery store.

Bon appétit!

Le client demande au serveur, en consultant la carte: 
- Que me recommandez-vous en toute confiance? 
- Un autre restaurant...