The thing about being a token American in France is all of my French friends keep me posted on all the American happenings in Paris. I am always the first to know about the latest burger truck, American steakhouse, Breaking Bad spoilers, and cupcake depot. Since I have never thought about chili cheese anything in my four years in France, I am always hesitant to eat at American restaurants. For me, it is peculiar that eating something like Korean makes me far more sentimental for home than an uninspired burger on an industrial bun.
But for months, I had two French friends raving about the latest attempt at American at Little Kitchen in Montreuil (80 rue de Paris 93100 Montreuil). With a farm-to-table mentality and an airy “New York” storefront ambiance, this little café has a delicious, mixed bag of a menu. With American standards like chicken Caesar salads, beef burritos, and cheeseburgers alongside a mushroom and cheese tartine, a Japanese shrimp salad, and mysterious daily specials, everything is inspired and freshly prepared. I was nervous ordering a BLT, a sandwich whose most exciting component is often its slathering of mayonnaise. But I was pleasantly surprised to discover juicy tomato, micro greens, and crispy bacon all on a grainy, grilled country bread. Unfortunately, their hours of operation do not yet go into the evening hours (Monday-Friday 11:00am-7:00pm). But with a little planning, the Little Kitchen hosts a brunch not to be missed the first Sunday of the month from 10:00am-3:00pm. Oh, and it is cheap. It is easy to eat for under 10 euros. Make an afternoon out of it, do not miss the bargains at the Montreuill flea market every Saturday, Sunday, and Monday.
But BLTs are one of the easiest, foolproof things to whip up at home. I would apologize for putting the recipe in French, but a BLT is kind of a commonsense sandwich.
littlekitchenmontreuil.com
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Indeed, Cynthia! On good French bread, there is no better lunch.
P.S. BLT is quite bilingual, but I promise I will get you some more vocabulary soon.
I want to add a “me, too”! What could be better than a BLT?…..especially with the toast still warm. The French is great beside the American sandwich. Many thanks.
Oh absolutely, Etsy is a great idea. I certainly encourage you to do it. Your work is fantastic. And I love the subject matter. The FR/US hotdog comparison is priceless. I love culinary comparisons like that point out our cultural differences. I’m from Chicago too. Hot dogs are a touchy subject for us. 🙂 I just started following your blog so I won’t miss anything.
Susan, I’m glad you found me, too. I’ve been thinking about starting an Etsy site to sell some prints. So I am happy to hear that there might be a demand. I try to post every other day. So don’t be a stranger.
Bonne soiree! j
Wow, one of my favorite sandwiches! What a fantastic illustration. It would make a great poster, as would your other illustrations too. I’m very happy to have discovered this blog, and to see that you’re on Pinterest. Looking forward to more posts. 😉
Thanks again for reading, Pat! Muah!
As always, inspired!