The Spirits of Deco Past: Searching for Life in the Museum of Decorative Arts
The more I bone up on the names of great French cabinetmakers, ponder the decorative needs of French nobility, and peruse catalogues and press kits, the more I appreciate the precious objects of the Museum of Decorative Arts. But my attention is waning, quickly.
At the Flea Market: Leyla’s Antique Textiles
An encounter with Leyha Ahi, seller of antique textiles in Marché Dauphine at the Saint Ouen Flea Markets on the edge of Paris, Porte de Clignancourt.
Mystery Cuisine: Adventure, Intimacy, and Knowing Smiles
Mystery Cuisine (formerly Les III O), a confidential little restaurant near Palais Royal in the center of Paris, has the feel of an exclusive...
Fancy Tiles and the King’s Virginity
Olivier Mangnez’s showroom Villa Paris presents old-fashion, artisan-made tiles of terracotta, stone, and enamel, including collections of delft, azulejos, marble marquetry, mosaics and others, made à l’ancienne in the countries where the individual styles originated or where bygone traditions of production are maintained.
The New Fragrance of the Paris Café
We knew we would be breathing easier when France entered the nonsmoking age in January 2008 with a full ban on smoking in enclosed public places including cafés, bars, and restaurants. But the Parisian café was previously so identified with smoke and smokers that
McDonald’s France throws Bush under the train, jumps on the Obama Express
In the waning days of the Bush administration, McDonald’s France decided it was finally time to get on the Obamania bandwagon and start promoting...
The Electrician
The back table by the kitchen at Kasaphani, Paris’s premier Greek Cypriot restaurant, is reserved for family and friends. Tony, the oldest of the...
Benjamin Franklin, a Philadelphian Who Lived the American Dream in Paris, Then Went Home
Shortly after the signing of the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia, Benjamin Franklin accepted a mission from the Continental Congress to seeking an alliance with...
Part III: The American Versailles. Not Impressed Yet? Try This!
Versailles, for all its reflection of historical French grandeur, authority, nobility, art, craftsmanship, and etiquette, is also a reflection of American power. Versailles may well be the French monument that most symbolizes American power, after the Statue of Liberty that is.