Corinne LaBalme
Corinne LaBalme is a travel writer and novelist living in Paris. Her most recent book is French Ghost, a cozy mystery published in 2022 by The Wild Rose Press.
Café Bouillu: Eggs-istentialism and Carpaccio-Diem in the Odeon Quarter
In an area where philosophers, revolutionaries and writers once roamed, this chic new bistro off boulevard Saint-Germain offers diners tasty lessons in eggs-istentialism and the pleasures of carpaccio-diem.
On the Champs-Elysées: Dining à la car(te)
Corinne LaBalme test drives the Fall 2014 menu at Renault’s newly re-conditioned showroom/restaurant on the Champs-Elysées. * * * When car-conscious journalists showed up at Renault’s Paris showroom for a press conference about the 3rd Generation Twingo last month, the F-word (femme) was on everybody’s lips.
La Ciotat: A Splash of Reality on the Riviera
Corinne LaBalme forgoes the Saint Tropez glitz-krieg and heads for the refreshingly quirky (and under-hyped) port of La Ciotat to enjoy great food, unspoiled beaches and affordable prices in one of the all-too-rare Mediterranean enclaves that's escaped paparazzi pollution.
Unexpected Provence: Meet the New Aix
The Provençal college town of Aix-en-Provence, celebrated for Cézanne, bel canto and fountain-side cafés, puts the finishing touches on a massive urban renewal project. Corinne LaBalme sets out beyond the town's tawny-tinted 17th-18th century façades to discover 21st-century Aix.
Japanese Artist Kojiro Akagi Examines the Spirits of Paris
Corinne LaBalme reports from the 8th arrondissement gallery whose owner/curator Chozo Yoshii brings Franco/Japanese fusion to Paris and a Montparnasse artistic landmark to the shadows of Mount Fuji.
Fashion Food Alert: Angelina’s Spring-Summer Collection
Don't be seen with last year's cream puff! In Paris, haute couture extends all the way to the dessert trolley. Even a venerable let-them-eat-cake institution like Angelina, founded in 1903, has to keep up with the trifle trends.
Great Paris Hotels in Small Packages: Le San Régis
With three of Paris's heavyweight luxury hotels sidelined for renovation, five-star 'boutique' inns are raking in a new clientele. Corinne LaBalme visits the venerable Hôtel San Régis, which completed its oh-so-chic makeover just in time to welcome refugees from the Ritz, Crillon and Plaza Athénée.
Out-of-Seasonal Delights: Les Baux-de-Provence
Thanks to a ruined fortress, shop-filled alleys, an expansive view over the plain and an enchanting sound-and-light show in the Quarries of Lights, Les-Baux-de-Provence is an in-season crowd pleaser. Corinne LaBalme takes us off-season Oustau de Baumanière and La Cabro d’Or, sister Relais & Chateaux-member resorts with all the trimming.
Paris Restaurant Report: Villa Corse and the Versatility of Brocciu Cheese
When it gets too cold to sunbathe in Corsica, the Isle of Beauty gears up for fromage frenzy. Corinne LaBalme visits Paris's Villa Corse just in time for the beginning of brocciu season.