Bill Daley: Chances of a martini in Paris? Wee Posted on May 26th
PARIS—If you really want to stand out as an American here, or anywhere else in France, for that matter, simply try to order a dry gin martini, straight up, with a string of green pimento-stuffed olives.
Ain’t gonna happen, unless you’re incredibly lucky or know where to look.
As noted in expatriate Alexander Lobrano’s wonderful new restaurant guide, “Hungry For Paris” (Random House, $16), the French rarely drink cocktails or hard liquor before dinner. Dulls the taste buds, or so they say.
Instead, Parisians will choose a glass of Champagne, white wine or kir, which Lobrano describes as white wine “dosed” with a fruit liqueur. As a former restaurant reviewer, I knew of this belief and how strongly it is held. Indeed, I’d often caution guests when going out to French-owned restaurants to stick with wine to establish better cred with the servers.
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