Tierry and I are having lunch at a classic Parisian bistro, in typical French style.

Thierry: French, we know how to take our time for lunch. Not like you Americans. You’re always in a hurry, it seems to us. So, we start with an aperitif, like, just to open your appetite. And, normally, we have like three courses.

Rick: You know, to open your appetite, but also just to slow down.

Thierry: Exactly. Relax, relax.

Rick: Okay.

Thierry: Cheers.

Rick: Santé.

Thierry: Santé.

Just for fun (and to embarrass my friend), we’re eating all the French edible clichés on the menu in one meal!

Rick: It’s a little confusing for a lot of Americans. Entrée, we say, for the main course, but the entrée is the first course here.

Thierry: Entrée would be the starter for us.

Rick: Okay.

Thierry: Entrée. Then the main course is a plat du jour or la principal, like, the main dish, meat, fish, or whatever. And then the dessert after.

Rick: Okay, so this is the entrée.

Thierry: This is the entrée.

Rick: The first course.

Thierry: Yes.

Rick: And tell me what you have.

Thierry: I’ve got onion soup. In French, soupe à l’oignon. In Paris, you know, we have food coming from all over France, you know? Like stew from Burgundy. But one speciality, one typical dish, I would say, from Paris, it’s onion soup. This is more like a winter dish, you know, than a summer dish. My onion soup, I like bread, you know, like, the old bread, and then some cheese above it, like, melted cheese, you know? So good, so good.

Rick: And I love a plate of escargot.

Thierry: Do you know why French people like escargot so much? Because we French don’t like fast food.

Rick: This is as slow as it goes.

Thierry: You got it?

Rick: Okay, so, my escargot. Pull the little guy out. There we go.

Thierry: Bon appétit.

Thierry: Merci bien. Like with a croque monsieur, croque madame, in fact. Croque monsieur is basic, like, just toasted bread, ham, and cheese. Croque madame—it’s more sophisticated, with a fried egg on the top. For the lady. Merci beaucoup.

Thierry: We French love steak tartare. It’s very healthy. And then you put different stuff inside, like capers, like Tabasco, mustard, Dijon mustard, Burgundy mustard. And it’s so good. It’s very light. You can then work a job or whatever. So enjoy.

Rick: France is famous for rare steak, but this is beyond rare. This is raw.

Thierry: This is raw. The meat has to be very good, not too fat to be a tartare.

Rick: Thierry, this is a good example for the tourists to be with a little adventure.

Thierry: Exactly.

Rick: Try something different.

Thierry: Go for it.

Rick: Yeah.

Thierry: Try it.

Rick: Ahh!

Server: I’ve got a crème brûlée.

Thierry: Ah, merci.

Rick: Merci bien. What I love about crème brûlée is the sound. Beautiful.

Thierry: Caramelizing, like, sugar on the top of those eggs is so good. And the sounds, you know, give you the goose bumps. Whoa! That’s good.

Rick: Normally, I would have coffee with the dessert.

Thierry: Oh, we French have coffee after our dessert.

Rick: Again, it’s making the meal more of a --

Thierry: Exactly.

Rick: Nice. Thank you so much. It was a great lunch.

Thierry: My pleasure. Thank you.

Rick: I got to run.

Thierry: Okay. I’m going to enjoy my brandy, my cognac. Au revoir.