Paris on a Plate

I've returned from my mini vacation - no I didn't go to Paris, but I did finish reading this neat little book. Paris on a Plate is a gastronomic diary, by Stephen Downes, Australia's most experienced restaraunt critic.

This is his diary of a return to Paris after his first visit more than 30 years ago. He has returned to Paris to see if the chef's of Paris are keeping up with their counterparts in Australia, and lucky for him, he was invited to eat for free at some of Frances most renowned eating places.

It's a fun little book to read - partly because he's prepared to say what he thinks, he's prepared to challenge those who think they're the best, and he share's his own personal experiences along the way. I enjoyed the way he was able to take me with him to those restaurants I will never be able to eat in, but he also took us places were we could see ourselves visiting one day. That's the fun part - think that one day I too could be visiting this place and sitting under the same wall of mirrors, or facing the same wall of famous art work....

I'll blog later about my holiday - but it was extremely bizarre to be resting in a vegan yoga retreat reading about Downe's experience of eating a calves head!