Paris (Montparnasse; Le Marais)

 

Yesterday: A visit to Reid Hall, Columbia's program here, off the Blvd. Montparnasse.  Charming place, a 19-th century porcelain factory then residence of wife of Whitelaw Reid the NY journalist and ardent imperialist at the turn of the last century.  (left) one of the courtyards.




Later, dinner with friends at "Marty," near my hotel on Rue Gobelins in the 13th  (left).  Beautiful decor and an excellent steak frites.



Today was the beginning of the conference on migration in the Americas.  Participants from Europe, US, Canada, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil.  A trilingual meeting, with papers given in French, English, and Spanish, with summary translations.  Today's sessions held at University of Paris VII (Diderot)'s building in the Marais.  

 In addition to intellectual stimulation there was significant stimulation gastronomique! a group of us went to lunch at the famed "L'As du Falalfel" (it's even in the Paris Zagats).  And possibly the best falalfel anywhere.  It's an Israeli restaurant (kosher) and take out place (long lines), in the old Jewish section of the Marais on Rue de Rosiers. The falafel are petite by American standards; I think this is part of the secret, for the surface to mass ratio is greater and hence you get greater crunch with each bite.  The sandwich is served in a pita with julienned cucumbers and chunks of grilled eggplant, and the sauce has some tahini in it.  You cannot bite into it, you have to eat it with a fork. Awesome!

I went to dinner with old friends from NYC who are also at the meeting, at the Dome du Marais, a wonderful art deco restaurant with a domed dining room.  The building is 18th century and apparently before it was a restaurant it was a pawn shop associated with a religious group, not clear if Catholic or Protestant.  Only in Paris would a pawn shop be in such a space! The dome has something of the feel of a baptismal space.

Anyway, now it's got lots of glass and black velvet banquettes.  Had white asparagus with mousse au foie gras (!!) and then grilled dorade, one of my favorite fish that is popular here (Mediterranean) and only occasionally seen in NYC; my friends both had the John Dory, perhaps even more rarely seen in the US.  And perfect with an excellent Sancerre.