Tips in France

I'm on vacation in a far away place, which is why I haven't been blogging as much over the past couple of days.  So, anywhere you go, you always ask yourself, 'How should I tip here?'. 
I bet a lot of people ask that question in France.  The French do not tip as much as many cultures.  The reason is, the price generally includes the tip.  This really pertains to restaurants.  At a meal that costs you around 35 Euros, it's odd to tip them more than 2€.  On the other hand, you should give them something.  If you take a taxi, you generally round up.  For example, if the total comes to 23.50, you'll round up to 25€. 

That's just a little tip for the day.

This is Lindsay, signing out.

Do you like your meat raw?

The French like their meat pretty raw.  They even eat it raw.  It’s called a ‘Tartare.”  If you like good meat and you like it raw, you’d love a tartare.  If you DON’T like raw meat, but you enjoy eating meat, then you have to know how to order it correctly.

Here’s a rule of thumb: if you order a hamburger in a French restaurant (please don’t if you’re only here for a week…) and you want it medium, then order it well-done.

Take a look at this picture and you’ll get what I mean.
I ordered my burger ‘medium’ and it’s practically mooing.

I’ve been here for over 11 years.  I should know this by now.  But every time I think to myself ‘No, if I order it well-done, it might come out that way.’ 

Anyway, if you order a burger or a steak, and you want it cooked a certain way, go up a level to get it right.

This is food for thought – literally – and Lindsay, signing out.

We're not in Kansas anymore

This is ironic - a French Confession's contributor editor sent this article to me today:

As Dorothy said to Toto in "the Wizard of OZ"  We are not in Kansas
anymore.   I am always amazed how the French take something American
and make it their own.  Today I was in the subway and I walked by an
advertisement....for the McChevre.  that is a wrap with fried goat
cheese.  Now I had to go and see what this was and perhaps try it.
Even though as an American in Paris I would NEVER admit to eating at
McDonald's, and I usually don't, but I may start.  I went into my
local McDonald's and stood in line and while I was looking at the
drink menu, Coke, Coke Zero, what did I see but "1664."   To those of
you who are unfamiliar, it is a French beer.  Now.....if they only
start serving a nice red wine we are in business!

French boulangeries

So, I went to the boulangerie this morning, the one right next to my home. The owner there knows me pretty well; she always says hi, asks about the kids, smiles, etc. So, why, when I give her a 10 dollar Euro bill, does she give me my change back on a little tray instead of handing it to me? It's odd when you think about how the French greet each other with a kiss in pretty much any given situation. The truth is, while they always come across as tactile when you meet them, in truth, they are very reserved. This 'tray' scenario is pretty much the case in any boulangerie you go to. Rather than handing you your change, it is placed in a tray. Sometimes I take offense to it, like 'Why won't you just hand me my change? Do I smell bad?' But you can't take it personally. It's a cultural thing.

So think about that when you go to the boulangerie tomorrow.

This is Lindsay, signing out.

The French don't like fast-food...

The French pretend they don't like fast-food...They claim it's one of the many horrible American inventions on earth, that it tainted the great old-style European way of life. They may have a point. However, the truth is, they can't get enough of the Micky D's!...Because let's face it, fast-food is practical, and kinda tasty.

One of the things that's so wonderful about the French is their love and passion for food. So, McDonald's had to take that into account. So if you happen to run into a McDonald's in France, don't be surprised by the menu; it's adapted to the French food culture. For instance, on their menu, they've got croque monsieurs and sandwiches with goat cheese.

You know, come to think of it, their version of McDonald's is probably tastier than ours. Actually, I'm not so sure of that because they don't have strawberry shakes or real honey sauce for chicken Mcnuggets with a capital 'M' (I'm sidetracking here).

Anyway, just some food for thought for Friday evening.

This is Lindsay, signing out.

Going out tonight? What is dinner in France like?

Like many different countries and cultures, the French love to wine and dine. When I first graduated school and moved to France, what struck me was how important dinner was during a night out with friends. Even when our main plans were to go to a concert with friends or clubbing, the evening always started with a nice dinner together.

And, it's still the same 10 years later, minus the clubbing...

So, typically everybody is invited around 8:30. Most people do not show up before 8:45/9:00.
Dinner starts with a cocktail that lasts I would say 1 and a half to 2 hours. So you don't actually start dinner before 10:30ish. And you start with an 'entrée' (an appetizer), then the main course, then the cheese, then the dessert, then the coffee or tea for girls, then the 'digestif' (whiskey, etc.) with an occasional cigar.

What do you talk about for so long?
1. FOOD, FOOD, FOOD! Whether it's the beginning, the middle of dinner or desert, food is the main topic of conversation. The more you get into the meal, the more food comes up. Like, "I love this cheese! Where did you get this? Speaking of cheese, I just found a great cheese store in town...etc." And it goes on and on.

2. Politics - You're not really supposed to bring politics up at the dinner table, but it happens 75% of the time. And people get riled up. No hard feelings.

3. Sex - When having dinner with friends, sex comes up pretty much every time. Don't by shy.

4. Wine - not to be confused with food; these are two totally different topics.

So, hope this helps if you're going out to dinner in France tonight.

Tuesday Tips - How to eat out in France when you have no time?

image credits: Roy Nixen - cartoonnetwork.com

1. My first advice is, don't. If you are in a hurry, get a sandwich at the local bakery.

2. If you still want to, first things first, tell the waiter when you sit down that you are in a rush. The more you smile, the easier it will be.
3. When you get the menu, order your drinks right away. That way the waiter will be back in a couple of minutes (or should be at any rate).
4. As soon as you're done with the menu, put it down...don't look at it! If the waiter catches you doing that, he (let's go with 'he' in this article) will walk away.
5. As soon as the waiter comes with your drinks, be ready to order. This is a crucial step in the process. Do not miss this opportunity to order. If you do, you will not get your food on time.
6. When you get your meal thank him; tell him you're sorry but you're in a rush so you'd like a coffee (if you do) and the check right after your meal. This is phase 1 of the process.
7. Phase 2 - during the meal, when you're just about finished, ask for your coffee and the check.
8. Phase 3 - the coffee will come, the check will not. Trust me. So when you get your coffee, ask nicely (being nice throughout the whole process is crucial) for the check.
9. Phase 4 - get your credit card / cash out. In France they come around with a handheld device for credit cards. As soon as the waiter comes over, show him your credit card. He won't take it. He'll come back with the device. Three times out of four this phase takes at least 5 to 10 minutes.
10. Phase 5 - get up, go to a cash register; your waiter will appear. You will pay faster and get out faster if you do this.

This is Lindsay wishing you a happy and 'fast restaurant experience,' signing out.

Let's Talk Shrimp in France

Yeah, one of the first things that really surprised me when I moved to France was how they eat shrimp. Mind you, this is probably more of a European thing than a 'French-only' thing...Maybe American's are the odd man out. Anyway...

The French have amazing table manners. They hold forks in such a way that put us to shame. So imagine walking into a room filled with very well-dressed, well-mannered French people, RIPPING the heads off of shrimp...and their little legs. Yeah...
You know, I'm starting to get used to it after 11 years. But still, I can only eat like 2 over the course of a cocktail.

Oh, and they come in all sizes, BIG guys, to very tiny ones. The French say that the flavor stays if you rip the sucker apart at the last minute...I say, 'yuck' and 'who wants to spend their time peeling shrimp instead of drinking champagne?'

French restaurants that have the American touch...

What does that mean exactly? A lot of French restaurants in Paris try to appeal to tourists by adding International food to their menu.
What i don't get is, why, if you are coming to France, would you want to eat a hamburger or a bagel??? Try out French food. It's really good.
And the sauce won't make you fat, I promise. The reason is, the servings are much smaller and the French don't snack (most of the time).

Anyway, I'm drifting here. My point is the following: I think that French restaurants also carry 'American' food to appeal to the French, who want to try out a little of the Americano taste.
Take the brasserie down the street from my office for example. They've got this great, yummy, French restaurant, and then, in the middle of the menu, a hamburger (ok), and....
a Brooklyn Bagel...What is a Brooklyn bagel? If anything, it's a NY bagel. And guys (I'm talking to the restaurant here). I you want to make something American, please don't make a bagel.

It's like American restaurants who try to make a croissant (which are always gigantic and filled with oily cheese). Just stick to your good French food.

P.S. I'm going to order it in the next couple of days. Stay tuned to find out what it's like.

'Tickets Resto'

Another great thing about working in France...'Tickets Restaurants'.

How does it work?
A restaurant ticket can be used in pretty much any bistro / café / take out in France.
It looks like monopoly money, but works like a Euro.
The deal is the employer pays for half of it, the employee pays for the other half. Most of them are worth between 6 and 8 Euros, which pays for most of your meal.

It's a great advantage for employees, and in a country where taxes are very high for companies, employers get a tax deduction.

Why do French eat cake with a spoon?

After 11 years, I still don't know why. It truly doesn't make sense. It's harder to cut into the cake, harder to pick up a piece, and frankly, harder to get into your mouth. The only upside that I can think of is maybe it looks more elegant...

How do tell a good baguette from a bad one

So you're walking down the street and you pass at least 1 boulangerie (bakery) per block. How do you know where to get the really GOOD baguette? Here are a few pointers:

Not so good:


The baguette looks empty. The crust isn't powdery enough. The bread between the bake lines isn't popping out; it's too flat. The crust is too 'golden-yellow'.


Good:




This one has more flour on the crust. The baguette looks thicker, fuller.

A good baguette is crispy on the outside and fluffy and soft in the inside. If the baguette looks long, a little yellow, and kind of flat (between the bakes lines), 9 times out of 1à, it isn't good. Once you buy it, if it feels lighter than it looks...bingo, you've got yourself a bad baguette.