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girlinchicago
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Tour w. "The Paris Kitchen"/ Foodie Tours of Paris?
in Travel
Has anyone done a tour with Wendy Lyn of The Paris Kitchen? She comes highly recommended online (NBC Today Show, Travel+Leisure, Wall Street Journal, Chicago Tribune,) but I can't seem to find many reviews of actual tourists who have gone on one of her tours besides a colleague's family who recommended her to me.
H and I are foodies and would love to do a walking/eating/drinking tour with lots of good wine, cheese, bread, chocolate, pastries, etc.
Her tour is 3 hours with a max of 4 people, which I really like. The price...I'm not so sure about.
Anyone? Or recs of something like this?
Re: Tour w. "The Paris Kitchen"/ Foodie Tours of Paris?
I've never done any tours like that...but that sounds like a lot of fun. I will say after walking around Paris for a few days and tasting treats from nearly every bakery, street cart, or fresh market I felt like I had!
Seriously though, how much are you interested in learning the nuances of the food vs. just tasting a ton of stuff? Do you want a detailed explanation of how its made, what ingredients, etc? Do you want someone to give you examples of the best pairings for each thing? If so, then I think the money would be well spent on one of these tours.
However, the boy and I are fairly cheap when it comes to those sorts of things. We're fortunate (or rather I'm fortunate!) he speaks enough French to understand the big things and get our points across as to what we like. Therefore, we tend to do a lot of tasting stuff on our own. We find a place to buy a bottle of wine, go somewhere else for some bread/meat/cheese, then find a bakery for dessert. You can buy a LOT of food that way and the experience of not always knowing what you're eating can be fun!
Additionally, almost everyone in Paris speaks a little English and despite the reputation I've yet to have a bad experience anywhere in France. Good luck deciding on what to do!
ETA: I LOVE your little guy/gal in your sig line...adorable!!
We didn't do that tour, but we did do an awesome cooking class with Cook 'n with Class (I don't think they still offer the exact one we did-but we made a 4-5 course dinner w/ wine and cheese tasting).
They do have a market class which may interest you-I believe it is like the class that we did but you go to the market first to purchase the food.
I try to take a food tour in whatever cities I travel to. It's a great way to get a lay of the area, but focusing on food. However, 160E is twice as much as I'd pay. I'd google Paris food tour and find one that looks good. There are other options from this lady.
Or do one of the many great free (tips only) tours in Paris and ask the guide to point out some food places to try.
Yeah, that's the direction I'm leaning too. I don't mind spending more for a really amazing excursion/tour/whatever, but that comes out to around $430 and we could buy ourselves a whole lot of amazing cheese and chocolate on our own for that kind of money!
I like the tips only idea and I'm going to google and see what else is out there. I hate that her tour price has doubled since 2009. I'd pay half the asking price!
Yes! I actually recommended her a few weeks ago on a thread about Paris. We took a chocolate walk with her at the end of 2009 when she was still with Context tours, and it was amazing. She used to do press for a lot of very well known French chefs, and she is friends with the Poilane bakery family-- so she has very good connections.
My husband still keeps in touch with her, which is how I knew about The Paris Kitchen. I wouldn't hesitate to do another tour with her.
I have done Wendy's tour, and couldn't recommend it more highly. To be honest, the price seemed high to me at first as well, but sometimes the old saying - you get what you pay for - holds true.
I know Paris quite well, and can say that insider knowledge is key to having the best experience there. There IS a difference from the baguette you can buy from one corner to the next, and not all camemberts are created equal. While it might be better hidden, there is just as much industrialized and pre-made junk for sale in Paris as anywhere else
Food is so central to the French culture as well, and for them it's a serious business. That culture is often light years from ours in the US, so Wendy's gentle instruction, funny anecdotes, and real life experience will help you make the most of your time in Paris.
Take the tour. It'll be one of your best Parisian memories.