Fishwives of Paris

Have you ever sat down at a restaurant in France and realized the entire experience feels… different? The meal takes longer, the waiter seems oddly unbothered by your schedule, substitutions are met with distain, and somehow dinner starts feeling less like a transaction and more like a ritual.

This week, Emily and Caroline have invited gastronomy guide and chef Allison Zinder to explain how the restaurant was really invented. They dive into the surprisingly dramatic history of French restaurants, from medieval taverns and restorative broths to Michelin stars and modern dining culture, to uncover why eating out in France still feels unlike anywhere else in the world.

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In this episode of Fishwives of Paris, we dig into the surprising political power of food, using one very specific (and very French) example: asparagus.

From a real-life diplomatic moment involving former French President François Hollande to centuries-old traditions of royal spectacle, we'll explore how food has long been used to shape public image, signal power, and reflect national identity. Along the way, we unpack France’s deep connection to agriculture, the importance of seasonality, and why something as simple as asparagus can carry unexpected weight.
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No one loves a maximalist style American charcuterie board more than we do. The thing is - it's not *actually* what would count as charcuterie here in France. On this week's episode, we are talking about what actually counts as charcuterie in France, and why the way we eat it today looks so different from how it’s traditionally served.

Listen in as we break down the real meaning of charcuterie, from its linguistic roots to its role in preserving meat before refrigeration. Along the way, we dive into why the French don’t typically serve meat and cheese together, what makes a great saucisson, and the surprising story of hams aged in church bell towers. We'll dive into regional specialties from places like the Auvergne and Corsica, and break down common misconceptions about “charcuterie boards” as we know them today.

From dry-cured sausages to slow-cooked spreads, this episode explores the regional diversity of French charcuterie, how climate shapes what gets made, and what to look for when choosing high-quality products.

🥓 CHARCUTERIE BREAKDOWN🥓 the meat we mention in this episode:

Jambon de Paris (Cooked Ham)
A lightly cured, unsmoked cooked ham
Where to find it: Any traditional charcuterie shop or grocery store

Saucisson Sec (Dry-Cured Sausage)
French-style dry-cured sausage, similar to salami
Where to find it: charcutiers, markets, and specialty food shops, grocery stores
How to choose it (the “3 Fs”):
Fleur → natural white mold on the outside
Forme → irregular shape (natural casing)
Ficelle → tied with string, not sealed with metal

Jambon Cru (Dry-Cured Ham)
Air-dried, salt-cured ham
Where to find it: Charcuteries, markets, wine bars, online
Notable examples:
Jambon de Bayonne (Basque region)
Auvergne hams - sometimes aged in high-altitude environments, including church bell towers

Corsican Charcuterie (Coppa, Figatellu, Lonzo)
Herb-rubbed, dry-cured pork specialties
Where to find it: Specialty shops, Corsican producers, high-end charcuteries
Types mentioned:
Coppa → cured pork shoulder, marbled and rich
Lonzo → lean cured pork loin
Figatellu → fresh or dried sausage made with liver

Pâté & Pâté en Croûte
Ground meat mixture, traditionally baked in pastry (en croûte)
Where to find it: Charcutiers, bistros, specialty food shops
Notable detail:
Lyon hosts a world championship dedicated to pâté en croûte

Terrine
Similar to pâté, but baked in a dish without pastry
Where to find it: Charcuteries, markets, traditional restaurants

Rillettes
Slow-cooked, shredded meat mixed with fat
Where to find it: Charcuteries, markets, wine bars, grocery stores
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What actually is a bistro, and why does Paris seem to have a different word for every type of restaurant?

In this episode of Fishwives of Paris, Emily Monaco and Caroline Fazeli break down one of the most misunderstood concepts in French food culture. From cafés to brasseries to bouillons, the lines between these establishments used to be clear, but today, they are anything but. Along the way, they debunk the persistent myth that bistros were invented by Russian soldiers yelling “bystro,” and instead trace their real origins to waves of migration from the Auvergne into Paris.

The result is a story that has less to do with tablecloths and steak frites, and more to do with community, labor, and the evolution of French comfort food. Follow us on socials for more content on our top bistro picks in Paris.

What You’ll Learn
What a bistro actually is, and why most people use the word incorrectly
The difference between a bistro, café, brasserie, bouillon, and restaurant
Why the Russian “bystro” origin story is a myth
How migration from the Auvergne shaped Parisian food culture
What “bistronomy” is, and how it changed the modern bistro
Why many “bistros” today are no longer cheap or working-class
What to look for when choosing a true bistro in Paris

French Dining, Explained

Bistro
Small, casual, cozy
Historically no reservations
Focus on community and quick service
Now often a mix of tradition and reinterpretation
Brasserie
Originally Alsatian, beer-focused
Open all day (continuous service)
Larger, often more formal setting
Can range from beautiful to very average
Bouillon
19th-century working-class establishments
Early “chain restaurants” in Paris
Cheap, fast, efficient meals
Often with shared tables and paper tablecloths
Café
Primarily for drinks (coffee, wine)
Social and cultural institutions
Historically key “third spaces” in Paris
Restaurant
More formal dining
Fixed service times (lunch and dinner)
Higher-end than the categories above

How to Spot a Bistro (Visual + Cultural Clues)
While not definitive, classic signs include:
red and white checkered tablecloths
chalkboard menus with daily specials
small wine glasses
zinc or wooden bar
tiled floors
close, convivial seating
But remember: today, these are aesthetic signals, not guarantees
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In this episode of Fishwives of Paris, Emily and Caroline unpack the real story of Marie-Antoine Carême, the ambitious pastry chef who rose to cook for diplomats, emperors, and tsars, and helped shape modern French cuisine.

Beyond the dramatized version, Carême was a master of image and storytelling, even spreading myths about his own life. While he was not a spy, he was deeply connected to power, using food as a tool to impress and influence Europe’s elite.

We explore how Carême’s work helped define French cuisine as we know it today, from early sauce classification to his belief that pastry was a form of architecture. He played a role in shaping iconic desserts like the croquembouche, eclairs, and the modern Charlotte, and helped elevate pastry into an art form built on structure, precision, and spectacle.

The episode also looks at his more modern ideas, including seasonality, balance, and a shift away from heavy spices toward fresh herbs, as well as his role in defining the image of the professional chef, including the creation of the chef’s hat.

In this episode:
Why Carême lied about being an orphan
What the Apple TV series gets wrong
How he categorized sauces before Escoffier
Why he believed pastry was a form of architecture
The origins of desserts like the croquembouche, eclairs, and Charlotte

What did Carême actually create and influence?
Codifying French cuisine
One of the first to organize recipes at scale
Early system of “mother sauces” before Escoffier (Velouté, Espagnole, Béchamel, Allemande)
Wrote influential cookbooks and his own carefully curated life story
Elevating pastry
Treated pastry as architecture, building elaborate edible structures
Created dramatic dessert displays using choux, marzipan, and spun sugar
Helped bring spectacle into fine dining
Iconic pastries
Popularized the croquembouche
Expanded the use of choux pastry, including éclairs
Shaped ladyfingers (biscuits à la cuillère) for dipping and desserts
Transformed the Charlotte into the cold dessert we know today
Created early versions of vol-au-vent
Chef identity and kitchens
Invented the chef’s hat (toque)
Evolved from pastry chef to full culinary authority (officier de bouche)
Helped define the role of the modern chef
Modern food philosophy
Advocated for seasonality and peak ingredients
Focused on balance and how food makes people feel
Shifted French cuisine from heavy spices to fresh herbs
Luxury and ingredients
Helped introduce chocolate into pastry beyond drinks
Cooked with luxury ingredients like champagne
Worked during the rise of sugar use in France
Dining and presentation
Worked during the shift from display-style dining to courses
Created grand banquet experiences for political elites
Helped define food as both visual spectacle and social power

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