When I went to visit Mary Pochez at her fabulous chateau in the Loire, she was in the process of launching cooking classes. A few friends and myself were her first students and gladly were her guinea pigs. She told us she was hoping to be up and running by late spring/early summer. True to her word, Mary proudly launched her cooking classes last month. Appropriately called La Vie du Chateau, Mary is offering a 3-day weekend program and a 6-day program.
The three-day program includes a wine and cheese party, a welcome aperitif and dinner, three cooking classes- one demonstration class and two hands on classes, and a visit to the local fresh food market in the charming village La Fleche.
For the six-day program, La Vie du Chateau is offering an extended version of the three-day program and also includes a wine tour and tasting, a visiting pastry and sauce chef, lunch on the Loir river, an excursion to Angers, and a wine and food pairing class.
Both programs include staying at the chateau.
The good news is that La Vie du Chateau will be offering classes in July and August when most culinary classes in the area are closed for summer holiday.
Click here for more info.
Click here to read original blog I wrote about Mary.
After many delays, my New York friend Kein Cross opened his elegant and chic piano bar Club Rayé last December.
I am happy to report Club Rayé is a smashing success. I have recommended it to many tour clients and have even gone with some of them and everybody has had a ball. I’ve spent many long happy evenings there and even got up the nerve to sing with the piano one night.
Club Rayé has had many new developments since they opened including Sunday Gospel Brunch which has been a big hit and reservations are a must. Kein invited me to test out the new lunch menu last week, and I had a delicious vichyssoise followed by a refreshing Waldorf salad prepared by British chef Simon Bannon. The club has also been embraced by local media: my friend Pascal Fonquernie of www.parismarais.com who frequents the bar, has had a custom cocktail named after him, Blue Marais.
I wish my friends much success with their new businesses and I hope you sill support them.
Club Rayé
26 rue Dussoubs, 75002
Metro: Etienne Marcel or Reaumir Sebastopol
Open Tuesday to Sunday
http://clubraye.com
I am happy to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes. Come take an ethnic culinary journey with me and chef and caterer Charlotte Puckette, co-author of the bestseller The Ethnic Paris Cookbook (with Olivia Kiang-Snaije). First we will shop at a Paris green-market for the freshest ingredients and then return to Charlotte's professional kitchen near the Eiffel Tower to cook a three-course lunch. After, we will indulge in the delicious feast we prepared along with hand-selected wines.
Cost: 185 euros per person (about $240)
Time: 9:30AM- 2PM (approximately 4 1/2 hours)
Location: We will meet by a metro station close to the market
Class days: Tuesday,Wednesday, Thursday,Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
Minimum of 2 students, maximum 6 students.
Click here to sign up for the next class or for more info.
I am pleased as punch to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I will personally be leading. The Eye Prefer Paris Tour includes many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes & food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks, and much more.
Tours cost 210 euros for up to 3 people, and 70 euros for each additional person. I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris.
Check it out at www.eyepreferparistours.com
Click here to watch a video of our famous Marais tour