France has many wonderful holidays throughout the year – several of which are not celebrated in the US. Yet, for American expats living in Paris and tourists visiting around Thanksgiving time it can seem a bit sad that France doesn’t celebrate Thanksgiving. In case you find yourself in Paris this Thanksgiving (Thursday, November 28th) and you feel a bit homesick for the quintessential American holiday, there are still ways to celebrate in Paris!
Host your own Parisian Thanksgiving
The first option would be to invite your French friends over and host your own Parisian Thanksgiving dinner! Turkeys can be bought at your local boucherie, however it is a good idea to order ahead of time. Keep in mind, though, that Turkeys in France are smaller than what most Americans are used to. However, this is practical as most Parisian ovens are a bit tinier than those in American kitchens.
American Groceries in Paris
You can also order your turkey from The Real McCoy Cafe located at 194 Rue de Grenelle in Paris’ 7th arrondissement. The Real McCoy has the largest selection of American grocery items in Paris. In addition to the all important turkey, you can get everything you need for your Thanksgiving feast at the Real McCoy including the stuffing, gravy mix, pumpkin Pie filling, cranberry sauce, yams… This is THE place to go for if you’re cooking a traditional American Thanksgiving Dinner in Paris.
For a Parisian spin on Thanksgiving dinner, head over to your local neighborhood open air market for your green beans, patates douces to create a sweet potato side dish, and you may even be able to find fresh cranberries to make your own sauce.
American Restaurants
If cooking the Thanksgiving feast at home seems a bit too much, don’t fret – there are a number of American restaurants in Paris that propose special Thanksgiving dinners! Treize, the bakery/restaurant which Parisians fell in love with for their Southern style American comfort food, has recently moved to a new location near the Luxembourg Gardens at 5 Rue de Medicis. Treize au Jardin is proposing a special traditional Thanksgiving cocktail and dinners on Thanksgiving evening and on Friday, November 29th. You must make reservations and pay ahead of time via PayPal. Costs are 48-55 euros per person.
Sophisticated O Chateau wine bar, at 68 Rue Jean-Jacques Rousseau in the first arrondissement is offering a very elegant Thanksgiving 3 course dinner paired with wine and champagne. The two hour dinner costs 80 euros per person and reservations can be made via their website.
Finally, open since 1972, Joe Allen, is the oldest American restaurant in Paris. For many years, this New York style restaurant has held a traditional Thanksgiving dinner in honor of the American holiday and it has become a very popular event. Be sure to email the restaurant ahead of time to reserve. Joe Allen is located in the first arrondissement at 30 rue Pierre Lescot.
Hopefully these ideas have inspired you to hold your own Thanksgiving celebration in Paris with a French touch!
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