 | Seafood somehow tastes better in France | | | | | Having just returned from a trip to France last month, getting to relive my French escapades for an interview with a France travel expert was next-level fun. I spent a week driving around Normandy and the Loire Valley, basically to eat cheese and drink wine, with one of my closest friends. Because I had this newsletter in mind, I paid special attention to everything I ate, so I could discuss it ad nauseum with France-based travel and food writer, Nicola Williams. | Nicola's the author of Lonely Planet's newest book, Eat France, which is coming out this week in the US. And because I'm one of the luckiest people in the world, I got to read it early and ask Nicola question after question about what it's like to eat in France. Our conversation veered all over the country, to the oysters in Normandy to the fresh produce markets of Provence to the food carts in Paris. Also cheese and bread. And coffee. And pastries. And wine. | | | | | Eat your way through France | | | Here are some of Nicola William's recommendations for eating and drinking in France. | | Le Consulat in Montmartre is a clasic Parisian cafe | | | | | | | Dine on the rocks in Marseille. You must go to Tuba Club, an achingly cool beach club, cocktail bar, restaurant and rooftop with a handful of rooms in what was a 1960s diving club and tables literally on rocks by the water. | | | | | Head to a local market. Typically, wherever you stay in Provence, stroll through the market which will be stacked with locals getting their fresh fruits and veggies for the week. You can taste the sunshine. | | | | | Share a table in Languedoc. La Cambuse du Saunier (which roughly translates as 'The Salt Worker's Storeroom') overlooks pink-hued salt flats in Languedoc in southwest France. Nothing beats tucking into a huge cast-iron pan of razor clams around a communal table. | | | | | Escape to an island. Île de Ré is a car-free island in the Atlantic and a bucolic spot for feasting on freshly shucked oysters in situ. From the main town on the island, St-Martin de Ré, you can easily cycle Auberge Paysanne de la Mer and Ré Ostréa. | | | | Lemon meringue eclair, oysters, and Séride fish with fennel | | | | | Eating in France is a religious experience, and our newest book on the subject is gospel. This essential primer will help you get the most out of your time in France by covering every aspect of its food and drink culture, from regional specialities to essential phrases. | | | Here are some excerpts from my chat with Nicola Williams, a France-based travel writer, whose new Lonely Planet book, Eat France, debuts this week. | | | | Do you fondue? They do in the French Alps | | | | | Where in France do you live? | I live on the southern side of Lake Geneva, right next to the French Alps. | | | How did Eat France come to be? | Living and writing in France, you inevitably write about food. I love eating, and food is such a big source of history and identity. I've done lots of Lonely Planet France guides, about Provence and Cote d'Azure, Loire Valley, Bordeaux and every region has its own distinctive cuisine and styles. | | | | | Ask for un cafe or un express if you want a shot of espresso. If you want a US-style cup of coffee, request un cafe Americano. | | | Do you have a favorite region to eat in France? | I adore where I live, because I do like cheese. Haute-Savoie in the Alps is most famous for its cheese. Then there's the fondue, the raclette. My other favorite region is the Atlantic coast for seafood. It's so simple, fresh fish, cooked so simply, but you feel how it's plucked right on the water and goes straight to your plate. | | A melange of wild mushrooms from Normandy | | | | | Does food taste better in France? | Well, it's seasonal. Everything is produced nearby and prepared simply. | | | | | "Any French picnic is just a hunk of cheese, a baguette and saucisson (a type of charcuterie)." | | | How would you describe a classic French bistro? | It has been there for decades, run by the same family. It's small tables, really close together. It wasn't very good during Covid! And they literally have to pull the table out for you to be able to sit down, then they push the table back in. And then if you want to get out, you're a bit stuck. You have to disturb your neighbor, and that creates the conviviality of it all. There's the chatter, you're all enjoying the same food. It's a neighborhood vibe. | | | What's your favorite wine region? | I really like Bordeaux in the Medoc, it's some of the best wine in France. It's a brilliant introduction to wine, all the different appellations. You're tasting wine in a chateau, vines as far as the eye can see, maybe the chateau has a restaurant. It's the setting and the wine and the food. | | | | | The best way to know what to order in a restaurant is by visiting a market to see what's in season. | | | It seems like the French take incredible pride in their food. | Yes, the cheese makers and the winemakers and the fishmongers and the farmers. For example, the oyster farmers will open their shack by the sea for two hours and shuck their oysters for you for lunch. They open their hearts to you. They want to share their passion. Those are the meals you really remember. | | | | | Brekke Fletcher is a travel writer and editor whose work has appeared in TIME Magazine, The Wall Street Journal and CNN. Now she oversees Newsletters for Lonely Planet and loves every minute of it. | | | How would you rate this newsletter? | | | This email was sent to you by: | Lonely Planet Publications Ltd. | 1101 Red Ventures Drive, Fort Mill, SC 29707 | | | |
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