I have just discovered a new variation on an old passion, Pizza. This is not your normal Parisian experience of pizza though, it is a Pizza Tart, and I may like it even better.
Breakfast was yummy, I thought of my friend Teri as I at down and I just had to take a photo for her to drool over! After a late start on a wet gray day I schlepped over to the monstrosity that passes for a modern art museum, the Center Pompidou. It is a horrid building that looks like one of Joey’s amusement park rides rather than a serious museum. There are several disparate pieces of fountainage in an area to the west of the building; the area is loaded with souviner shops and restaurants. I got to the door only to see a sign that said it is closed until May 25. I may not work up the energy to go again. I am thinking it was a close brush with the likes of Picasso, not worth the risk again. So off I want to Place du Vosges. On the way though I encountered this bad guy painted on the wall, I love good graffitti. Then I stopped in thee Musee Carnavelet and did some research for my book, I loved this painting ( what you see is only a small part of it) by Henri Gervex. Then finally to Place du Vosges. It is a place I have been before, many years ago. The first time I went I wanted to see the place of my smut books, but this time it was a pleasant place to sit and rest, read, and study my map a while. I have been attempting to do without my map, however this part of Paris is relatively new to me and I need it! Then hunger hit and all I wanted to do was eat, but there were left overs from my class in the fridge and I felt the desire to try that strawberry tart. So I started back to the apartment and ended up in the same place I had purchased that onion tart yesterday, this time I tried a Pizza Tart. I couldn’t wait to get home to try it. It was an explosion of saucy tomato with a smidge of cheese. Altogether it was a new taste treat. I followed it with that Strawberry tart, which was also fabulous, the filling Pino (the teacher) taught us to make is better than any I have ever had here.
For supper this evening I Metroed to St Suplice, (for you DaVinci code fans! Though I have to confess I did not go in) where most of the exterior is under repair. Bummer. I wandered and went du lèche-vitrine (the French call window shopping “Window Licking”). Stopped in several shoe stores and even tried on one pair. Finally I got hungry again and felt pretty sure that there was steak tartare calling my name somewhere, but where? As I walked I got hungrier by the minute and decided to head to an old standby, Polidor. But on the way, as I was reading menus, I encountered Le Boullion Racine. They had steak tartare on the menu and had a reasonable pre fix, so in I went. The interior was fantastic: all art nouveau, rather than wood tones the entire border was a pale aqua green, the patina of aged copper. Then in all the borders are either enameled flowers or fruit. It is a truly beautiful restaurant. My food was good, I had carrot soup, steak tartare, and finished with a Rhubarb tart. I even tried the frites, and of course there was the obligatory glass of wine. I tried to joke with the poor waiter about the fact that my meant was not cooked and at the perfect point of his alarm; I forgot the word for ‘joke’. I used the word for being crabby rather than joking. Poor man, he took it well. I won’t make that mistake again!
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