tag: france

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

Hey, remember those photo assignments I went to Paris for? This was the first — one of my favorite places in my old neighborhood, the Marais.

By now, lots of you know that Candelaria is the best place in Paris to get your Mexican food fix along with your artisan cocktail fix. But did you know that it’s also the best place to nurse your Sunday morning hangover with delicious huevos rancheros and hair of the dog drinks? Even better: it’s usually just tacos in the front and cocktails in the back, but during brunch you get to dine and drink in that awesome speakeasy back room.

Mexican food has long been my morning-after-party craving, so this seems a natural and perfect combination to me. I wasn’t hung over when I showed up a couple of weeks ago for the first of many shoots during my week in Paris, but I was coming off of nearly twenty-four hours of plane and and airport time, so close enough?

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Posted in: dining out, paris | Tags: bar, brunch, brunch paris, Candelaria, candelaria paris, cheap eats, cheap eats paris, cocktail bar paris, dining, food, france, hair of the dog, huevos rancheros, marais, mexican food paris, paris, paris photo trip 2013, paris restaurant, restaurant, tacos, tortilla, tostada | 6 COMMENTS

It’s been a busy week for me here in Paris. I’ve been running around between all kinds of restaurants and stores and bars, but in the meantime I’ve gotten the chance to spend some minutes with this ol’ gal, who hangs out on a roof by my little rented apartment by the Canal Saint-Martin.

Apparently her name is Buffy.

There’s this smaller grey cat too, but Buffy is very defensive of her rooftop so he daren’t venture closer when she’s in state.

I like to think we’re friends now.

Posted in: paris | Tags: cat, cats of paris, france, paris, paris photo trip 2013, paris roof, paris rooftop, photography, roof cat, travel | 3 COMMENTS