food dump pt. 2
Welcome welcome welcome back!
If you've been here before - you know what's up. We have yet another week of truly spectacular meals that are just waiting to be talked about. If this is your first time here: thank you! I hope you enjoy what I bring to the table (literally) and please feel free to leave comments on any and all of my posts!
I am definitely the type of person who, once I find a good restaurant, I like to become a regular. So, this week you will see some repeat spots that I (still) deem worthy of 5/5 croissants, our rating scale.
For this week, I decided to focus on a theme, almost, when it came to eating out at restaurants. Feeling a little homesick, I decided to either order food that was more comfortable and reminded me of home, OR the complete opposite: I had quite a few meals that were entirely new to me as well! It was my subconscious way of bridging the gap between missing home while also still trying to emerge and explore culture and food here.
So, with that as a foreward, we'll start with a fan favorite: Miah Café.
📍MIAH CAFÉ
This week at Miah Café, I was feeling my most nostalgic and homesick, and their menu offered exactly what I needed. My meal consisted of an incredible grilled cheese with chicken and pesto, with a side salad and some half-mashed potatoes.
For just 11 euros, this was even better than you could imagine! The staff at Miah are so kind and friendly, and even happened to remember me from my first visit (most likely because I have to begin every meal showing my vaccination card and saying, "Yes, I am American...), and being remembered always feels good. The meal in itself was so delicious, but also just the environment in general really helped lift my spirits at the end of a long week. For many of my meals this week, I tried to make it a point to really just stay present and let my mind wander in a safe and open space. Miah was perfectly comfortable and I was able to put my phone away and enjoy the time I was given to eat yet another delicious meal at this killer café, and welcome in the blossoming fall weather. So, yes, again, for the second week in a row, I have to hand it to Miah: 5/5 croissants.
📍PEPPONE
This past week was a good week for repeats! Peppone is yet again a part of our food dump, and I couldn't be happier about it. So, as aforementioned, this week for me was a blend of comfort food and new dishes. I have always, always wanted to try carbonara, a traditional Italian pasta dish made with eggs and hard cheese, and for some reason, I just haven't ever really had the opportunity. But after having tried the pizza at Peppone, I knew the pasta must be just as good, so I decided to finally fulfill my dream of trying carbonara - and let me just say, it did not disappoint (but are we really shocked about that?)!
I swear, I'll have to try everything on their menu one day. From the quality of the pasta to the perfect balance of seasoning, I have nothing more to say except that carbonara is on my list of favorite pasta dishes now! And bonus points to the staff at Peppone, who were so kind and helpful as I stumbled through ordering foods that are new to me, and helping me understand differences between certain types of pasta and more as such. Every time I enjoy a meal at Peppone, I feel so welcomed and my heart (and tummy!) is full. 5/5 croissants, of course!
📍SUZZI
Suzzi has to be the café that, easily, offers the most interesting cuisine I've ever tried! Suzzi is a Nordic café that I can now definitely call one of my favorite places in this entire city! After reading reviews on their 4.9 star rated page, I decided to take a leap of faith with a friend and head to suzzi for Sunday brunch, which could not have been a better idea! I figured that if the café really was as incredible as people made it sound, then I should probably get there before they opened to guarantee a table for my friend and me, and 20 minutes before they opened, there was already a line formed out front. Luckily, our early arrival secured us a sweet little table inside the café, and I'm serious when I say that if I was to open my own kind of café or restaurant, I would want it to be just like suzzi! Besides the aesthetically pleasing decor and cheery environment, the wait staff immediately treated us as if we were old friends, and I could already tell that I would be adding it to my next food dump post. While the line continued to grow out front of the café, the servers gave us so much help in understanding the very newfound menu, and were so helpful with recommendations and translating in French and English. We decided to order the classic brunch formula they offer, which comes with a few drinks, and a few sweet and salty options that give a wide range of traditional Nordic and Scandinavian food.
I don't know if this picture can fully present the incredible food that my friend and I were lucky enough to experience, but all in all, suzzi joins the ranks as an all-star spot. From the bacon and jam savory pancakes to the salted caramel waffle for dessert, suzzi truly offers some of the most well-crafted Nordic food I've ever tried (and also, the only Nordic food I've ever tried). The balance of the savory and sweet, the tart and earthy, was at a skill level I never would have thought is possible. All in all - obviously, this is a rave for suzzi, and this café will continue to be the first place I send people when they ask for breakfast and brunch recommendations. Just remember to set your watch ahead 20 minutes, because you will definitely want to be there before the line sets in! 5/5 croissants, undoubtedly.
📍HONORABLE MENTIONS
Just to keep this post digestible (see what I did there?), I'm going to add a couple of quick honorable mentions to display some of the other meals I've had this week that definitely live up to their hype.
bagelcorner - best bagel sandwiches made exactly how you want with the freshest ingredients, by the sweetest staff! great for a quick lunch stop during a busy day, my go-to when i can't decide on what restaurant to pick
if all else fails - picnics with friends are my go-to choice any day! so many local grocery stores in France are stocked with great quality charcuterie options, so grab a few different types of dip, some crackers, and some good pâté, and you're good to go!
Thank you again for reading and being a part of emma travels. I truly get so much happiness out of sharing these little food adventures with you. I can't wait for part three!
Bisous,
Emma