This blog is not real life. You know that, right reader?

I talk about this with les blogueuses sometimes. Our sites filter our lives through a hazy glow of food and fun and travel and beauty and all the good things in life. The truth is, of course, that I have a nine-to-five where I sit at a desk and type a lot. Most of the stuff that shows up here is squeezed around the demands of being a capable adult.

There are some times, though, when it feels like I’ve dropped out of real life and into some bizarre, richly-colored parody — a cross of Hollywood movie magic and the sparkling glamour of Paris. This was one of those nights.

There was a house party. There were two bars. There was a party bus, and a case of champagne that disappeared in half an hour, some of which was, of course, spilled and had to be mopped up with a silk scarf. There was singing of Queen and lots of blurry photos.

And, undoubtedly, there were hangovers and a hard return to reality the next day.

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Posted in: life, paris | Tags: champagne, friends, goodbye, goodbye party, paris, party, party bus, photography, red house | 6 COMMENTS

So, Pi.

SoPi. South Pigalle.

One of the big things that I miss about Paris is how a tiny sliver of the city can have its own distinct personality, completely different from its surroundings. South Pigalle, with its good coffee and music shops and its seedy past has that hipstery aura of fetishizing authenticity without going too far into the too-expensive bobo territory of the NoMa.

Now don’t get me wrong, I love the Marais — some of my favorite places are there, and in a very real way, it’s still my neighborhood. But it’s places like Glass here in SoPi, with its classy-ass drinks and artsy installations smutted up with just enough grunge, that had me switching to the metro line 2.

The art installation is embedded in the floor, to be danced and spilled on, if that gives you any indication.

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Posted in: dining out, paris | Tags: 75009, adam tsou, bar, carina tsou, cocktail bar, cocktail bar paris, cocktails, drinks, food, france, glass, glass paris, josh fontaine, paris, paris photo trip 2013, photography, pigalle, quixotic projects, sopi, south pigalle, travel | 4 COMMENTS

9th best bar in the world, and the best bar in Europe, according to World’s 50 Best Bars. You really can’t go wrong here.

One of the things I admire most here is the total lack of pretension. Despite the very serious cocktail program, and the incredible breadth and depth of knowledge the people behind the sticks have, it still manages to feel like a welcoming neighborhood bar — albeit welcoming in a dark and sexy way. Last time I visited, there were dudes in t-shirts and basketball shorts mingling with women in Chanel. Then again, it was fashion week.

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Posted in: dining out, paris | Tags: 75003, adam tsou, bar, Candelaria, candelaria paris, carina tsou, cocktail bar, cocktail bar paris, cocktails, drinks, food, france, josh fontaine, marais, noma, paris, paris photo trip 2013, photography, quixotic projects, travel, upper marais | 9 COMMENTS

Another photo assignment during my recent week in Paris: Le Mary Celeste!

Le Mary Celeste, or LMC for short, holds a special place in my heart. I attended the Brooklyn Brewery launch party there with a huge group of friends, which involved copious amounts of free craft beer. (Tests indicate that free craft beer will win you my friendship and admiration approximately 100% of the time.)

I also had the opportunity to interview chef Haan a few months ago, and I’ve got to say that his food just keeps getting better and better — not to say that I didn’t miss that incredible cauliflower dish they had on the menu a while back this time.

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Posted in: dining out, paris | Tags: bar, beer, Brooklyn beer, brooklyn brewery paris, ceviche, cocktail, cocktail bar, food, kimchi, korean, le mary celeste, le mary celeste paris, lmc, lmc paris, oyster bar, paris, paris bar, Paris Marais, paris photo trip 2013, paris restaurant, Rain Dog, restaurant, scallops, tacos, Toronto, watermelon, wine | 0 COMMENTS