On the American love affair with the Parisian bistro
My report for Le Fooding's 2025 guide
Last summer, a unique request landed in my inbox— the editor-in-chief of Le Fooding, France’s 25 year-old insider-y guide to drinking and dining (which now covers Belgium, too) wanted me to dig into a story for their 2025 edition that would contribute to answering the guide’s abiding question of the year: what IS France today? It was the first time in all of my years covering food culture and dining that Le Fooding knocked on my digital door and I was excited to be summoned!
Some of the eight long-form pieces would tackle who actually makes kitchens in France run (often, immigrants and migrants) and whether they are treated fairly; Arles as the country’s most exciting culinary hub; and the business of food on SNCF trains.
Mine, however, would investigate the enduring appeal of the Parisian bistro outre-Atlantique and what, if anything, that popularity says about French influence and culinary hegemony. I knew exactly who I wanted to speak to and which book I wanted to re-read for groundwork.
The final product hit bookshelves, magazine kiosks and specialty stores in mid November— but it’s only in French. Here, just for you, is a version of the piece in English. And if you can manage in French, I highly recommend picking up a copy of the guide— if you can decipher Le Fooding’s very specific tone, chapeau.
