Table for two, please!
Over the past few days, Lindsay and I have truly experienced what it means to dine in French tradition. We've visited restaurants ranging from high class brasseries to take out baguette sandwich shops. Through these delicious encounters, I have picked up on so much of the French language as well as the cultural customs of dining out.
1. No matter how crowded a restaurant is, they will always be able squeeze you into an outside table. This is possible because the outdoor tables are set up in a way that everybody sits next to each other and faces out to the street, as it should be! In America there is always that awkward pause as to see who is going to grab the seat with the great view and who is going to stare looking back at the paneled restaurant wall. The French have certainly got this aspect of dining mastered!
2. Speaking of dining on the street, some tourists may be hesitant to grab the table with the great view because of Paris's spotty weather. Well, take it from me, don't hesitate for a moment to eat outdoors. Any decent restaurant with outdoor seating also tends to have a retractable awning. As soon as the light sprinkles start to hit the sidewalk, the awning stretches out and takes you under its cover. This is so essential because the weather in this beautiful city tends to change multiple times a day.
3. Always share a sandwich. Keep in mind that the baguette is a staple to French cuisine. It arrives with every meal in one way or another. When grabbing something quick, like a sandwich, the baguette will still make an appearance. Actually, it's really the star of the show. Meaning, any sandwich or panini that you order, will be served on a WHOLE baguette!
4. Don't expect to be waited on hand and foot by the staff. Don't get me wrong, every patron is treated with respect and a smile, however the general relationship between diner and server seems to closer to equal than in the states. In America, there is a degree of expectation that all diners should be treated as royalty by restaurant staff to a point that is almost degrading to the servers. Personally, I've worked as a server for years, and I have quite a bit of experience with humiliation and frustration due to patrons speaking down to me simply for being their server. Americans need to learn to appreciate one another like the French do. Jobs in the service industry are simply just jobs, and there is no need to demean that title. This is especially true because many people don't have any experience or knowledge of how emotionally draining and physically exhausting that job can be. Ok, enough of my rant! Just remember not to ruin your own dining experience by getting frustrated with the service. Besides, the French food is so exquisite, there is really no reason to be flagging down your server.
5. However, one result of the laid-back service, is that it can be quite difficult to get the check! Usually, we have to spend a few minutes scoping out the scene until we spot our server, and then flag them down with a "L'addition, s'il vows plaît!" The servers do make up for this wait though, since usually they will the bring the check along with a dish of coins so they can make change for you on the spot.
6. There are a couple rumors about the French dining experience that should be cleared up. Before coming over here, I was told by many people that I would have to pay for tap water, pay even more for ice, and then even have to pay to use the bathroom. So far, I have not run into this problem at all! Multiple restaurants have brought carafes of water without us even requesting, and we were even able to get some ice with it. Also, every restaurant with table service also provides its patrons with a restroom, free of charge. I do notice that a lot of the shops and take-out places do not provide this luxury, but I don't really see that as an injustice to the people in any way.
Unfortunately, after quite a few days of heavy spending, tomorrow starts the more structured part of our trip. We begin our class, which lasts 9am-5pm, we also have to stick to a more restricted budget. This by no means will put an end to the galavanting, just that maybe it is time to try our hands in French cooking!
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