When chatting about restaurants in Paris a common suggestion or question is all about “Frenchie, Frenchie, Frenchie. Have you tried it? Do you like it? Isn’t Frenchie amazing?”
Frenchie, located in the 2ème, opened three years ago is one of those places where it is impossible to score a reservation, but thankfully there is a wine bar across the cobblestone alleyway that serves small plates. The wine bar is first come first serve, so get there about 15-20 minutes before the 7pm opening time to score one of the few tables (they are expanding this week but it will still be hard to grab a seat!)
When I first started talking to people about The Kale Project and my restaurant wish list, a lot of people asked if I considered Frenchie. Truth was, I hadn’t been to Frenchie…
I assumed there was no way I’d get a reservation to the restaurant and since the wine bar is only open Monday-Friday, doing an early evening impromptu date night with my husband would prove to be difficult with his crazy hours. But finally one night, I managed to get two secluded seats behind the bar and we experienced all the amazingness that is Frenchie. I was hooked.
And then I went back. And this time was special. Because the mastermind himself (owner and chef Gregory Marchand) was discussing upcoming desserts with his staff right next to me, in English. I loved hearing him talking about the in-season produce he would use and what sauces or vinegars to add. I guess I was staring a bit too much because they looked at me as I just said, “Wow. That sounds really good.” Great first impression.
And then the kale passion inside me gave me the confidence to ask if he was the mastermind behind Frenchie – when clearly I knew he was since the Frenchie book with his face on the cover was right behind us. I launched into who I was and all about The Kale Project and if he knew about kale.
His eyes lit up. Of course he knew about kale – he’d spent time in restaurants abroad – and he also knew it was near impossible to find in France. In fact, one of his other chefs is English and was dying to do a kale salad or anything with kale until Gregory broke the bad news that kale could not be found. Until this fall…
So friends, my second visit to the Frenchie wine bar proved to be more than just a successful evening of good food and wine but a successful evening for The Kale Project. Gregory and I will be in touch in late-August, early-September to get kale on the menus at Frenchie. And if you can’t get a reservation at the restaurant, hopefully they’ll use kale at the wine bar.
Check out these reviews of Frenchie Wine Bar & Restaurant:
New York Times
David Lebovitz
Paris By Mouth
Maureen Forys says
I LOVE that you made this happen. AND, I also love your site. You are a Kale Super Hero.
I visit Paris every year and I was telling my friends about Kale (specifically Dino Kale which we are now calling choudino) and how it is impossible to find. This was last October. Then, recently, I happened upon your site, and immediately shared it with said friends and they are so so excited.
In fact I am mailing some Kale seeds from Baker Creek Seeds to them this week so they can start “Operation Choudino” from their Paris window boxes (in the 11th and in Clichy and maybe perhaps down in the Loire Valley).
But this is too much. There will be Kale on the menu at Frenchie, a place I have ALWAYS wanted to eat but never have. Now I must try and secure those reservations (was there a trick) and hope that in November, when I am back in Paris for 3 weeks, that some of that Kale has made it on the menu!
kristen says
Hi Maureen! Thanks for reading, your comment, support and enthusiasm! I love that you call the dino kale, choudino – that is amazing and brought a big smile to my face. I’m so glad you stumbled upon the site and shared with your friends in France and am even more glad that you are sending them seeds! As for Frenchie, I’m hoping that the September harvest is OK and that it all works out. Everything I do is day by day and we’ll see what happens this fall. While I’m not sure if kale will be on the menu at Frenchie when you’re here in November, I’m hoping that at some point when you visit Paris in the future, kale will be more prominent (or at least available!) Please keep in touch with your travels to Paris so I can hopefully give a positive update where you can find kale.
Maureen in Oakland says
Hi Kristen,
I will definitely check in on your Kale progress on the site and as my travel dates draws closer (the two weeks around Thanksgiving in November).
It would be amazing to serve some choudino at the little Thanksgiving dinner that I am planning. Last year I introduced my friends to pumpkin pie (made with potimarrons which I grow here in Oakland since you can’t buy that variety in the States. Come to think of it, I have experienced my own version of your Kale journey with Potimarrons and now one farmer at my local market grows them and my good friends the Tomato Gals sell the plants for backyard gardeners at the same market) and they are converts. To be able to have both would be AMAZING.
Keep up the good green work!
Cheers,
Maureen
Hadley@La Vie Maraisienne says
This made my day! Frenchie is also on my wish list — I’ll have to wait until after the vacances to check it out and hopefully will find kale on the menu. Other possibilities for your restaurant list: Les Papilles (menu changes daily, so they could incorporate even a small batch of kale one night) or Metropolitain (4th arron).
kristen says
Hi Hadley – Yes, I don’t know if I’ll ever get to the actual resto (I even saw a lot of Twitter comments today about potentially getting a spot during vacance, but still…) Either way, thanks for your support and for your recos. I’ll be sure to check them out for future harvest when I have a better idea how all this will work out.
Daisy de Plume says
Yes, I fully agree with Maureen, you are a Kale Superhero and from here on out I shall refer to you as this exclusively. Congrats on the Frenchie front — a terrific steal indeed! Perhaps he can write an article on what dish he creates around Kale for Le Fooding!
And perhaps I’m influenced by this heat, but since it really is impossible to get a table there perhaps Gregory can have a vodka Kale smoothie — and for Forest Collins could review in 52 Martinis!!
Bon voyage!
D