Everyone arrives in Paris with a list of foods to try. While things like pastries, breads, chocolate, crêpes, foie gras, and steak frites (the list goes on…) are on most peoples’ list, cheese and wine normally get a spot high up there. I definitely make a point to eat as much cheese as I can each time I go to France. I wouldn’t hold it against anyone else for giving this a pretty high priority too, after all, a country with over 1,000 different cheeses is bound to have something anyone can enjoy. There are a few different ways to go about getting your cheeses, here are two of my favorites.

One way to cross this (delicious) task off your to-do list is to stop by Nicolas for a bottle of wine, and a cheese shop for a couple cheeses. Your bounty now in hand, head to Pont des Arts over La Seine for a picnic with all the other Parisians. You’ll feel right at home tearing chunks off your baguette and watching the sun set over the city.

While dining over the Seine is an excellent way to spend the evening, the quickest way to sample a large variety of cheeses is probably in a restaurant. There is no better dining and cheese experience than Astier.

I was quickly able to cross another food from my list: My meal began with the quintessential French delicacy of foie gras d’oie.

The foie gras was served chilled with a chutney and sprinkled with Fleur de Sel. I had a glass of Sauternes to sip as I ate my foie gras on freshly toasted baguette. It’s quite a delicious and a decadant way to start any meal. I made a note to myself to pick up a few tins of foie gras before leaving France. This is one of the few foods that I am actually allowed to take back on the plane. Ever try passing customs with a chuck of cheese? Not a good idea.

As a main course I had the seared duck breast and my friend had some baked fish.

I won’t linger on this other than to say both were well prepared and served with a great sauce. What came next is this restaurant’s raison d’etre: a cheese plate as large as your table. I like to think I know a little something about cheese, but when presented with this many options at once, my mind went blank and I just started eating as much as I could. It’s almost as if I blacked out for a moment and awoke happily full with bits of cheese and bread crumbs sprinkled around me. There was a startling range, from creamy blue cheeses, mild goat cheeses, and earthy sheep’s milk cheese to a soft ripe Brie de Meaux and the smelly Pont-l’Évêque.

If there is one thing that I can’t get enough of, it’s good cheese. Well, maybe after being served from this giant platter, I was at least temporarily sated.

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