Carette, Paris, France

The forecast for our week in France was excellent: sunny every day, and only 3 hours of rain scheduled for the entirety of our trip. Literally only 3 hours.

It just so happened that those 3 hours came during our visit to the Eiffel Tower. Pouring rain and jetlag encumbered our trip to the top – but we made it, and with incredible luck, had no lines and no rain as we soaked up the view of Paris. Epic!!

Upon departure, Rachel felt it was a perfect day to head to a café that specializes in hot chocolate, so she lead the way as we navigated from the Eiffel Tower, over the Seine, and to Place du Trocadero. No rain, fleeting clouds, and gorgeous view as we traversed Paris on our way to the café.

We arrived and there was only one seat available – Carette was packed with people! We huddled around our table, located under the awning outside, just as the clouds opened up and a deluge of rain washed its way through Paris. What luck, again, we had!

Rachel ordered hot chocolate, Trevor ordered macaroons, my mother ordered a white wine, I ordered a rose, and we decided to split a club sandwich for the table. After a short debate at the table, we chose the “Parisien Duo,” complete with “Paris ham and “mimosa eggs.” When your glass of wine is $5 but your club sandwich is $28, you expect a lot of out a club – but we weren’t stressed, life was just too good in the moment to have anything besides melancholy expectations.

We sipped absolutely astounding hot chocolate as we caught up on the day, laughing and watching the rain completely drench Paris.

The club sandwich was beautifully quartered and nicely ratioed – we all grabbed a triangle and dove in. Delicious bread, soft yet firm textures, and subtle yet strong flavors, this club sandwich used excellent ingredients. We loved the Paris ham, and the Emmental cheese complemented it perfectly. The mimosa egg added the perfect creaminess to this club sandwich – which lacked mayonnaise entirely, because it simply didn’t need it! Well executed, Carette.

The only real downside to this club sandwich was the temperature – the ingredients were chilly, overly cold, and it reduced the impact of their flavors.

We finished up just as the rain subsided, and made the lovely walk to the Arc de Triomphe, where we ended up strolling the Champs-Élysées and dining on soupe à l’oignon and sole meunière…. Ah, c’est la vie!!