The Jetpacker

Chartier has been serving traditional French food in Paris since 1896.  And when I say traditional, I’m talking about all the things that you might be afraid to eat:  tripe, tongue, brains… all the gross-sounding left over parts.

But if you’re gonna get an authentic taste of the country you’re visiting, you’ve gotta step outside of your comfort zone and try something a little unusual.  In the end, it might be worth the risk.

The risk we took was trying escargot.  Snails might not sound like such a big deal, but to us, it was.  We see snails slithering down the sidewalk every day.  And the idea of eating a slimy, rubbery gastropod wasn’t appetizing.

When the waiter first placed the tray of escargot on the table, I was nervous and confused.  It was like “the first time” all over again.  I had these tools but I didn’t know how to use them properly.  There was some kind of clamping device that looked like those things women use to put on mascara.  And there was this tiny two-pronged device that looked like an evil instrument my dentist would wield.

It was intimidating.  But thank goodness for communal dining.  Our friendly neighbors, despite their limited English vocabulary, showed us how to pick up the snail shell and extract the meat.

We couldn’t delay any longer.  The snail was on the fork.  Our neighbors were looking at us.  We were in the spotlight.  Time to go for it…

And… It was delicious.  The snail itself was soft and slightly chewy.  But all I could really taste was garlic and butter.  You could put garlic and butter on piece of lint and I’d think it was delicious.

Our daring adventure ended there.  We went with a plain burger and a rump steak with a peppery-cream sauce for our meals.

File this under the “you learn something new everyday” category:  the French consider cheese a dessert.  I consider it an easy dinner when I’m too lazy to cook, but apparently cheese aids in digestion and that’s why it’s eaten last.

Restaurant-Chartier
http://www.restaurant-chartier.com/www/visit/filsdesans.php
7 rue du Faubourg Montmartre
+33 1 47 70 86 29
Metro: Grands Boulevards