👋 Bienvenu, friends!

[October 11] Planche Mixte: Le Digestif, #1

Nous sommes Vendredi, y’all! Welcome to the very first edition of la Planche Mixte — the weekly go-to guide for those who need une petite pause.

We’re Zoé and Alicia — Two people very passionate about good food and bons moments spent with friends. Every week, we’ll be bringing you some inspiration on where to eat and drink, what to eat and drink, and fun facts about, well, eating and drinking. Because, after all, the best memories usually start with a good group of people drinking just one too many glasses of wine and eating just one too many bites of dessert. 

So take a break, tuck in, and get ready to discover your next local gem or grand adventure:

Meet You At…

• Noble Rot, London, UK: Last Thursday to Monday, I was in London for work. While I didn’t get a chance to bop around as much as I’d like, I did enjoy an incredible dinner at Noble Rot. Cozy and welcoming, the two-story home in Mayfair was perfect for a Friday night RDV after a long week. My highlights? The parmesan gougère (you can take the girl out of France, am I right?), the Bella di Cerignola olives (they had some serious meat on them), and Barigoule artichoke. I also have it on good authority that the venison was positively to die for, but this vegetarian couldn’t comment. - AC

• Koya Soho, London, UK: I really cannot complain about the weather in London when rumor has it, Paris received the most rainfall since 1920 this past Wednesday (we’re so over it), but after a chilly, rainy British Sunday, all I wanted was a great bowl of udon. Luckily, Koya Soho delivered. Sitting at the counter, I happily slurped down a bowl of hot, walnut miso ramen. A plus: They had so many vegetarian options that I’ll be returning time and time again to try them all. - AC

• Vague, Paris, FR: This may be surprising to my friends across the pond who dream of un petit café on a quintessential Parisian terrasse, but France’s typical coffee game isn’t what I’d consider strong (but I mean, how do you compete with Italy?). When I first moved here, it took me a minute to find a good latte with, dare I say it, alternative milk. But the more I looked the more incredibly beautiful (and tasty!) coffee shops I found — so many, that I am now overrun with options! My favorite of the moment is Vague. Situated just off Square des Batignolles, this effortlessly cool coffee shop has all the matcha and oat milk this American girl could want. Come for the coffee, stay for the brekkie sammies! - AC

• Le Chardon, Paris, FR: When I was just a young girl growing up in Massachusetts suburbia, I spent many a late night dreaming of living a glamorous life in Europe. I’d wear the most fashionable clothes (I now consider jeans hard pants), speak several languages fluently (I speak one and half), and eat dinner with friends by candlelight in quaint Parisian restaurants (guys, I’m doing this!). Le Chardon is the restaurant of my teenage dreams. It’s intimate, moody, and features the most incredible, seasonal dishes and cocktails. Every time I go there, I cannot help ordering nearly everything on the menu and staying well past closing trying different orange wines. C’est la vie, am I right? - AC

• Dumbo Pigalle, Paris, FR: Sometimes you just need a burger and Diet Coke to take the edge off after a long day of Slack pings and Zoom meetings. While a true DC is basically impossible to find in France, I have discovered the best burger on this side of the Atlantic. You get two choices: Cheeseburger or Earthbuger. But really, do you any more than that? - AC

• Premiata Drogheria Baroni, Paris, FR: I could eat pasta for every meal (and basically do!), so when I passed by people eating the creamiest cacio e pepe I’ve ever seen at this neighborhood spot a few weeks ago, I knew I had to try. I convinced Zoé to accompany me for a little Thursday night treat this week and friends, it did not disappoint! The market has a few little tables scattered throughout the space, including back in the kitchen, making you feel like you’ve been transported to Rome itself. We enjoyed mushroom ravioli and gnocchi with house red wine in glasses the sizes of our faces. Simple, easy, and wildly delicious, it really hit the spot on a cold fall evening. I have a feeling we’ll be meeting here at least once a week for the foreseeable future… - AC & ZT

See all our recommendations in one place! Follow Planche Mixte on Google Maps and never be hangry again.

Little Treat of the Week

• Trader Joe’s Chili & Lime Flavored Rolled Corn Tortilla Chips: I recently got back from a two-week sojourn to the US and stocked up on this insanely addictive snack. These zesty bites of heaven have occupied much of my brain space for the better part of the year. I talk about them incessantly, force my French friends to try them during apéro, and constantly track when I can re-up my stash. For any Americans reading this, I’m sorry for this very domestic choice. For any Europeans, I’m sorry you do not have access to this truly elite chip. I am happy to mule them over to you during my next trip to the States. - AC

• Jeweled Champagne: In the beverage department…a simple luxury is to add some freeze-dried strawberries (ideally wild ones, fraises des bois) to the bottom of your champagne / pet nat / sparkling wine glass. They’ll just slightly flavor the glass, slowly absorbing liquid for a nice treat every other sip. Freeze-dried berries are easy to find in the bulk section of organic grocers like Naturalia or Biocoop. - ZT

Whip Up… Le Plat Principal

White Bean and Chicken Soup, loosely based off of The Modern Proper’s 

For a veggie version, sub veggie stock and play around with additional vegetables. A dry quash, roasted, would be a delightful addition here. 

Ingredients : 

• Two generous chicken thighs 

• Onion, 2 small, diced

• Garlic, 3 cloves, chopped

• Carrots, 2 large, diced or sliced into your preferred shape

• Celery stalks, 2, chopped

• Spinach, 3 healthy handfuls, chopped 

• Bay leaves, 3

• White beans, dried, your preference, 2 cups, soaked for 4 hours

• Chicken stock, 2 quarts

• For garnish : lemon, dill and parmesan

1. Roast your chicken thighs in the oven, smothered in olive oil and seasoned with salt, until the skin crisps up. Remove the meat and slice, with skin, into small pieces. Reserve in a bowl. Save bones for future chicken stock. 

2. In a large dutch oven, sweat onions, add garlic, carrots and celery. Season with salt. Cook for a few minutes. 

3. Add soaked beans and bay leaves, pour in chicken stock. Add water if all ingredients are not submerged in liquid. 

4. Bring to a boil and simmer until beans are cooked through, about an hour.

5. Add chicken pieces. Taste for seasoning, adjust. Add black pep. Remove bay leaves. 

6. Right before serving, stir in chopped up spinach so it just welts. 

7. To plate, squeeze lemon on top, decorate with dill, and shower with parmesan !

Bon appétit !  - ZT

Culture Génerale

Anyone who knows me knows that I regularly joke that my number one hobby is cheese. I just love it! The history, the science, and, obviously, the taste. There is something so special about tucking into the local fromagerie or grocery store cheese section to ask for new recommendations, designing the perfectly balanced cheese board, and treating all your loved ones to the most perfect pairing. 

It was on one of my visits to the fromagerie that I learned my all-time favorite cheese fact about one of my all-time favorite cheeses: Valençay. This smooth, mild goat cheese has a pretty unique shape — It’s basically a pyramid without the top!

Rumor has is that after returning from Egypt, Napoleon visited Valençay and was presented with the product which was originally in the shape of a true pyramid. Still furious about his defeat in Egypt, he used his sword to cut the top off, saying he never wanted to see a pyramid again. Petty, much?

Fun fact: Zoé and I met in the town where Napoleon would abdicate a few years later and immediately bonded over food. It feels like fate, no? - AC