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