The New Paris Podcast

Running a restaurant in Paris is fraught in the best of times but the last several years have presented additional challenges. Some have closed as a result but I’m happy to report that many of the city’s best independently run establishments spanning street food to fine dining have held on and even grown stronger. I know my own desire to support them has grown — certainly a result of having experienced more than 6 consecutive months of restaurant closures between 2020-2021 — as well as my desire for more immersive, memorable dining experiences. One of two meals that delivered that for me in the last year was at Comice, a contemporary family-owned fine dining restaurant in the 16th arrondissement run by Canadians Noam Gedalof, the chef, and today’s guest, Etheliya Hananova, the sommelier. She talks about the journey from Montreal to Paris, the type of dining environment she and Noam set out to create, and what it means to be working in wine, in Paris, on her own terms. Links: Comice in the NYT (written by me) From my fall 2021 meal at Comice Follow Comice on Instagram 

With less than three months to the French presidential election, 59 days to the first round to be exact, there are a number of worrying discussions taking place online and in the media that risk distracting from the most pressing issues for French citizens but have taken up considerable airtime. In 2020, that was the controversial idea of islamo-gaucmhisme, or islamo-leftism. Since, the buzzword in heavy rotation trotted out by talking heads and politicians has become wokism, a term that has become completely bastardised and distorted from its original meaning, weaponised in political discourse and used pejoratively to condemn both political correctness and perceived excesses of social and racial justice movements. All across Europe, the anti woke brigade has been in full force and that includes France. To talk about this term, how we got here, how it has been weaponised, what it means moving forward, particularly as we anticipate election debates, I’m joined by Cole Stangler, a French-American journalist who regularly covers labor and politics. Mentioned in this episode: Cole on Twitter Le Figaro’s use of woke France's New Culture Warriors (Cole for The Nation)  France is Becoming More like America. It's Terrible. (Cole for NYT) France’s Presidential Election Is a One-Sided Culture War (Cole for Jacobin) Cole's interview with Frédérique Matonti for Jacobin 

At the very end of 2021, one of the highlights was getting to meet a whole new batch of readers when I did a book signing for The New Parisienne at the home goods store Landline which I discovered during the lowest moments of Covid. This is in the 11th arrondissement which is an area I know intimately. The French American owner Caroline Morrison opened the doors to her nostalgic general store at the end of 2020 and has become, like the most charming independent bookstores and thoughtfully designed toy stores of yesteryear, a space I not only feel joy being in but can also feel good about buying from. I’ve spent a lot of time in the last year thinking about consumption and needs vs wants. Finding satisfaction in reusing and repairing. The most sustainable way to shop, realistically, is to not, and to wear and use what you already own. But for the moments you do need a new pan, a pair of slippers, or an indestructible kid’s toy you can pass down, there’s an opportunity to make the right choice. That’s what drew me to Caroline’s store and I why I wanted her to help me kick off this new season. Mentioned in this episode: Landline Landline on Instagram 

If you’ve followed the news out of France in recent weeks, you know a couple of things. One, France has entered campaign season, with the Presidential election awaiting us in April 2022. Two, among the many disconcerting absurdities in said campaign, we have a far right, antisemitic, misogynistic pundit whose message at his first public rally last weekend played on the French perception and panic surrounding their own country’s decline and took an expected anti-immigration, make-France-Great-Again style stance. The left is in disarray, to put it politely, the right has a real challenger, and Macron hasn’t formally begun his reelection campaign yet but is surely analysing this hot mess of a political landscape. Making sense of the French political apparatus to even begin to follow this election process means understanding a whole number of historical events that are rarely explored in any great detail in foreign media. That’s where Manu Saadia has stepped in. The author-historian started a free newsletter called La Campagne where he digs into the political machine, the perspectives and key moments that have shaped policy and thinking, and what to know about the coming election. His dedication to this storytelling, as you’ll hear me tell him, is nothing short of a public service. Mentioned in this episode: La Campagne newsletter Manu Saadia on Twitter About Emmanuel Macron How France Pivoted to the Right "Quoi qu'il en coûte" clip 

A recent New York Times story had a lot of us Parisians up in arms. It’s mayhem on rue de Rivoli and streets across Paris, we’re told, as bikes take over and the mayor pursues an ambitious goal of making the city a European cycling capital by 2024. The journalist includes comments such as “it’s like anarchy! everyone is just doing as they please. There are no police, no fines, no training and no respect.” Not only did it sound like a car wrote most of the piece but it was sensational and in many cases, incited fear of a process that is quite standard. The growing pains of a city in the midst of a transformation like this are to be expected. But the automobile lobbies make a lot of noise and so, what is a necessary change to the very urban fabric of Paris is seen as an unbearable complication to daily life. To talk about this cycling revolution in the city I’m joined by a former guest of the show, Nicolas le Goff, an urban scout, author, and longtime cyclist. How safe is it to ride in Paris? You’ll find out. Also mentioned in this episode: Nicolas Le Goff and his work Making Paris 100% cyclable Paris en Selle 

First, some real talk. I know little to nothing about French cinema but I do know that when the actor Jean-Paul Belmondo died in September, it came as a massive loss to a great many French people. As it happens, talking about Belmondo online, and what little I knew about him, connected me to someone who knows quite a lot about French cinema and I thought, now’s the time to do an episode on film. But not just any discussion — I’ve brought on Laure Astourian, an assistant professor of French at Bentley University, a specialist in French cinema, an occasional translator, and a current Fulbright research scholar in Paris. Her research looks at the role of imperial ethnography in shaping 1960s French cinema. We’ll be talking about that, her connection to France, and how the new wave movement contributes to a modern understanding of French society (16:28). So with that, let’s go to the movies!Mentioned in this episode Laure Astourian"The French Melting Pot" book  Laure’s piece on “Si Le Vent Tombe” in the LA Review of Books The films: Les Statues Meurent Aussi Cléo de 5 à 7 La Noire de... (Black Girl) Chronique d'un été À bout de souffle (Breathless) Si le vent tombe Chacun cherche son chat Moi, un NoirAlso mentioned...Manon des Sources Les Enfants du Siècle

Which country has the best healthcare system? It’s a question that is regularly tossed around, particularly as America’s healthcare system looks more and more broken with every passing year. The stories of Americans putting off doctor’s visits due to fees and the fear that a costly ailment will be discovered are so common they seem pulled directly from a dystopian novel. In comparison, experts look to the Australians, Brits, Dutch, Germans, Swiss, and French who have strong public health systems, some reliant on government and some on private insurers for their universal coverage. In France, Public insurance covers between 70 percent and 80 percent of costs. Voluntary health insurance, which we call mutuelles, can cover the rest. The Ministry of Health establishes funds and budgets and regulates everything from number of hospital beds available to the price for procedures and medications. Over the last five to six years, I’ve seen more doctors and specialists for a variety of reasons than I ever have in my entire life. My out-of-pocket costs are relatively low and my reimbursements come quite swiftly. What I can’t speak to with firsthand experience is what it’s like navigating the French system with a life-threatening health issue. Robin Davis, an American journalist and TV producer currently working in an international organization in Paris, was diagnosed with breast cancer nearly 3 years ago. She joins the show today to talk about that experience, the quality of care she received throughout a traumatic time, and how the French system really stacked up when she needed it the most. Mentioned in this episode: Which country has the best healthcare system?  Follow Robin on Twitter  Robin’s website Robin's recommended resources: Breast of Us (U.S.)  Rose Up (France) 

I didn’t grow up with much exposure to Vietnamese cooking so it wasn’t until I arrived in France 15 years ago that I actually discovered the nuances in the cuisine. That’s not all that surprising: France is home to the oldest Vietnamese diaspora, which pre-dated the fall of Saigon. The first waves of Vietnamese immigration to France started over a hundred years ago, following colonization in the 19th century. While Vietnamese restaurants in Paris have long been tied to the 13th arrondissement where many refugees resettled in large housing complexes in the mid 1970s, they’ve popped up all over the city in recent years, many run by first generation French-Vietnamese. Including today’s guest, Khánh-Ly Huynh, the chef and co-owner of The Hood, a southeast Asian canteen in the 11th and Nonette, a new spot just across the street. We talk about growing up with parents in the restaurant business, finding her way into food, and what so many Parisians get wrong about southeast Asian cooking. And a quick note: I recorded this interview with a new mic, outside. You’ll hear some cars and wind, among a few other noises. Hopefully these imperfections won’t take away from what was a super engaging conversation. Enjoy! MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:Khánh-Ly x Master Chef 2015  The Hood  Nonette Khánh-Ly on Instagram  Her favorites: Les Arlots Osteria dell’Anima Tempilenti

Making sense of your identity when you live abroad can be a fraught endeavour. For third culture kids, identity is even more complex. My friend and fellow creative who goes simply by the name Pushan, understands this especially well. He’s French, Basque, Indian, and American and has lived even further afield for his work as a photographer and videographer. He joins the show today to talk about growing up between France and the US, Indian culture in Paris, and our favorite topic of conversation whenever we see each other: food. MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Puxan on Instagram Puxan's portfolio Taste of Chalindia  Puxan's mom! Profiled in my book Puxan's Food & Wine recommendations: La Chambre Noire Fermentation Générale Early June

Without question, Paris and the arts go hand in hand. The density of public museums and galeries small and large make Paris one of the most enriching artistic capitals to visit. In recent years, that has expanded to include private collections in shiny, multi-million euro spaces that have the potential to change the French art world permanently. Today’s guest, Susan Taylor Leduc, is an art and garden historian, tour guide, and former arts educator who joins me to talk about some these institutions, such as the Louis Vuitton Foundation and the Pinault Collection, as well as the city’s many changes and its impact on visitors. MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Susan Taylor Leduc, Picturesque Voyages Bourse de Commerce, Pinault Collection CBS News feature on Bourse de Commerce (featuring Susan!) Fondation Louis Vuitton Musée Carnavalet   Hôtel de la Marine La Samaritaine Napoleon Chaumet exhibit