Hotel: Intercontinental Le Grand - Paris

I was in Paris last summer and it was just really hard. Lines were long, vegetarian food was scarce, and it seemed to take forever to get anywhere. Part of that was because I chose us a funky hotel (fiber-optic stars in the ceiling and a levitating bed funky...a post for another day) that was not in the greatest neighborhood and that really was far from everything.

This time, I was determined that was not to be so if I could avoid it. We wanted to stay close to the central area of Paris, and opted for the Intercontinental Paris Le Grand near the Opera. The Metro was right there, it was a very short walk to the Louvre, and the neighborhood was beautiful. When I booked it, I had mainly just looked for good hotels from places I accumulate points. I had no idea what we were in for.

The Intercontinental in Paris is a Grand hotel. Built in 1861, it is a historic landmark, a block long on each side, and impressive in every respect.

Visit their site for more pictures of the public areas. Needless to say, it lives up to its Grand name very well.

Since I was traveling for work, we stayed in a Queen room with a courtyard view, the cheapest option. It was very nice, and much bigger than I expected, especially given European standards.

The bed was nice, and we had a small desk area. On the side of the bed not shown here was a similar amount of space as the other side and a large closet.

A hallway passed the room's door and went to the bathroom. The toilet and shower/sink were in separate rooms. It was small, but functional, and the separate facilities made it feel more spacious.

 And I can't deny that even on a rainy Paris afternoon, it's the best view I've ever had in a courtyard room.

The service was excellent as well. The concierge made the recommendation and reservations for La Romantica, which was exactly the thing we were looking for (medium price, close, veg options, open on Sunday), as well as reservations for another restaurant we wanted. The rest of the staff was extremely friendly and had good advice for us navigating our way to the airport on May Day.

And, of course, the neighborhood couldn't be beat. It was close to everything, cabs we plentiful when we were going out, and the metro right there let us opt for a resting trip home when we had walked too much.

Veg option: Maceo, Paris

Maceo in summary: lots of veg options, very good food, maddeningly frustrating service.

There are a bunch of vegetarian options at Maceo. Three entrees and a number of starters. That's rare at any restaurant, especially in Paris, so it was a real treat.

The food was excellent. We were stated with an amuse boush of white asparagus soup with sesame. I  could have had a whole bowl of this.

 I had the parsnip veloute to start. It was warm and sophisticated with coriander and orange flower oil adding subtle and lovely notes to it.

 For my main, I did a quinoa galette, which was a sort of quinoa cake that was soft inside with a crunchy crust. It was very filling, flavorful, and complemented with beautiful veggies.

 Though I didn't get pictures, we had an excellent cheese course and a tasty dessert.

Then things started to go downhill. We waited an hour after dessert was cleared to get our check. The tables next to us also had long waits, sitting with dirty plates or dessert menus for half an hour. We felt intentionally ignored. When they finally came to charge our card, almost 90 minutes after we finished, IB13 asked if we had done something wrong, and they explained that there had been a theft from the upstairs of the restaurant. I believe this, as we noticed a lot of upset conversation among the waitstaff, but it was still a frustrating night. That said, I don't expect this was typical service. If you are looking for a place with good vegetarian options along with a wide range of non-veggie food, Maceo is definitely a spot to check out.

Make reservations. At 7:30 we were early, but the restaurant was full by the time we finished at 9pm and when we finally left at 10:30.

Cocktails: Prescription Cocktail Club, Paris

Our third night in Paris during this trip, we visited the Prescription Cocktail Club. We had the Experimental Cocktail Club the night before, and while I found ECC better, the drinks at PCC were very good.

I had a Very Old Cuban, which was compared favorably to the one at Experimental Cocktail Club. It was excellent, and IB13 preferred Prescriptions's while I think I preferred Experimental's. I also had a rum and aperol drink called a 23 Jump Street.

The vibe was a bit funkier than Experimental. We sat upstairs in a lounge area with couches and chairs. There was a DJ playing funk, some disco, and a bit of techno. The volume at half that level would have been better. I found this really diminished the ambiance, especially after the perfect music, volume, and song choices at Experimental the night before.

The wait staff were very friendly and prompt. The clientele was a mix of expats and Parisians, mostly young. If you are into craft cocktails, I definitely recommend stopping here. Their menu is creative and the drinks are exceptionally well made. I think the best atmosphere depends on your individual taste. Experimental Cocktail Club was a perfect hit for me, but I can totally understand someone liking Prescription Cocktail Club's feel better.

In any case, you're sure to come away well tended to and happy.

Cocktails: Harry's New York Bar, Paris

Harry's New York Bar in Paris was recommended as a great place for cocktails. It has a very laid back atmosphere and a cool, young clientele. The bartenders were attentive. The cocktails we had were pretty tasty. We have been spoiled with good bars and cursed with bad ones. Both IB13 and I rated our drinks a 6 on a 1-10 scale. He had a bloody Mary, something they are famous for, and I had a White Lady (a gin drink with lemon juice). Both were good, but not great.

It's worth going here for the ambiance. IB13 suggested we go back the next night, but fortunately we ended up at the Experimental Cocktail Club, which we liked better in all respects. Harry's is an institution and worth a stop, but if you are looking for a great cocktail, head over to ECC instead.

Veg Option: La Romantica, Paris

On our first night during this trip to Paris, our concierge recommended La Romantica, an Italian restaurant near Opera. We went over not knowing what to expect except that it had vegetarian options.

I opted for the Leggera Romantica, the "star" of their menu, and I was not disappointed. It was billed as linguine in sage creme with cheese. It turned out to be a crazy great alfredo. First, they start with this giant wheel of parmesan cheese and a bottle of alcohol.

There is a bowl of sorts in the cheese, and they pour the alcohol in there  Then, they light it on fire. They stir it around, melting cheese, and then someone scrapes the softened cheese into a big pile.

That happenes a few minutes before they bring out a pot of hot linguini in butter, which they then pour directly into the cheese bowl. They stir it around and mix in the cheese. Here is my bowl of finished pasta next to the wheel.



It was SO good. So not good for me, but SO good. Basically, it was an alfredo with all the perfect ingredients - great pasta, fresh cream and butter, and amazing cheese.

All we had at this place was a main course. IB13 had a clam linguini which he thought was great, along with some of my pasta. The service was a bit slow (but there seemed to be one waiter and one big party there). There were other vegetarian options on the menu, so if you are in Paris, stop by...and definitely come hungry and save room for this amazing dish.

Flights: Business Class on United ORD to FRA

You have seen my posts about Paris. As a surprise to IB13, I upgraded us to United BusinessFirst in both directions. Such a good choice, and so worth it. Especially on the way over, the lay-flat seats in the 777 (and other aircraft) make it much easier to arrive with some good rest and a happy attitude.

We had a good experience. The flight attendants were a bit...brusque. IB13 describes them as similar to old school Lufthansa stewardesses - efficient, but that's it. For example, we were awoken from our flat beds by the lights coming on and the flight attendants immediately approaching us to say "Are you having the breakfast option?" When I mumbled "yes" from my pillow, they said "then please take out your tray table". I was literally still laying down. A few minutes to ease into consciousness would have been nice, as would some softness in the approach.

However, it's hard to complain when dinner was endless champagne, real silverware,  meals on a plate, and ice cream sundaes. And it could have been a one-off because on the flight back (a 767 this time), everyone was very professional, polite, and attentive.

Honestly, I had been dreading this flight until the upgrade went through and then I was looking forward to it. There are some decadences of business class, but I think it's far more humane than economy for long flights. I would happily take the standard crappy food and lower standard of service with this amount of space and pay for it. I like to think that if airlines upgraded to these style seats for the whole plane and offered economy-level service, they could charge to make up for the seats lost by giving more space and they would do just fine. I know I would pay for that in a heartbeat every time I fly.

In any case, I was very happy to have this upgrade. United was good. The champagne was excellent. And to top it off, Frankfurt was a very easy entry; I was surprised at how effortless it was to get out of the airport.

Miles and cash well spent!

Cocktails: Experimental Cocktail Club, Paris

We are fans of the craft cocktail over here, and try to find places with them in every city we go to. Now in 2013, Paris seems to be in the earlier stages of developing this scene. One total home run of a place to visit is the Experimental Cocktail Club. It's a bit off the beaten path, and I loved it. The cocktails were truly great. Between the two of us, we had 4 Old Cubans (you really need to get one, it's a rum and champagne drink), and 2 others. I had a great drink called L'Attrape Cœurs (the French name for The Catcher in the Rye), which was a beautifully balanced drink with chartruse, whiskey, lemon juice, and grapefruit zest.  IB13 had the Experience #1, a lovely herbal drink. The Old Cubans were masterpieces, though, which is why we went for seconds.

The Old Cuban

The ambiance was great, as well. It was a cozy place, with exposed walls and beams. There was a DJ which worried us when we walked in, but he played a mix of blues and jazz you've probably never heard but will love, and played it at a level that still allowed conversation.

We really couldn't be happier. Everything was great about this place, and the  cocktails match anything we've had. If you love drinks and are in Paris, it's a must-stop.

Veg Option: 16 Haussmann, Paris

Paris is a hard city for vegetarians. I did my homework before this trip, so we ended up at places with vegetarian options and tasty food. 16 Haussman was one of those places. They are near the Opera district, which happened to be by our hotel, and have vegetarian options marked with a check on their menu.

I had a vegetable panna cotta to start and an artichoke risotto with chestnuts and mushrooms as a main. None of this was surprising or deeply sophisticated, but it was very tasty. The atmosphere and service were good, and though I didn't have dessert, my partner IB13 did. His and those delivered to everyone around us looked great.

Add it to your list of veg friendly places in Paris if you're here.

Local Eats: Handel's Ice Cream in Ohio

Handel's Ice Cream has been rated as one of the best ice cream places in the country. More importantly to me, my friend Wendy has recommended them a few times. They are mostly concentrated in Ohio, and since I pass through Youngstown on my DC to Chicago drives, I finally managed to stop.

IB13, my travel companion, joined me. He got the mouthful chocolate chocolate chip cheesecake chunk and I could not resist a hot fudge sundae.

The chocolate ice cream base of IB13's choice was great. I generally don't like chocolate ice cream because the chocolate is too strong, but this was nice. It was definitely chocolate, but the other flavors and the creaminess of the ice cream were right there.

My sundae was also excellent. They use a mix of salted, roasted nuts which were particularly nice, even for me, a not-huge-fan of the sweet-and-salty combo.

The ice cream itself was almost a gelato texture, softer and creamier than what you'd normally get scooped out.

It doesn't top my absolute favorite ice cream experience, the hot fudge sundaes from Ghirardelli, but it was great and is well worth a stop if you are near a location.

Fine Dining: La Degustation, Prague

We have eaten at a lot of great places, but I think La Degustation in Prague is my favorite. Lead by Oldřich Sahajdák, their Michelin star is well deserved. They had a truly outstanding vegetarian tasting menu, and IB13, my travel companion, loved the traditional tasting just as much.


The ingredients were amazing, the flavor of all the dishes was intense and well balanced. The presentations were beautiful, and the staff was truly incredible. We closed the place down with our late reservation, but didn't feel rushed or pressured. It was an amazing night.

I had already posted pictures over on my Tumblr page, Drinks and Dinner, so here are some links there.