| And
you like to eat, not necessarily quantity (because reducing calories
and cholesterol is forever on your mind). But want quality (because you
can't stand to waste a single meal on a mediocre one)?
It pays to
be creative, inventive and resourceful - an idea we (Americans) don't even
realize has been ingrained in us from birth, for which I am eternally grateful.
When I was
a "lowly" tourist here in France, our travel budget was spent more on dining
than lodging, going from one restaurant to the next, savoring every morsel
of authentic French cooking. We perused dozens of guide books, made lists
of possibilities, then tested zero, one, two and three-star restaurants,
until we were saturated in fats and downing Alka Seltzers. All that changed
when I became a bona fide resident of France and my budget moved down out
of the "luxury vacation" category and into "making - ends - meet." Of course,
we all know that "necessity is the mother of invention," but even if saving
money isn't your goal, maybe just getting a bargain is a "high" for you
. . . and you empathize with my deep satisfaction of finding a really great
meal for a ridiculously low price.
So, what's
the secret? Do I dare give away my formula for dining success? I'll start
you off with the top five, then after that, you're on your own. Here goes
. . .
Formula
one. Define your goals. Are you looking for quality? Ambience? Inventiveness?
Friendly service? In my humble opinion, there is only one reason to patronize
a restaurant: food. All the ambience, creativity or friendly service in
the world will not replace that which hits your palette
and your stomach.
Face it: décor costs, top notch waiters cost, and you pay for it.
So, if what you want is great food, stay away from the restaurants which
have put money into everything but.
Formula
two. Get off the beaten path. Restaurants on major streets are paying
higher rents and those costs must get passed on to the consumer. Restaurants
in high tourist traffic areas cater to one-time patrons and don't have
to worry about ever seeing these customers again, so quality could suffer. |
| Adrian Leeds
has found the way to live in Paris and to eat her meals too. An enviable
position. In addition she knows where all the best restaurants are.
She is willing to share some of her secrets and does so through her books
and her website. She is the author of the Leeds Good Value Guide to Paris
Restaurants and has an online 'electronic guide' to Paris - Click
Here - A. J. Liebling would have loved Adrian. Check out her website
and follow her advice. She can show how to eat well in Paris for less than
you can eat in the United States. Start packing your bags! |
|
|
|
