Posts by Michael Westra

Harry’s New York Bar, that iconic Parisian watering hole of American writers, actors, composers and celebrities, as well as the site of pilgrimage for countless American tourists, is also the scene of a quirky yet amazingly accurate ritual in political prognostication. American jockey and saloon owner, Tod Sloane, opened the establishment as the New York…

Paris rightfully claims many world-class distinctions, not the least of which is its position as one of the planet’s great culinary capitals. That claim-to-fame is enhanced by the historic backdrop of marvelously preserved buildings, churches, cobbled streets and sidewalk terraces which serve as the set upon which Paris’s dining scene is played out. Paris confronts…

As a recently retired Francophile with a passion for all things Parisian, I found myself in urgent need of a way to convince my wife that I was doing more each day than watching old Seinfeld reruns. Gentlemen of my age group and post-career situation know that it is absolutely vital for a spouse, especially…

In my never-to-be-realized quest to identify and sample the 100 best dining spots in Paris, I spend hours reading the reviews from a variety of opinion pages, web sites, books and magazines, Trip Adviser, Zagat, Travel & Leisure, the list goes on . . . and on.  Notes and cross references are stored helter skelter…

One of my many pleasures, when in Paris, is to temporarily forget my sparkling-wine budget and take a sip from the champagne lifestyle of the city’s marvelous palaces of lodging and temples of haute cuisine. A Martini at the Georges V, a chef’s menu lunch at La Tour D’Argent, a cocktail at the Ritz’s Hemingway…

A museum piece floating in the Seine and an unbeatable location to experience Paris at its best.