California brunch, close friends, and a romantic dilemma: Sunday at Carrie Solomon’s.
An old Parisian troquet. A kitchen spanning California and the Mediterranean. Ferments and living wines. Carrie Solomon has arrived on rue Léopold-Bellan.
Sunday, 12:43 PM. A friend has just uttered those dangerous words: "I think I'm going to say yes to him."
Before any decision that could upend the next three years of her life, brunch is in order. At the table: Marge, Estelle, Diego, and MJ. Marge is a wanderer who collects boarding passes. "A one-way ticket is still so much more exciting than a round-trip, isn't it?"
Diego pulls out Google Flights. "When does he leave? Sorry, when do we leave?". (laughter).
"Guys, I need you. Focus. Is it 'come with me', or is it 'follow me'? And what do I do with my place? Sublet? On paper, it's hard to refuse. A house somewhere in Tahiti, weekends in Moorea, vanilla growers to meet on the islands… I love Nathan. But what about me? In all of this? I don't know if I'll find inspiration for my canvases out there."
MJ: "Gauguin didn't seem to have that problem."
Estelle, 80 years old, retired in the elegant manner of Perla Servan-Schreiber, sets down her cup. "Gertrude Stein used to say that we need two countries: the one we come from, and the one we actually live in. Maybe this is your chance to find out if the elsewhere is where you belong."
A question to ask someone who made the journey without a return ticket. So, we gather at Carrie's…
Backstory …
Behind Carrie is Carrie Solomon, an American living in Paris for over twenty years, who has imagined a kitchen bridging California and the Mediterranean. She is joined by Dawnie Perry, a barista-chef originally from Los Angeles. Together, they craft a plant-focused menu where fermentations take center stage and animal proteins act as subtle accents rather than the main event.
The address is Parisian, but the pantry travels: vegetables from Ferme de l'Envol in Essonne, sourdough bread and coffee from Ten Belles, Breton butter from Borniambuc, Nomie spices, Kaia olive oil. For the cellar, Jill Cousin, co-founder of Provisions in Marseille, has curated a list of living wines that shines a special spotlight on female winemakers.
