Paris is a culture of food. Every chef studies the French method of creating mouth-watering, aesthetically pleasing adventures in cuisine rich 
with sauces and little consideration for calories. We spent as much time planning our next meal while in Paris as we did our next attraction.
Although we had plans to dine out while in Paris, one of the advantages of an efficiency apartment is the chance to make your own meals. After a long day of being in crowds it’s nice to come home to a quiet space, so on the nights we did not frequent a local restaurant we shopped for take home treats.
Most Paris neighbourhoods have pedestrian areas for shopping. The boulevard near our apartment offered a number of excellent restaurants interspersed with shops; a cellar offering excellent French wines, a bakery for croissants and baguettes, and a seafood stall, its pungent odour competing for your attention along with its broad selection of local fresh and prepared seafood. 
In the fromagerie there was such a large selection of cheeses, most of which we did not recognize, that we let a friendly local recommend his three favourites. One was a brie which I loved and the other two were hard cheeses which proved to be excellent as well. Interacting with a local and the shopkeeper in such a way made the experience a richer one. At the same time, but in different shops, we picked up cured meats, olives and fresh strawberries to make lunches for the next couple of days while we toured the city. Not only was shopping a fun part of our Parisian experience but it also helped to keep our budget under control so we were able to splurge on the nights we did go out.
Sunday morning we awoke to a street market set up right outside our door. Before catching our train to Versailles we stocked up on more baguettes and croissants, fresh vegetables, a roasted chicken and paella for our supper that night. Everything went into our fridge in the apartment and we were back on our way to the train station in no time. A side jaunt on the way home added a lovely bottle of rich Bordeaux to our feast.
On the day we didn’t pack a lunch and stopped for a quick bite we turned a burger and a beer into an hour sitting in a small sidewalk café watching Parisians live their best life. The waiters seemed to know everyone who passed by and our service was interrupted by enthusiastic greetings and the required kiss on each cheek. We did not mind at all.
Our first dinner out was at a restaurant only three doors down from our apartment. Every day we passed lines of people waiting for tables and figured that alone was a great recommendation. We joined the queue one night prepared, as we had already heard, for a wait. The French will not be rushed through their meals and the staff, regardless of the number of patrons waiting, will not rush either. Count that time as part of your true travel experience.
Luckily our turn offered an outdoor table and we were happy to take it. For Canadians personal space seems a given right but in Europe personal space is a privilege afforded only a few. We sat elbow to elbow with the other patrons, juggled our plates on the edge of a small table and 
laughed as we accidently drank from each others closely placed wine glasses.
It may seem cliché but we ordered escargot, French onion soup and roasted breast of duck which was the restaurant’s speciality. We were not disappointed. It remains as much a beloved memory of the city as our stop at the Eiffel Tower.
It only took me seconds to realize that I was not going to get any skinnier spending time in Paris, so I left caution and calorie counting to the wind and thoroughly enjoyed the cuisine of France. I hope you will as well.