Patricia Wells, James Beard award-winning cookbook author, has an indispensable app for anyone visiting Paris, whether for the first time or the umpteenth time. The app covers not only Patricia’s favorite restaurants and cafes, but also cheese and wine shops, wine bars, bakeries, specialty food stores and even kitchen and tableware boutiques. You can search out culinary specialties by Arrondissement, Categories, or Price. Dick and I would be lost without The New Food Lover’s Guide to Paris app (Get the app on iOS) ($4.99).

Patricia, along with husband Walter, has cooking schools in Paris (Saint-Germain des Près, Left Bank) and in Provence (Chanteduc) (https://www.patriciawells.com/cooking-classes). Patricia explains the philosophy behind her schools:

In my classes I share all that I have gleaned, and continue to learn, concerning food, growing herbs, fruits, and vegetables, local food markets, cooking, lifestyle, and entertaining. In short, I share with my students my personal vision of a positive, healthy, happy way to embrace life to the fullest. I always say that people who love food are happy people, for I firmly believe that good food, shared with loved ones, fulfills the soul in a way that nothing else can.

Patricia was a restaurant critic for the International Harold Tribune, which perhaps explains why her detailed descriptions on her Food Lover’s app, as one reviewer noted, read like a novel. The app includes a map, search bar, glossary and Patricia’s top picks.  It’s like having Patricia by your side as you discover Paris.

Martha Stewart – Pistou Soup w Patrica Wells