Happy Columbus day! I’m happy for good ‘ole Chris, whether or not he actually discovered America. It means a holiday at my new job. It isn’t like I’m overwhelmed or overworked, but I won’t be getting any time off for the initial hire time period anyway so a long weekend is always fun.

Ok, last city of my trip, and 2nd to last vacay food post. You still with me from Paris here & here? Prague felt seriously different from Paris. Paris in one word is majestic. Prague in one word is charming…or Russian-esque…or old-world. That’s more than one word. It totally felt like what I imagine Germany, or Poland or Russia to be like. It was grittier and less perfect than Paris, but it has serious charm. It was Hitler-occupied early on in WWII so there was very little destruction.

The food and drink is suuuper affordable. Affordable as in, beer is cheaper than a glass of water at restaurants. The food feels really German or Austrian influenced. There is a lot of schnitzels in pork, veal, chicken. There are lots of potatoes, dumplings, and beer.

One of our favorite lunches was at a cute restaurant near the Lennon Wall and Charles Bridge. It is a popular tourist area but nothing was all that crowded. There was some patio seating (complete with blankets!) but inside seemed appealing to escape the chilly day.

Mr. J got a grilled bratwurst with horseradish.

It looked amazing!

I got one of their apps. It was a deep fried cheese they compare to French camembert. I saw it on menus daily so I figured it would be a good lunch. It was served with a sweet & tart cranberry sauce.

I loved it. The cranberry sauce was perfect. I needed the tart flavor to balance the decadent cheese.

Just you wait for the best meal of all. Our anniversary dinner was possibly the best meal of the whole trip!

Dining in Paris is priiiicy. I know we’d only be in Paris this time, but I still wouldn’t really enjoy a meal that would affect my ability to grocery shop and eat future meals. Maybe that is dramatic, but seriously, I didn’t want to break the bank. Twenty dollar dinners make adding wine and dessert gentler on the wallet. (Check out our first dinner there! and this is a fast-forward a few days later.)

It was kind of cold and rainy so I wanted something cozy and warm that included French wine. We found a super cute neighborhoody kind of place that felt like we were locals.

I got the cassoulet and loooved it. Dunking baguette hunks into the salty broth while sipping some wine was just what I envisioned. It was meaty and salty and perfect with the red wine.

The bacon was salty and the beans were the perfect consistency. There was pork sausage annnnd a duck leg. This is serious comfort food. It was also HUGE. Check out the dish compared to the fork. There was so much in there.

Mr. J got beef with roquefort sauce. He loves blue cheeses and definitely loves sauces. He thought the beef was good and the potatoes were an interesting in-between a chip and a potato slice. The beef was supposed to be medium rare. I don’t know that medium should have been in there…it was rare, for sure. I nabbed some green beans from his plate since I my dish was bean & meat focused.

We were super full. My meal was quite salty and something sweet seemed like the perfect end to the meal. The menu had us at creme brulee.

We love creme brulee and had it on the menu for a rehearsal dinner dessert option so it seemed quite fitting on our anniversary trip. Also, it is definitely not something we can make at home. It was creamy and the perfect sharing size.

Now, onward to Prague (with some recipes coming along too).

Mr. J and I know how to pack in all the sites when on vacay. I’m glad we got to see so much of Paris but also weren’t at whirlwind speed. We tend to have slower more thought out dinners so lunch just depended where we were. These 2 were the most memorable lunches.

I love trying local drinks and snacks that we don’t have here. Europe totally gets the best Schweppes. Agrum is a citrus blend one that is ahhh-mazing. This one seemed really pink grapefruity to me. It was delicious. I got obsessed with a bitter lemon one in Croatia a few years ago. Sis even found me some online!

We stopped at a tiny place (and ordered completely in French!). It was perfect and gave us a little break from the rain to refuel and keep going. It also was quite the bargain which is hard to find in Paris.

I got a croque monsieur. The French totally know how to do grilled ham & cheese better than we do. So good. I love the soft cheese spread on top with shredded cheese melted on top of that!
Think bread, cheese, ham, bread, cheese, cheese….and they’re not afraid of butter.

Mr. J got a baguette sandwich. I don’t remember what was in it, but he loved it. It was just what he envisioned.

Then on the last day in Paris, before we flew to Prague, we ate crepes…on the champs-elysees. How unbelievable is that? I think this is my most iconic meal ever. They came off a cute little car thing converted into a creperie.

We got 2 to share. One was savory with turkey & gruyere and the sweet one had nutella. Then we decided maybe we needed a croissant and pain au chocolat for the flight.

When in Paris, right? Next we head to Prague!

I hope you like French food, because I have quite a few meals to share from my European adventure. A lot. I think some people might shy away or think they aren’t into French food. What’s not to like?  I mean, there’s lots of cheese, flavorful sauces, and it is the cooking base of techniques for so many chefs. I appreciate their use of butter and all the wine. Maybe the thought is that French cuisine is stuffy and super formal. It is expensive and meals are pretty leisurely but the food is soooo good and not all the crazy-out-of-the-box from items on menus everywhere.

I got a few recommendations before we left for the anniversary trip but we really ended up seeing what we could find once we were there depending on our timing and where we were when we got hungry. Getting a lay of the land was helpful for restaurant hunting without breaking the budget.

We arrived early morning and quickly went to see the Eiffel & Arc de Triomphe & Champs d’Elysees, etc. Jet lag caught up with us and we crashed late afternoon. Then we were rejuvenated and seeking dinner. We went to Bouillon Chartier after debating if it would be touristy or not. We decided it was not.

It was amazing. So cute and we loved every bite. It is tucked off the street and had a line of what seemed like native French-speakers. I took that as a good sign! I ordered completely in French and was quite proud of myself. I was able to ask if one of the wines listed would be enough for two of us. The server said yes. Turns out, it was a bottle. Oops. Metrics got me on that one! Mr. J discovered maybe he does like wine better than he thought. It was really great to share a bottle while indulging in a seemingly never-ending basket of bread.

I got the duck confit. I mean, come on. When in Paris! It was so good, and nothing I ever get at home. It was juicy and rich and perfect with some red wine.

Mr. J went with the steak frites which was a great intro into French restaurant cuisine!

It was a hopping spot. The line moved quickly and everyone willingly accepted the terms of the restaurant. They seat you and you may have others at your table. It isn’t quite communal, but there’s not much separation. The inside is bustling and the turnover is quick, though nobody seemed rushed. There is a sheet of paper on top of the table cloth where they write down your order. Later when you’re done, they add it up from the notes scribbled down.

It was a really fun first meal and we each were thoroughly pleased with our meals. It was a nice spot, the wine was divine, and it was wallet friendly while enjoying classic dishes. Loved it.