Quotes from David Lebovitz

Spécial is one of those elusive French words that means something (or someone) is…peculiar.

Da Rosa for pots of Christine Ferber's confitures and oval pats of handmade butter from Jean-Yves Bordier. She must

One of my favorite places to buy fish, called Pêche Paris, is at the marché d'Aligre.

The French word copain came about because your friends (copains, from compagnons) are the people with whom you break bread, or share pain.

Sink-searching meant I had to expand my French vocabulary yet again. There aren't just sinks in France: there are éviers, lave-mains, bacs à lave, bassins, vasques, and lavabos. Each type of sink has its own raison d'être.

Fermeture exceptionnelle, letting me know that the store was closed for an "exceptional" reason. Ruptures occur just as frequently, which means an item is out of stock.

principe, or "in principle." The fromagerie or bank is open on Thursdays, en principe…

saying "Bonjour, madame" when walking into the boulangerie to pick up your baguette, or beginning a request with "Excusez-moi de vous déranger"—"I'm sorry to bother you"—leading off with an apology, letting a salesclerk or receptionist know that you recognize their importance

11th arrondissement, one of the largest in Paris, spanning from Père Lachaise Cemetery to the Place de la République, as well as bordering the Marais. It's considered hip, or bobo; les bobos are the upscale Parisian version of a hipster—although none are knitting bonnets, like they do on the subways in Brooklyn;

The double-digit arrondissements are more diverse, and each has a distinct feel. Being more working class, there's a greater sense of community. Some are certainly less polished than the single-digit arrondissements,

like the 20th, perched high above Paris. The Parc de Belleville has an unparalleled view of Paris (second only to the view I had from my rooftop apartment), and I could have easily imagined living there amid its rough brick streets and the human scale of the architecture.

Blé Sucré, an excellent little bakery overlooking a gorgeous square in the twelfth arrondissement.

The Butte-aux-Cailles in the 13th is charming (and flat), and resembles a mini village far removed from a big city.

marshmallows, or guimauves,

On the rue Rambuteau, a street that cuts through the Marais, is Pain de Sucre. It's not a drugstore, but arguably

In France, being exigeant, or discriminating, is considered a positive quality,

As soon as I got the baguette outside, I'd pinch off the crusty end—le quignon

the mistake of calling an assiette à soupe (soup plate) a soup bowl (bol) because it has sides to hold in soup.

croissant ordinaire, made with margarine, rather than a croissant au beurre.

Lucques and Picholine olives,

Only animals have rognons—humans have reins. And

bâton de compassion