Paris alone has more than 8,000 restaurants and bistros, each with its own specialite de la maison. All over France are restaurants which serve a special Tourist Menu, including hors d’oeuvre, a main dish chosen from the day’s a la carte menu, cheese and dessert. Do not miss escargots, snails bathed in garlic, butter and parsley; pate de foie gras; soupe a l’oignon, onion soup usually served in china tureens.
In Provence you must certainly try ratatouille, eggplant, red peppers, tomatoes and zucchini stewed in olive oil and the famous bouillabaisse of Marseilles, a stew of fish, mussels and other shell fish. Also try souffle au saumon frais – fresh salmon souffle; langouste grillee aux herbes, grilled crawfish seasoned with fine herbs; cuisses de grenouilles, tender frogs’ legs; filet de sole au champagne or simply a medium-rate Chateaubriand steak with French fries. Sauces, of course, are the secret of French cooking. The main course is usually followed by salad, an inviting cheese platter, than a dessert. When a restaurant does not have a menu posted outside it is really expensive. There are also over 50 self-service restaurants in Paris.
Visits: 640
