This Just Happened

Look!  I am doing things and blogging about them!  In a timely fashion!

Fran was in town this weekend, and we went to all the haunts.  It was great having a good friend in town to pal all around with.  We shopped for jewelry and minimalist/age-appropriate dresses and xmas presents, and then went to Aesop and had the most glorious experience with tea and cookies and creams and elixirs.  Fancy ladies, we were.

Last night, we had dinner at Le Dauphin, which is basically my favorite place here.  It never fails to inspire and satisfy.  When we walked up, Aizpitarte was outside having a smoke and a glass of red.  That guy just exudes cool.  And his food ain't bad, either!  We were promptly seated (!, at 9 pm on a Saturday night??!) and enjoyed such yum-yums as sea urchin over cabbage, mixed mushrooms and polenta, shrimp risotto, tandoori octopus, some "special edition" anchovies, and the biggest oyster I have ever laid eyes on.

I remember one of the waitresses back at the Oyster House in Philly telling me that they grow 'em big in France.  Like, knife-and-fork big.  And that's just how we ate Oyster-the-Gigantor last night.

This is a pied de cheval (horse's hoof) oyster.  It's a wild oyster and can grow to be up to 3 lbs!  We paid 9 euros for this one, and I'll politely say that I liked it more than my dinner partner, though she looks so pretty with it.  I took it straight up (well, in bites) and it was plenty briney with a distinct metallic finish.  I could have eaten another.  Me and bivalves, we're the best of friends.

Here's a random shot from the subway last night.  I really like the lone yellow chair.  And the mouth that wants to eat it.

The Maje windows on Rue du Saintonge currently feature the cutest pug balloons with crimped paper legs.  I need some of these for my apartment, for my life.