I just spied the maple sugar candy in the photo. Such a guilty pleasure! So good. I hoard them and dole them out sparingly. Caught my husband sneaking a few! Words were said. They are just a sinful melt of pure sugar!
As a fairly fluent French speaker with my first full year of long stay residency, the system can be maddening. But I’ve had some frustrating bureaucratic encounters in the states too. It can happen anywhere. But when you « fall » on the right person, it’s a dream!
We have many French friends we were lucky to make when we first came 20 years ago, but finding new ones is, indeed, difficult!
We were asked for a tip in Rome on our layover back to france from Senegal, and I was astonished. I really hope that France does not go this way. I appreciate the French system of waitering being a respected career that is fairly compensated without my needing to tip extra.
We were in Paris in September and were really surprised when the POS machine "suggested" a tip. It didn't happen in the other French towns we visited, only Paris. We politely declined ...
Twice on our recent trip through Europe, we had waiters request tips, both times in France, IIRC. I know one was in Marseille. We were so taken aback that we did, although each time it was no more than five percent. And I suppose there could have been a language barrier; maybe they were trying to say that we could leave a tip if we wanted.
I think it's illegal to tell people that the tip isn't included in France. (But not 100% sure.) I've heard very infrequent reports of that happening in Paris, like maybe once or twice over 20+ years, but it's always included.
I did bring a group when I was giving tours to a well-known restaurant in France, and I always tipped the staff generously since they were always super helpful, but once the maitre'd came up to me after I was handed the check and he said, "In France, it's normal to leave a tip." He would (definitely) not have said that to a native French person...at all. I ended up slyly giving the server the tip so the host didn't see it, but I never went back.
Sorry to hear about your friend’s passing. Your Drinking French kept my husband and I sane the last time TFG was in the WH. I was hoping your new book would be out so I could wallow my sorrows in your recipes. I’m sure even more drinking will be in order…but it would be good to have some balance between alcohol and good food. We are lucky to have a nice farmer’s market in Vista and although I miss my old one in NorCal, this one is better than buying overpriced produce at Von’s (which I never shop at). Enjoy your oyster eating escapade-I was able to travel to Rhode Island for my 60th in November and enjoyed many a local oyster at Matunuck Oyster Bar (the best!). Also picked up some local corn meal for Johnny Cakes.
I had to google rutabagas… it’s swede…. who knew!!! Mum always made mashed swede which I hated. Now I’m happy if it’s diced in soups.
Ah snow! I’d love to walk in snow again. You’d wake in the morning and just know it was white outside… so quiet as you say. I now live subtropical and I have to say a bit of snow now would be extremely welcome instead of the intense thunderstorms and rain and humidity we have.
Funnily we had lunch in an Italian restaurant yesterday and when I paid he told me to read the screen and select. As you say options for 20% down to no thank you. I’m not sure how well it will go down in Brisbane as we don’t tip or very rarely if everything has exceeded expectations. I gave them the lowest option as they had just squeezed an outdoor restaurant into the inside restaurant due to one of those thunderstorms which dumped 50ml of rain in just half an hour. Everyone looked wet and frazzled… but the food was super. I just didn’t like having to choose.
I hope you have a great holiday season with a glass of wine.. or bottle of your preferred tipple and a good book. I have so enjoyed your newsletter and always make a cuppa or pour a glass to have while I’m reading.
I am so sorry to hear about the loss of your friend Forest. I learned about her from your interactions with her that you shared with us and she was passionate about her subject matter. My condolences.
Regarding the expats who moved (temporarily) to France:
Learning the language is not enough for navigating French bureaucracy... I speak French fluently (to the point where I don't have to think about it and often don't realize whether I'm speaking English or French) but I've cried on at least seven separate occasions over the last year as I've tried to navigate restoring my health insurance rights (my carte vitale was cancelled by mistake, but they don't care) and applying for my 10 year residency card. And my husband is French, so he can at least try to help. I can't imagine trying to navigate those processes without fluent French.
Another barrier that is real is that French adults mostly don't need or want to make new friends. Most French people are like my husband: they made a group of close friends in their 20s, and they still hang out with those same people. They get together for dinners, picnics in the park when the weather is good, weekends away together at a rented house in the country... I get to be included since I married in (when they were all in their 50s), but otherwise I wouldn't really have any French friends. Most Americans make friends with other expats.
Yes, even speaking fluent French doesn't mean you can navigate the complex and perplexing bureaucracy. I recently got an official letter and Romain, and another friend who is French, didn't understand it. My building charges (called homeowner's association dues, in English) are 4 to 6 pages long, double-sided, and I have no idea what all those numbers and terms mean. When I lived in New York, my building charges came in a one-sentence email: How much I owed, and a link to pay
Your article on the new tipping button on machine when you pay in restaurant. I was unclear as to whether the bill already has the service on it and this is just the small additonal amount we normally leave in French restaurants & cafes??
The 15% is automatically added to the menu prices (and hence, the bill) and it's never separated out. If you want to leave a tip, you can on top of that, but you're not obligated to.
As you have surely heard, tipping "culture" has greatly expanded in the US, I hope that doesn't happen in France. Most Americans, including me, appear (to me) to prefer more transparency (building actual costs, including the costs of paying a decent wage, into the cost of the item/dish/service).
What I frequently read (in newspapers) is that when some restaurants wanted to go to a "service included model" either some customers were upset because they wanted control over how much they added, and restaurants said customers didn't understand why the menu prices were higher, when restaurants increased their prices 15-20%. And some servers were upset (and sued) because they were making less. When I worked at Chez Panisse, back in the 90s they went to a "service included" model, and stuck with it, and it works. But I think (like the metric system), if it was instituted in the States, people would have a hard time adjusting at first, then it would become normal. (I think!)
Sadly, Americans *have* had a hard time adjusting. Danny Meyer in NYC famously tried it at his renowned restaurants such as the Union Square Cafe, but conceded defeat and went back to tipping. There are still some places, though, that follow this model; I now split my time between DC and Ann Arbor MI, and my favorite restaurants in each place are no-tip. I hope it catches on and spreads!
I know in NY they had a hard time finding waiters and bar staff because those people are used to making a lot of money in tips, which they could do in other restaurants. I prefer the tip-included system because I hate doing math after I've had a few glasses of wine ; )
(Although I did get an app for figuring out the tip for when I go to the U.S. which makes it easier.)
David, Thank you for an excellent newsletter. I LOVE all your recommendations and information for Francophiles like me. I SO wish I was going to be in Paris next weekend for the opening of Notre Dame. Maybe, the crowds will be HUGE and it’ll be better to wait. I fixed Flo Braker’s Devil’s Food Cake for the 2nd time for guests recently. It was a HUGE success!!! I wish you and Roman Christmas Blessings, Marianne
Thought you might be interested in this story about trouble with water in aus farm/restaurant.
Smithers has been using water drawn from an abundant spring-fed lake on her property at Lyonville, 100km north-west of Melbourne. The water is piped to the garden where she grows fruit, vegetables and flowers for her Good Food Guide hatted restaurant, Du Fermier, in nearby Trentham.
The problem is not the amount of water she uses on the 877-square-metre plot. Nor that she uses the water to grow vegetables: liberal watering of a domestic garden is permitted. Smithers is a lawbreaker because she is using the water to grow vegetables that are used commercially; that is, cooked into dishes served at her 24 seat restaurant from goodfood Sydney morning herald Oct 2024
I read the article about the expats. I don’t think they really understood the French or tried to prepare for the change in lifestyle. The dead give away was the comment about buying vegetables at the supermarket! With all the great farmers markets why would you need to? You need to adapt to France or wherever, not the other way around.I spent a year in Angers as a student with a French family. It was an adjustment but it really helped me understand the French. As someone who continues to study French, the language can be maddening from time to time but it is worth the battle. I would love to live in France again but also understand the reality versus the dream.
The only cling wrap I use is Kirkland stretch-tite. LOVE IT!!
Also, the owner of Dick Taylor Chocolate is the son one of my closest friends from high school in Los Angeles. So nice to see you give that company acknowledgment.
I just spied the maple sugar candy in the photo. Such a guilty pleasure! So good. I hoard them and dole them out sparingly. Caught my husband sneaking a few! Words were said. They are just a sinful melt of pure sugar!
As a fairly fluent French speaker with my first full year of long stay residency, the system can be maddening. But I’ve had some frustrating bureaucratic encounters in the states too. It can happen anywhere. But when you « fall » on the right person, it’s a dream!
We have many French friends we were lucky to make when we first came 20 years ago, but finding new ones is, indeed, difficult!
We were asked for a tip in Rome on our layover back to france from Senegal, and I was astonished. I really hope that France does not go this way. I appreciate the French system of waitering being a respected career that is fairly compensated without my needing to tip extra.
We were in Paris in September and were really surprised when the POS machine "suggested" a tip. It didn't happen in the other French towns we visited, only Paris. We politely declined ...
Twice on our recent trip through Europe, we had waiters request tips, both times in France, IIRC. I know one was in Marseille. We were so taken aback that we did, although each time it was no more than five percent. And I suppose there could have been a language barrier; maybe they were trying to say that we could leave a tip if we wanted.
I think it's illegal to tell people that the tip isn't included in France. (But not 100% sure.) I've heard very infrequent reports of that happening in Paris, like maybe once or twice over 20+ years, but it's always included.
I did bring a group when I was giving tours to a well-known restaurant in France, and I always tipped the staff generously since they were always super helpful, but once the maitre'd came up to me after I was handed the check and he said, "In France, it's normal to leave a tip." He would (definitely) not have said that to a native French person...at all. I ended up slyly giving the server the tip so the host didn't see it, but I never went back.
He didn't say that the tip wasn't included, just asked for one.
Sorry to hear about your friend’s passing. Your Drinking French kept my husband and I sane the last time TFG was in the WH. I was hoping your new book would be out so I could wallow my sorrows in your recipes. I’m sure even more drinking will be in order…but it would be good to have some balance between alcohol and good food. We are lucky to have a nice farmer’s market in Vista and although I miss my old one in NorCal, this one is better than buying overpriced produce at Von’s (which I never shop at). Enjoy your oyster eating escapade-I was able to travel to Rhode Island for my 60th in November and enjoyed many a local oyster at Matunuck Oyster Bar (the best!). Also picked up some local corn meal for Johnny Cakes.
I had to google rutabagas… it’s swede…. who knew!!! Mum always made mashed swede which I hated. Now I’m happy if it’s diced in soups.
Ah snow! I’d love to walk in snow again. You’d wake in the morning and just know it was white outside… so quiet as you say. I now live subtropical and I have to say a bit of snow now would be extremely welcome instead of the intense thunderstorms and rain and humidity we have.
Funnily we had lunch in an Italian restaurant yesterday and when I paid he told me to read the screen and select. As you say options for 20% down to no thank you. I’m not sure how well it will go down in Brisbane as we don’t tip or very rarely if everything has exceeded expectations. I gave them the lowest option as they had just squeezed an outdoor restaurant into the inside restaurant due to one of those thunderstorms which dumped 50ml of rain in just half an hour. Everyone looked wet and frazzled… but the food was super. I just didn’t like having to choose.
I hope you have a great holiday season with a glass of wine.. or bottle of your preferred tipple and a good book. I have so enjoyed your newsletter and always make a cuppa or pour a glass to have while I’m reading.
Thank you again and Merry Christmas. 💐
I am so sorry to hear about the loss of your friend Forest. I learned about her from your interactions with her that you shared with us and she was passionate about her subject matter. My condolences.
Another option for those who need some help falling asleep:
https://www.sleepbaseball.com/
It's fake baseball radio broadcasts. We live in a glorious age.
Regarding the expats who moved (temporarily) to France:
Learning the language is not enough for navigating French bureaucracy... I speak French fluently (to the point where I don't have to think about it and often don't realize whether I'm speaking English or French) but I've cried on at least seven separate occasions over the last year as I've tried to navigate restoring my health insurance rights (my carte vitale was cancelled by mistake, but they don't care) and applying for my 10 year residency card. And my husband is French, so he can at least try to help. I can't imagine trying to navigate those processes without fluent French.
Another barrier that is real is that French adults mostly don't need or want to make new friends. Most French people are like my husband: they made a group of close friends in their 20s, and they still hang out with those same people. They get together for dinners, picnics in the park when the weather is good, weekends away together at a rented house in the country... I get to be included since I married in (when they were all in their 50s), but otherwise I wouldn't really have any French friends. Most Americans make friends with other expats.
Yes, even speaking fluent French doesn't mean you can navigate the complex and perplexing bureaucracy. I recently got an official letter and Romain, and another friend who is French, didn't understand it. My building charges (called homeowner's association dues, in English) are 4 to 6 pages long, double-sided, and I have no idea what all those numbers and terms mean. When I lived in New York, my building charges came in a one-sentence email: How much I owed, and a link to pay
Your article on the new tipping button on machine when you pay in restaurant. I was unclear as to whether the bill already has the service on it and this is just the small additonal amount we normally leave in French restaurants & cafes??
The 15% is automatically added to the menu prices (and hence, the bill) and it's never separated out. If you want to leave a tip, you can on top of that, but you're not obligated to.
As you have surely heard, tipping "culture" has greatly expanded in the US, I hope that doesn't happen in France. Most Americans, including me, appear (to me) to prefer more transparency (building actual costs, including the costs of paying a decent wage, into the cost of the item/dish/service).
What I frequently read (in newspapers) is that when some restaurants wanted to go to a "service included model" either some customers were upset because they wanted control over how much they added, and restaurants said customers didn't understand why the menu prices were higher, when restaurants increased their prices 15-20%. And some servers were upset (and sued) because they were making less. When I worked at Chez Panisse, back in the 90s they went to a "service included" model, and stuck with it, and it works. But I think (like the metric system), if it was instituted in the States, people would have a hard time adjusting at first, then it would become normal. (I think!)
Sadly, Americans *have* had a hard time adjusting. Danny Meyer in NYC famously tried it at his renowned restaurants such as the Union Square Cafe, but conceded defeat and went back to tipping. There are still some places, though, that follow this model; I now split my time between DC and Ann Arbor MI, and my favorite restaurants in each place are no-tip. I hope it catches on and spreads!
I know in NY they had a hard time finding waiters and bar staff because those people are used to making a lot of money in tips, which they could do in other restaurants. I prefer the tip-included system because I hate doing math after I've had a few glasses of wine ; )
(Although I did get an app for figuring out the tip for when I go to the U.S. which makes it easier.)
the fix and fogg crunchy almond butter is my favorite! i think they have a maple cashew one that's nice too.
David, Thank you for an excellent newsletter. I LOVE all your recommendations and information for Francophiles like me. I SO wish I was going to be in Paris next weekend for the opening of Notre Dame. Maybe, the crowds will be HUGE and it’ll be better to wait. I fixed Flo Braker’s Devil’s Food Cake for the 2nd time for guests recently. It was a HUGE success!!! I wish you and Roman Christmas Blessings, Marianne
Thought you might be interested in this story about trouble with water in aus farm/restaurant.
Smithers has been using water drawn from an abundant spring-fed lake on her property at Lyonville, 100km north-west of Melbourne. The water is piped to the garden where she grows fruit, vegetables and flowers for her Good Food Guide hatted restaurant, Du Fermier, in nearby Trentham.
The problem is not the amount of water she uses on the 877-square-metre plot. Nor that she uses the water to grow vegetables: liberal watering of a domestic garden is permitted. Smithers is a lawbreaker because she is using the water to grow vegetables that are used commercially; that is, cooked into dishes served at her 24 seat restaurant from goodfood Sydney morning herald Oct 2024
Part of the protests here are the labyrinth of rules farmers have to adhere to. In a similar vein, ome winemakers in France were fined for *not* using pesticides on their grapes: https://www.rfi.fr/en/environment/20150428-second-french-organic-wine-grower-faces-court-over-refusal-use-pesticides
I read the article about the expats. I don’t think they really understood the French or tried to prepare for the change in lifestyle. The dead give away was the comment about buying vegetables at the supermarket! With all the great farmers markets why would you need to? You need to adapt to France or wherever, not the other way around.I spent a year in Angers as a student with a French family. It was an adjustment but it really helped me understand the French. As someone who continues to study French, the language can be maddening from time to time but it is worth the battle. I would love to live in France again but also understand the reality versus the dream.
Loved your varied and nuanced newsletter
The only cling wrap I use is Kirkland stretch-tite. LOVE IT!!
Also, the owner of Dick Taylor Chocolate is the son one of my closest friends from high school in Los Angeles. So nice to see you give that company acknowledgment.