In my Paris travels, I’ve been examining Paris food while trying to figure out why it is so flavorful, fresh, and makes me feel so good after I’ve eaten.

While I spent hours with my Paris guide to all things food, Pascal Mierve, owner of L’ Epicerie Fine in Paris, I ignored most of his advice last night. Pascal is a multi-generational grocer and spice dealer, and advises that the reason Paris food is so good is that it’s simple food. It’s made from simple ingredients and served in appropriate portions.

Last night, I had the strangest meal in the strangest restaurant I’ve ever been in. It also turned into the strangest night of my Paris travels. The Medieval restaurant served everything “community” style. This means that your salad is a large basket of whole vegetables that you choose, then pass to the next table.

The wine flowed, and I ultimately found myself invited to a French bachelor party. Guillame was getting married the next day and we helped him celebrate Medieval style.

If I had only known how the day would end when I got on the train to Versailles earlier that morning. The train ride through French neighborhoods took us slowly out to the French countryside and the amazing site of Versailles palace.

The palace itself is a work of art, but the grounds, with hundreds of gravity-fed fountains are an engineering marvel for hundreds of years ago.

It was a beautiful day in the French countryside, and as my Paris travels come to a close, just as the fountain show ends, I wish Pascal would have reminded me that the best Paris food is simple food, and next time, get a Paris guide that will keep me away from Medieval wine and French bachelor parties!

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