I would be remiss if I did not mention one of my all-time favorite bagels-in-Paris anecdotes as I launch into a discussion of everyone’s favorite boiled bread.

The year is… maybe like four years ago. Gwyneth, that Gwyneth, came to Paris for some fashiony reason, and consequently decided to do a roundup of some favorite Paris spots she frequents when she visits. (It was probably for Goop; I don’t recall for certain, and I can’t find any trace of it online, so my memory must be relied upon as fact.) She claimed that even in Paris, she sometimes misses bagels, but luckily, she can hit up Bagelstein if she ever needs a fix. This is why editors and fact checkers are important! Someone should have said, “G, maybe we don’t shout out the not very impressive chain of bagel sandwich stores that, if you think about it, has a potentially problematic name.” But no one said that, so she did call it out, and then I laughed at her.

If I …

Read more

**Author note: I’m aware it’s challah; it says “hallah” on the restaurant’s Insta, so I stayed with their wording, but thank you to anyone who called it out because that logic isn’t obvious if you’re not in my brain.

I’ve been meaning to get over to Micho for a lunch sandwich since it opened a few years ago. I walked by Micho’s inviting, open front window on Rue de Richelieu, stacked full of beautiful, fresh hallah, and immediately saved it as “to-try” on my Google Map. But I have a bad habit of restaurant repeating when I’m deeply in love with something, and I’m deeply in love with getting lunch from Omusubi Gonbei and Aki Boulangerie when I’m hanging out near Jardin du Palais Royal. I don’t know about you, but I don’t have enough love in my heart to invite anything else in.

But, for the sake of sandwich science, I made myself venture out and try Micho on a friend lunch date, and I’m glad I did.

Read more

Notice how I said my “favorite” and not “the best”? That’s because I was a fact checker right after undergrad, and I learned to be very annoyed at writers who made unverifiable claims that an intern would then have to prove. In having to verify the length of necklaces, the ingredients in dishes at Gjelina, and whether a cafe was in Culver City or Los Angeles, I learned to stick to the facts or admit I was giving my opinion. To be honest, I’m just afraid of a sandwich scandal, a sandwall if you will, or even worse, a cross-town sandwich war.

Last month, I was of the opinion that the much-hurrahed jambon beurre at Le Petit Vendome was of very high quality and very much pickle. It was great, but not life-changing, and if you felt some generous restraint with that review, you were right. This month, I am of the opinion that the same sandwich at Chez Aline is of good quality as well, and is the sandwich of my heart and soul. Beyond the jambon beurre battle, I will say, after much personal …

Read more

I’ve been meaning for years now to get to Le Petit Vendôme to try their “Tradi,” a classic jambon beurre on a tradition, with or without cornichons. I’ve heard whispers of their next-level sandwich, it being the best in Paris, the best jambon beurre, and generally a very cool, classic Parisian spot worth visiting. But I live in the deep 12ème, so getting over to the 2ème for lunch seems like such a slog. Plus, there are tourists over there, and I’ve heard tell that the line was long. Tourists and lines, tourists IN lines; count me out. I put this particular sandwich mission off indefinitely.

But then I heard this sandwich was named best in the WORLD?!?! Of all the sandwich formats and flavors, this simple yet flawless combination, executed to perfection by Le Petit Vendôme, was deemed the best sandwich in the world by Time Out. Was this just sensational clickbait, or did they me…

Read more

On Instagram, L’Esprit describes itself as having “sandwiches like never before,” which is a bold statement but not an untrue one.

L’Esprit is a wine bar with a charcuterie and sandwich situation strong enough to lure a Parisian south of Daumesnil, something apparently not many are willing to do unless they’re on their way to Gare du Lyon. I’ve been predicting that this neighborhood is going to become cool soon, even though it’s near a Gare, usually the domain of KFC, McDo, and drunk guys with tall boys peeing between motorcycles. I’ve been eyeing the Gare de Lyon neighborhood for a while because of its beautiful buildings, newly planted parkways with trees and flowers, several great kebab spots, treasures like Olga and now L’Esprit. The vibes are only made slightly weird by the presence of Atlandtide Sauna, apparently a sex club. Don’t go to the website, you’ll mess up your social algorithm.

Read more

I saw this little breakfast/lunch/sandwich place open sometime during or around the pandemic and couldn’t make it over until Paris reopened in May 2021. Once we were allowed to eat at restaurants again, I immediately fell in love with the vibe, the menu, the friendly staff and most of all, the food and cold brew. Their menu is carefully thought-out without being too fussy, variety without overwhelm, quality without breaking the bank.

Both Chanceux locations have an eclectic sandwich assortment both hot and cold, both perfect to eat-in or takeout. They’re the sandwiches I go to when I’m craving an American sandwich; something big and filling and imaginative and surprising. Chanceux St. Maur also has at least two delicious plates to try that change regularly, as well as the only Parisian brunch I’ve ever enjoyed (reservations recommended). To this day I think about some basil eggs and a schnitzel I had t…

Read more

The first was a recently minted educator who was not any more familiar with the principles of economics than we were. She scanned the book ahead of us then presented its contents only somewhat correctly. I don’t think the poor thing was ready for the coldly calculating, deeply cynical minds of 17-year-olds who spent every waking moment boosting GPAs to try to gain entry to our top choice universities. We wanted an I.V. of facts to be regurgitated for the benefit of exam proctors. She wanted a lively discussion and fun group projects.

The next time I took economics was in my MBA program. This time we had a professor visiting from Spain, a country whose economic prowess has not been notable since Isabella and Ferdinand hoarded enough gold bouillon to fund expedition and inquisition. This professor kept changing the syllabus, which violated the academic code. For some reason he once stood on a table as he lectured …

Read more

To get dramatic for a sec, I’ll admit that I didn’t always love sandwiches. For about ten years in my childhood, I thought a sandwich was just bland turkey and mayo on a dry kaiser roll, because that’s what my mom made me everyday, and that’s what I hurled into the trash can everyday on the way to the lunch benches.

It wasn’t until I got a craving for a turkey sandwich with the works at SUBWAY of all places some ten years later that I realized I am a sandwich person, and I never looked back.

Upon moving to Paris I was overjoyed at the abundance of sandwiches that were available to me literally downstairs from my apartment. Every boulangerie had their own take on the classics, all for a ridiculously accessible price. I went sandwich crazy, eating a jambon beurre literally every day for a year, with cornichons if I was lucky.

Subscribe now

Some four years into living in Paris I realized how truly sandwi…

Read more

Olga Wine & Cheese is what I wish I could be if I were a sandwich shop/boutique. It’s a nod to the past that appreciates the bones of an old shop balanced with intentional contemporary flourishes that keep it feeling relevant, interesting, special. Dining there feels like you’re sitting inside an ornate vintage jewelry box, but also you’re eating a delicious, beautiful, expertly curated sandwich.

The shop isn’t overly complicated, neither are its sandwiches, a testament to the idea that if you do something well, there’s no need to do too much. There is wine, there is cheese, there’s a short but effective list of sandwiches to choose from, there’s a dessert option. The interior was already interesting, so it wasn’t totally remade, just polished up a bit and appreciated for what it is.

That’s the treatment of the sandwiches as well. These cheeses, confitures, and meats are brilliant in their own right; let’s not gild the lily but rather just curate a good bite and let it ride. The brief …

Read more