A Food Lover's Walk in the Center Of Paris

 A perfect Foodie destination is right in the heart of Paris.
Just a couple of blocks away from the famous Les Halles in
the 2nd arrondissement is the pedestrian market on
rue Montorgueil.  
 Rue Montorgueil is often compared to Rue Cler in the 7th
arrondissement but I think there is a big difference between
the two.  Rue Montorgueil was the first pedestrian market
street that sprung up from the Les Halles food markets and is
now a go-to place for many of the chefs and food writers in Paris.
Rue Cler is great but has been sanitized to accommodate all
the tourists in the Eiffel Tower area.  Rue Montorgueil is 
mostly used by the local Parisians.
 Known for their open-air market, the street boasts of
the best meat and fish markets in the city.  Knowing that,
we decided to have our lunch at the fish restaurant in
the area.  Nothing fancy ... just good food in a fun atmosphere.
 And of course, just as we ordered, a garbage trunk stopped in
front of our table and for a half hour loaded up all the
food crates that the merchants had thrown out.

But there is something about this wonderful city of
Paris that I notice every time I come here.
Everyone seems so happy.  The people look relaxed
and seem to really enjoy their life.
The two garbage collectors were smiling as they
loaded up the truck with all the food debris.
There is laughter everywhere.  Is it all the good food?
 I am not sure what kind of fish I ate but it was good and came
with a tapenade sauce that was yummy.  The haricot verts
were buttery with lots of garlic.  Of course we had rosé 
from Provence and a French side of crunchy baguette.

 We couldn't leave this street without picking up some
wonderful cheese for tonight as well as the fresh strawberries
from France that were so ripe and delicious.  We
also grabbed some gorgeous flowers to make
our rented apartment feel like home.
 Anthony Bourdain did a special segment on his "No Reservations"
highlighting a wonderful dinner he had on Rue Montorgueil.
I think the restaurant he loved is called "Le Comptoir de Commerce"
which is known for it's special beef tartare with blue cheese.

There was also a butcher's shop for horse meat.  One sees a lot of cheval
on menus in Paris.  Before I left Toronto, I tried horse tartare with
my son in Toronto.  Very interesting taste for my first experience.
Actually horsemeat is lean and with the right sauce is
quite tasty.  I am getting braver in my old age.

Next time in Paris, take a foodie stroll down Rue Montorgueil.

photos by Meg Mitchell

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