The last time I was in Paris was in 2008. H was invited to a splashy video game launch (in the Louvres, of all places), which was really something.
We had only one free night for dinner, and I wanted to go to a Guy Savoy restaurant, because there weren’t any in NYC, so I chose Les Bouquinistes, the only one we could afford. It closed in 2020. I greeted the host in French, alerting her immediately to the fact that I was American, because my French isn’t fooling anyone.
We were then promptly seated in the dining room for people whose French isn’t fooling anyone, next to an older couple (from Tribeca, of all places). The female half of the couple was incensed that her French wasn’t fooling anyone, as she took great pride in it. Nevertheless, we had a nice time chatting with them, and a beautiful meal. I’m pretty sure I had halibut and spring vegetables. I wasn’t taking pictures of my food back then - I don’t think anyone was.
