Submitted by Elizabeth Mitchell the 2024 Spring program in Paris, France…
Now that I have officially completed my first month abroad, I decided today would be a good idea to talk about my favorite topic, food. Throughout my first month, I have had the opportunity to try so many new foods, French cuisines, and specialty pastries. I wanted to take the time today to talk about a few of my favorites and about the food differences I have noticed as I travel to different places. Starting with Paris, of course, I have to say my favorite meal here so far has been steak frites paired with red wine and ending with a delicious creme brulee. I knew coming into Paris that steak and frites were a very popular French dish, but nothing could have prepared me for the steak frites served at Le Relais de l’Entrecote. This restaurant. Located in central Paris, has one thing on their menu which is of course steak frites. The meal has a set cover fee of 30 euros and with this meal comes a walnut salad, two full plates of steak frites (drenched in their incredible secret sauce), and red wine and my roommates and I also decided to splurge on some desserts at the end. This meal was indescribable and set the bar high for food in Paris. The salad had the most delicious dressing and candied walnuts, the steaks were perfectly well done, and the creme brulee was cooked to near perfection. I was so glad I was able to experience this famous French dish at such a delicious restaurant. As my roommates and I started to travel outside of Paris though, I started to discover even more French specialties. Two weekends ago, my roommates and I traveled south to Bordeaux where we were able to try a lot of Bordeaux’s specialty dishes. The dishes they are known for are oysters, caneles (a sweet delicacy), la dune blanche (a specialty creme puff), and of course red wine. This past weekend, we went on a school excursion to Brussels, Belgium where we were able to try some of their specialties as well. Belgium obviously specializes in waffles, chocolate, and even fries, and let me tell you, they lived up to all my expectations. I have had all of these foods before, but eating them in Belgium was a whole new experience. I can tell why Belgium is famous for these foods. I think one of my favorite parts about being able to travel around Europe is that when you visit a new city, you are not only experiencing a new place and lifestyle, but you are also experiencing new cuisine. Every city I have gone to has “specialized” in some food and I have loved being able to try them all. I cannot wait to continue to travel and discover new foods and continue to discover new cuisines in Paris as well. (Submitted on February 7, 2024)