Tues May 11: In the Footsteps of Julia Child

A few years back.. must be 7+ because it was before Davey was born, we had an all day "Godfather Party." We started at noon, friends brought little props and Italian food and we watched the entire Godfather trilogy back-to-back. Seeing all three movies during a single day was very different than seeing them separated by long intervals. There were so many nuances and tie-ins that it was a great experience. We had a few intermissions, though none were lengthy. We wrapped up at about 10 or 11 pm.

You probably know by now that I am a great fan of Julia Child's. I was positively giddy to discover that, coincidentally, Julia's apartment was on Rue de L’Universite - the same street as the apartment I'd booked for the trip. As I was planning for my time in Paris, I knew that I wanted to visit Julia Child's haunts and see where Julia and Paul lived.

As I compiled the list, I realized I didn't want to do this in a "catch as catch can" fashion and get to two or three locations (best case). After gving it a great deal of thought, I decided to hire a driver. I contacted our wonderful guide Christophe (from our tour of Versailles and Paris). Christophe loved the idea of doing a half-day "In the footsteps of Julia Child" tour and graciously offered a very good rate.

I provided the list of locations and descriptions and asked Christophe to sequence them in the best way for driving. I think Americans would love this type of tour. Christophe isn't sure (he hasn't had any requests). So here, for the first time ever, I present you with "In the footsteps of Julia Child."

Note - I'm stll having some problems uploading photos. I took photos at each location and, worst case, they'll go up after I return to the states.


In the footsteps of Julia Child

1. Julia and Paul’s Paris Apartment; 81 Rue de L’Universite
In her book, "My Life in France," Julia talks about the Paris flat that she and Paul lived in from 1948 to 1954. Paul had been transferred to a position at the U.S. embassy in Paris. Julia had never been to France before and spoke no French. In the movie Julie and Julia, upon entering the apartment, Julia gasps and exclaims, "It's Versailles."

Located at 81 Rue de L'Université (which Julia shortened to 81 Rue de Loo), the Childs lived in the top two floors of the old building. This is where Julia first began to really cook. This is where she tested and refined recipes for her first cookbooks. While living here, Julia attended Le Cordon Bleu. This apartment is where Julia practiced and learned the French styles and techniques of cooking that changed her life. She would eventually bring these techniques back to America.

Standing in front of the building, you'd never know that Julia had lived here. On the apartment building, there is no historical plaque. Most French people that I talked with aren't aware of Julia Child (they vaguely recall the movie "Julie and Julia" but that's about it. Dear French people - it's because you didn't need Julia Child!

In 2000, Julia was awarded the French Legion of Honor. This is the highest decoration bestowed by the nation of France. I'm thinking about starting a petition to get a brass plaque placed on the building.

2. Rue de Bourgogne
Julia routinely shopped at her neighborhood marketplace on rue de Bourgogne since it was close by, just around the corner from her apartment.

Today, the area is full of art galleries as well as bistros and brasseries that do a busting lunch trade due to the nearby government offices. Fortunately, there is now a street market on the cobblestones of Rue Montorgueil which is open daily (except Sunday afternoons and Monday).

3. Les Halles (Rue Montorgueil)
This was the original location of the Paris's massive wholesale food market where chefs would make a daily trek to get supplies for restaurants. You know the whole thing about a restaurant menu based on seasonal, fresh produce and seafood? Well, this is ground zero (sorry, Alice Waters).

Julie loved walking thrugh Les Halles and seeing all the exotic seafood and produce. This is where Julia came to shop for various meats and fresh produce. In the wee hours of the morning, Les Halles was a bustling place. Chefs are a picky bunch, I can imagine them closely inspecting a crate of white asparagus and making a mildly negative comment as they negotiated.

In the 1960s, Les Halles moved to the Paris suburbs. Today, the cobblestone streets, an underground shopping area and parking are here. Once in a while they feature the new Les Halles on the Food Network. It's absolutely massive.

4. E. Dehillerin (18 Rue Coquilliere)
Located in the Les Halles area, right across the street from the famous "Au Pied de Cochon" restaurant, E. Dehillerin had just about everything a French chef would need.
E. Dehillerin is the kitchen/cooking supply shop that was Julia's favorite. She adored coming here and seeing the floor-to-rafters selection of every utensil and pan imaginable.

E. Dehillerin hasn't changed much since Julia shopped here. Once you figured out how to enter (yes that old door is the main entry), it's as though you've stepped into a hardware store from long ago. The creaky wooden floore, the staff which is entirely comprised of middle aged and older gentlemen (no Gap kids here).

There are two floors of kitchen gadgets from a basement filled with copper pots and an entire wall filled with whisks. The prices are all listed in a book that's located in the front of the store. It was great walking around this place, I understood why Julia was in love with it as I lost myself in the tart pans.

I have heard stories of people that came to E. Dehillerin and denied the knife they wanted to purchase (the gentleman determined it wasn't suitable for their purpose). Yep, I could definitely see these guys doing that.

The section for madeleine pans is in the back. Yes, it is a section and today it has dozens of different styles and sizes of madeleine pans. Need a melon baller? There were at least 20 different styles. English is not spoken here. Prices are in a book on the desk in the front. This is scary shopping. I had no idea how much anything was and my limited French didn't enable me to ask.

I decided to find a paring knife. The section is near the front of the store. I tried five or six different knoves, holding each in my hand and slicing an imaginary something. Why? Because all of the gentlemen were watching. Apparently they approved of my thoughtful selection. I also found a very small covered metal pan.

Checking out is a very unusual process. The gentleman at the front desk checks the price book, notes the prices and wraps up your coods. He placed a cork on the tip of the paring knife and wrapped it in brown paper. As this was taking place, I was given a slip of paper (old fashioned receipt type of thing) and the gentleman behind the main counter asked me to write my name and address. About five minutes later, my items were in a bag and and I was set. "Merci, Madame. Auvoir." "Merci Monsoir. Au Voir."

5. Au Pied de Cochon (6 rue Coquillière)
This is a legendary brasserie as popular today as it was when Julia would stop in for a bowl of their traditional onion soup. Inside, Au Pied de Cochon has a charming decor with white tablecloths and cute pig details. The restaurant is open around the clock and reminiscent of the hustling and bustling glory days of Les Halles.

They are famous for their seafood platters as well as pig-based foods (the dancing pig on the sign out front shouldn't be quite so happy). Here you'll find their signature seafood platters, breaded pigs' trotters, beer-braised pork knuckle with sauerkraut, and cheese-crusted onion soup.

6. Shakespeare & Company (37 rue de la Bûcherie)
"Be not inhospitable to strangers lest they be angels in disguise." This quote is painted on a wall upstairs and prominently displayed on the home page of Shakespeare & Company's website.

Shakespeare and Company is a Paris institution that specializes in books in English and is popular place for tourists and ex-patriots alike. The original store on rue de l'Odeon opened in 1919 and was closed during the Nazi occupation. Shakespeare and Company has been at this location since the 1950's. Young writers live in rooms upstairs and in return work part-time in the store.

Legend has it that Julia came to this shop looking for a French cookbook in English. She was shocked to discover that there wasn't one written for the average housewife/ cook. The wheels started turning.

The shop has stacks of titles with ladders for accessibility. The English speaking staff was very helpful. Since I'd forgotten to bring my copy of Julia's "My life in France," I checked to see if they had it. Unfortunately, they were out and it was on backorder with thirty copies due next week.

7. Le Grand Véfour (17 rue de Beaujolais)
Christophe parked and directed me, "It's just around the corner." The very narrow rue with cobblestones and a mini sidewalk looked interesting. I turned the corner and saw the sign. The restaurant is tucked away under an arched area. It sits adjacent to the Palais Royal park and there is a beautiful tree lined square in front of the restaurant.

Julia and Paul dined at Le Grand Vefour once a month. This is a pricey restaurant, as it was then. The reputation for fine food has not diminished over time and neither has the decor. The building has been here since 1784. Napoleon dined here. Le Grand Vefour walks the fine line of being opulent without being garish. It's a step back in time with crystal chandeliers, muted tones with architectural embellishments and fixtures that are simply gorgeous. Le Grand Vefour is like a movie set.. it's like a place that can't really exist.

The staff was getting ready for lunch. I could see the staff inspecting and polishing silverware and glasses. The waiters were perfectly coiffed, black slacks, white shirts and black bow ties perfectly aligned. It looked like they were inspecting each other before the final check for the lunch show. The red carped out front was getting one last vacuum. Across the rue, the staff area and lockers are located. Lots of foot traffic back and forth.

Since their early days, Le Grand Vefour has consistently been a contender for the title of most beautiful restaurant in Paris. I felt kind of like a puppy with his nose pressed against the glass as I stared in, transfixed. Everything was perfect. I couldn't imagine a more charming place to dine. On our next visit to Paris, I hope that David and I will be able to dine here.

8. Le Deux Magots (6 pl. St-Germain des Prés)
This is the most famous cafe in Paris (maybe the world). This is also where Julia and Paul went on their first Saturday in Paris. The cafe overlooks the St-Germain des Preés church. On a sunny day, the outdoor seating is jam packed. This is one of the cafes Parisians and tourists love.

9. BHV (52–64 rue de Rivoli)
Living in Paris, you need a place to buy the essentials for your apartment. Once Julia and Paul got settled into their apartment at 81 rue de l'Université, Julia discovered that she enjoyed her shopping trips and keeping house.

BHV is an abbreviation for Bazar de l'Hôtel de Ville. This is where you'll find everything from a canape (sofa not an appetizer), to lampshades, doorknobs or art supplies. Need a special bolt or screw for your weekend handyman project? This is the place. BHV is a massive department store with extensive section devoted to things like lampshades as well as the usual linens, clothing and housewares. If Macy's and Home Depot moved to Paris and had a love child, it would be BHV.


Visiting all of the Julia Child locations in a single day was a rich and personally rewarding experience. One pleasant surprise was that most of the locations haven't changed since Julia and Paul lived in Paris.

I hope you enjoyed our tour.

Bonne Nuit