Tacos

While most of this blogs chronicles “how weird I think everything French is,” it’s becoming harder and harder to do, as I’ve become steadily more accustomed to life here (five years might do that to a person).

Last weekend, I felt especially comfortable in my little French life. I felt especially Parisian, and it all started off with tacos.

I had given up on ever tasting Mexican food worth eating in France, but then I moved to Paris and had a colleague who was equally desperate for good Mexican food.

After some quick internet research, we decided to go try a little hole-in-the-wall place over by the Canal St. Martin called El Nopal. It was maybe the best decision of my life. The tacos were heavenly, and it wasn’t just my lowered expectations talking.


El Nopal.
Since there is no seating at the restaurant, I (and many others) have made a habit of taking my tacos and beer over to the banks of the Canal St. Martin to bask in the sun’s rays and enjoy the nice view.


Delicious vegetarian tacos.
On this particular visit, after savoring the tacos while engaging in nice conversation, my friends and I walked along the canal and even got to witness a péniche (barge) leveling out the water to make its way up the canal. We stumbled upon a few vide dressing (sort of like pop up second hand stores), and once we made it to the Marais we visited several art galleries.

As evening settled in, we found ourselves on the terrace of a small Parisan café, enjoying glasses of varying varities of French wine.

Before having lived here for so long, I would think eating non-French food would probably be the least Frenchy thing I could do. Even though I already knew that the French eat Mexican food too (the lines outside of El Nopal are a testament to such), it didn't fit into my definition of "French." Now I know better.

I can have my Frenchness, and eat (delicious) tacos too.


Check it out:
El Nopal
3 Rue Eugène Varlin, 75010 Paris

Notting Hill Coffee

I know many an American expat who is woe to live so far from a certain coffee establishment called Starbucks. Not being a coffee drinker myself, I didn’t miss it.

But I did miss chai tea lattes. And while one can go up to any tabac, bar, or restaurant and order a café, I’ve found it to be a lot more difficult to track down chai tea in the Hexagon.

Starbucks, despite being on nearly every corner in Paris, has yet to infiltrate Lille. Paris is only an hour-long train ride away if one is really addicted to the American coffee giant, but if looking for a place to pick up one-the-go cups (in 3 different sizes) of frappés, mocha lattés, and different flavored coffee drinks, Lille has it’s own.

It’s called Notting Hill Coffee.


Notting Hill Coffee on rue Esquermoise.

Not only do they have American style coffee drinks, but they also have muffins.

And, most importantly, they have chai tea.

There are three different locations in Lille, and my favorite one is on rue Esquermoise. Beautiful views of the old city streets and buildings can be seen from the large glass windowpanes, fitting nicely into the old wood and stone work.


The view.

On the inside, the red brick walls add charm to the upstairs seating areas, providing an atmosphere befitting of the region.


The inside with its lovely brick walls.

The small tables and benches are a nice spot to sit sipping a warm drink; either chatting with a friend or people watching.

Check it out:
94 Rue Esquermoise
59000 Lille
Tél: 03 20 31 74 15

Les Compagnons de la Grappe

Down a tiny, unsuspecting alleyway you will find my favorite restaurant for regional specialties, Les Compagnons de la Grappe.

The alleyway opens up into a lovely courtyard. Outdoor tables are available for when there is, on occasion, nice weather. But if it’s rainy and gray, which it probably is, then there’s even more reason to eat there.

The décor makes you feel like you’re inside somebody’s cozy, funky living room. There are bookshelves full of books, a fireplace with knick-knacks on the mantel, an armoire to store the silverware and plates, and a really cool rainbow colored chandelier.

The inside.


The chandelier.

Of course, no matter how cool the interior of a restaurant is, it makes no difference if the food isn’t good. And let me tell you, the food is better than good. It’s amazing.

My favorite item on the menu is their salade au chèvre chaud (salad with melted goat cheese). However, calling it a salade au chèvre chaud is not fair. The menu calls it chèvre affiné rôti sur toast, gratin, salade (melted goat cheese, gratin, and salad) and they have got it right. The main feature is the chèvre. It comes with a giant hunk of goat cheese melted perfectly over a piece of toast, a salad, and a gratin de pomme de terre (potatoes cooked in the oven with cream and other deliciousness).

Admittedly, a salade au chevre chaud belongs to all of France, not just us Nordists (even if it is the best one I’ve ever tasted).

Chèvre affiné rôti sur toast, gratin, et salade.

FBF enjoys the regional specialty carbonnade flamande (beef stewed in beer), which can also be found in the Nordist plate. It has four small servings of different regional specalties. It comes with a carbonnade flamande, a welsh (cheddar cheese melted in beer with bacon bits and often times a fried egg on top), a Potsje vlesche (poutlry or fish in gelatin, served cold) and a forth meat filled dish.

Another regional specialty that they have is the tarte au maroilles (a tarte made with a strong, regional cheese called maroille). Although it, too, is a vegetarian option, I cannot say whether or not the one they make is any good. While I do like them in general, I can’t seem to resist the chèvre affiné rôti sur toast.

Of course a French meal isn’t a meal without some wine, and with a restaurant name of Les Compagnons de la Grappe (Friends (or comrades in arms) of a "bunch" of any kind of fruit, but most commonly associated with grapes) has a lot to live up to. Luckily it doesn’t disappoint. The wine menu is multiple pages long.

Be sure to call ahead and get a reservation if planning to go during the weekend, as it is usually crowded (especially on sunny days)!

Check it out:
Les Compagnons de la Grappe
26, rue Lepelletier
59000 Lille
Tél: 03.20.21.02.79
Open daily for lunch and dinner.

Pizza

If proof was needed that I am currently dating a Frenchman, I now have some.

We went to Le Ch’ti Bello for a date night, and since I originally posted about the place, I have taken up eating my pizza à la FBF.

Now the way he eats his pizza is not what defines him as French. It’s what defines him as a little bit bizarre.

He eats the crust off his entire pizza first, saving the inside for last. Most people I’ve observed eating pizza here eat their way across the pizza.

Since I’ve startted putting an egg on my pizza, I, too, now eat all the crusts off first.

In pausing from devouring my pizza to speak to FBF, he suddenly interrupted me, noticing my pizza.

“Mais pourquoi tu as fais la France avec ta pizza?” (But why have you made France with your pizza?) he asked me.

“Quoi?” (what?) I replied. I had no idea what he was talking about. I did not see France anywhere on my plate, just a pizza missing a substantial amount of its crust.

FBF then turned my pizza around to a bizarre angle. He pointed out to me that I had made the hexagone that is France, complete with leaving an air bubble to represent the mountain range that separates France from Spain.

“Regarde, tu as même fait la Corse avec ce morceau-là!” (Look, you even made Corsica with that bite!)


My pizza aka a map of France.

I think only a true Frenchmen would have spotted an upside down and sidewise France from across the dinner table.

Le Ch'ti Bello

One American junk food I missed when I first got here was pizza. Yes, pizza does exist in France, and one might think that since France is a lot closer to Italy they would have better pizzas than us, but I did not find this to be the case.

I was also disgusted by the amount of pizza the French consume. They order one pizza each and typically eat the ENTIRE thing in one sitting. I usually managed to only scarf down half of mine.

I missed being able to buy one slice of plain cheese pizza.

For a romantic date out, FBF took me to a nice restaurant in Vieux-Lille called Le Ch’ti Bello, and I now understand why the French always eat an entire pizza by themselves.


Le resto (the restaurant).
For starters, the restaurant is adorable and just what a charming, old town pizzeria should be. I fell in love with the building before we were seated.


The sneaky photo I took of l'interior (the inside).
Once seated, I learned that at Le Ch’ti Bello, one creates one’s own pizza! There is a big long list of different ingredients, ranging from the expected, such as the size of the crust and the types of cheese, to the unexpected, such as raisons, herbs, and fresh cream.

I chose all the 5 cheeses (mozerella, chevre, Roquefort, parmesan, gruyere), all the vegetables except black olives and corn (but including chilies, artichoke hearts, and potatoes!), and thin crust.

My pizza was so delicious! I ate every single bite.


The pizza.
I have been back there now three times, and every time I finish my pizza. It’s just too good! I’ve been switching ingredients every time in search of the perfect pizza, but each one I order is so delicious it’s hard to choose which one I liked best!

Check it out:
Le Ch'ti Bello
98, Rue de Saint-André
59800 Lille
Tel : 03 20 51 25 02