Between Meals: An Appetite for Paris

Between Meals is A.J. Liebling's memoir of his time in Paris during the 1920s, when he was sent by his father to study at the Sorbonne. The book chronicles his education in French cuisine and culture as a young American experiencing the city's restaurants, markets, and culinary traditions. Liebling details his methodical exploration of Paris's dining establishments, from modest bistros to renowned temples of gastronomy. His encounters with restaurateurs, waiters, fellow diners and various Parisian characters form the backbone of his culinary adventures. The narrative moves between different periods of Liebling's time in Paris, including his return visits in the 1930s and after WWII. His observations capture the evolution of French cuisine and Parisian society across these decades. Through food writing that balances humor with historical context, Liebling examines broader themes of pleasure, education, and the role of cuisine in shaping cultural identity. The book stands as both a personal history and a document of Paris during a transformative era in French gastronomy.

Readers describe this as a love letter to French food and 1920s Paris, with Liebling's humor and detailed food descriptions earning particular praise. Many note his ability to transport them to specific restaurants and meals from his student days. Readers liked: - Rich descriptions of meals and dining culture - Historical glimpses of pre-war Paris - Writing style that blends memoir, comedy and food criticism - Deep knowledge of French cuisine and restaurants Common criticisms: - Dense, meandering writing that can be hard to follow - Name-dropping of obscure restaurants and dishes - Focus on excess and gluttony - Limited appeal beyond food enthusiasts Ratings: Goodreads: 4.1/5 (1,200+ ratings) Amazon: 4.4/5 (90+ ratings) One reader called it "the best food writing I've encountered," while another noted it was "occasionally tedious but worth pushing through for the glimpses of a lost Paris." Several readers mentioned needing a French dictionary nearby while reading.

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🍷 A.J. Liebling spent much of 1926-1927 in Paris as a young journalism student, where he dedicated himself to the parallel pursuits of writing and fine dining—claiming to have gained 30 pounds during his studies. 🍽️ The author calculated that a person could only eat about 4,380 decent meals in Paris during a typical lifetime there, and considered this a tragic limitation of human existence. 📝 While best known for his war reporting and media criticism, Liebling considered food writing his most pleasure-filled pursuit, and "Between Meals" was his final book, published in 1962 shortly before his death. 🇫🇷 The book captures Paris during a golden age of gastronomy in the 1920s, when many classic restaurants and bistros were still run by their original founding families and traditional French cooking methods remained unchanged. 🍖 Liebling's vivid descriptions of meals include details about now-extinct Parisian traditions, such as the "free-for-all" buffets called "l'addition" where diners could eat unlimited amounts for a fixed price.