All stories about "Meg Zimbeck"

Everyday on Gridskipper we give you a new map. Some are new, some are fetched from our archive, newly updated. Happy Gridskipping. So you've heard all about our clubs échangistes but aren't exactly sure how to get in there? Fear not, little libertine! Paris sex clubs are actually quite welcoming, what with their Western theme nights and all-you-can-eat buffets. First-timers and those without the courage to coucher appreciate the "no means non" policy and acceptance of voyeurism. So when you find yourself ready for a Michel Houellebecq sort of evening, remember our map and warm up with this inspiring video from Stereo Total.

As we mentioned last summer, Paris provides free Wi-Fi access from more than 260 public parks, gardens, and monuments. A beautiful idea, but those of us with real work to do need a table and a beer. Helping us out are a number of cafés and bistros that serve free Wi-Fi along with their liquid offerings. And profiling these joints is a nifty little website that rounds up more than 140 hotspots in Paris and plots them on an easy-to-use map. Cafés Wifi selects their monthly favorites -- those cafés that provide a free, fast, and always working connection, along with pleasant working atmosphere -- and reports on the price, the clientele, and the number of electrical outlets. It's a freelancer's wet dream. This very article, including the photo, was posted from #4, la Fée Verte.

Between now and mid-July, there are more than 40 great indie pop/rock concerts coming to town. That's good news for music lovers who are living or traveling in Paris this summer. To help you map out your evenings (and buy tickets in advance) we've tagged the 40 best shows on this Google calendar. After the jump, we present videos for our favorite 25, and name the Top Ten concerts of the summer. (photo)

There's a reason why New Yorkers are still spending their sad little dollars in Paris: the food here is better. Backing us up on that one is Restaurant Magazine, with their just-released update of the World's 50 Best Restaurants. The City of (Culinary De)Light captured more of the 2008 top spots (8) than any other town. As for NYC: only five of their restaurants made the cut, and four feature imported French chefs. While nay-sayers have long decried France as losing its culinary edge, les trois couleurs took home more rankings (11) than any other country, including Spain (7) and the UK (6). The World's 50 Best list was formulated by a jury of 651 well-respected food professionals. Restaurant's selection of Paris addresses, with accompanying description from the magazine, is waiting after the jump.

Sure, it's possible to find a good baguette in the Marais and other quarters. But true connoisseurs climb the hill of Montmartre to encounter the city's most impressive concentration of bakeries. The recently crowned winner of the Best Baguette in Paris is here, along with a slew of others who are regularly ranked as leaders in the craft. A warm baguette from one of these spots is one of the best pauper's lunches in town. (Naixn/flickr)

It's not hard to find cheap eats in Paris's tourist-packed Latin Quarter. These winding streets are home to hundreds of stalls selling crêpes, grecs, and panini. But bargain hunters (and those suffering from weak dollar syndrome) don't always want a stand-up meal in the rain. In addition to the neighborhood's foil-wrapped options, there are a handful of sweet value spots where you'll find warm lighting, traditional fare, and decent wine. The restaurants featured here have the French atmosphere you're looking for and cost less than €20 per person.

It's not hard to find cheap eats in Paris's tourist-packed Latin Quarter. These winding streets are home to hundreds of stalls selling crêpes, grecs, and panini. But bargain hunters (and those suffering from weak dollar syndrome) don't always want a stand-up meal in the rain. In addition to the neighborhood's foil-wrapped options, there are a handful of sweet value spots where you'll find warm lighting, traditional fare, and decent wine. The restaurants featured here have the French atmosphere you're looking for and cost less than €20 per person.

It's a big month for scanty electro-rock, with both Peaches and Goldfrapp making the Paris rounds. But guitar lovers have nothing to complain about in April. Along with plenty of Brit rock, the coming weeks will bring the Bellrays and our pick of the month - the Hives with Gogol Bordello. For those shows that are already sold out, fans can try eBay, the local message boards, or just show up at the venue with a sign reading "cherche billet." That mess can be avoiding by checking our calendar of what's Coming Soon. That list, plus videos and a radio player await you after the jump.

As part of our continuing effort to show the sticky underside of postcard Paris, Gridskipper presents the sauna mixte. Just like the city's clubs échangistes, these saunas are for having sex with strangers. So what's the difference between a club and a sauna? With the sauna, you'll be given a locker, a pair of flip flops, and green tea instead of a gimlet. You'll also be expected to have sex. Saunas mixtes, in comparison with the clubs, are less tolerant of voyeurs, and there's a lot more sausage on offer. This makes them ideal for fans of pluralité masculine -- they're not for the curious onlooker. Saunas are also favored as an in-and-out option for the city's clandestine couples; low prices and convenient hours make them the fast food of infidelity. 

A dance craze called Tecktonik has stolen the hearts (and much of the hair) of French teenagers. Bands of heavily accessorized youth are now roving through the capital and engaging in public danceoffs. On Friday afternoons the Trocadéro looks like some sort of European set for the 80s film Breakin'. With an aesthetic that crosses New Kids on the Block with the mime Marcel Marceau, these kids are at the heart of a trend that stands to generate millions in merch revenue. The key points of the phenomenon, which is already rearing its mulletted head in the US, are covered in this handy Tecktonik primer.

Lovers of live music are spoiled for choice in March. The bad news: more than half of the selected shows are already sold out. But there's always eBay, the local message boards, and the option of showing up at the venue with a sign reading "cherche billet." You can avoid that mess by checking our list of what's Coming Soon and linking to the always current calendar here. Watch the videos and listen to the radio player to decide for yourself, but 'Skipper's Choice for the best concert in March is Gossip at l'Olympia. Runner-up Patrick Watson is great, but he's far less likely than Beth Ditto to take his clothes off.

Foodies around the world are holding their foie-scented breath in anticipation of the 2008 Michelin awards. While waiting for the news to drop next week, check out the findings of some 19 critics and journalists chosen by French daily Le Figaro, who claim to correct the guidebook's errors. Asked to provide a "more realistic view of the gastronomic landscape" than is offered by Michelin, they trashed the three-star restaurants who apparently don't deserve the rating, praised the ones who supposedly do, and defended those who they believe have been overlooked. Consult their verdict before booking your next $500 meal, and also check out our Paris Scene Report rating for Best Expensive Meal.

The rue Rébeval in the far-flung 19th arrondissement is home to a smattering of surprising restaurants. Like the Belleville quarter in which they're situated, these eateries are eclectic and rebellious. The ugly stretch between the Parc des Buttes-Chaumont and the Parc de Belleville hosts everything from the city's strangest sushi dive to a haven for organic wine snobs. For all these reasons, the rue Rébeval was named as runner up for "Best Dining Neighborhood" in our recent Scene Report on Paris Restaurants. Here are some recommended selections for bargain dining around the rue Rébeval.

The holiday lull has finally passed, and the Paris concert calendar is once again packed. There's plenty of twang in the February lineup, including Okkervil River, Vic Chesnutt, and Band of Horses. A Nordic invasion will also bring Datarock, José González, and Jens Lekman to our doorstep. There's a video for each after the jump, along with a radio player to let you sample songs. Looking ahead, March and April are warming up nicely with plenty of sure-to-sell-out concerts. Check what's Coming Soon, and stay ahead of the scalper's game by linking to our regularly updated Google calendar.

Scene Report gives you the lowdown on dining scenes in major cities around the world. At a glance, you'll find out about dining trends, up-and-coming restaurant neighborhoods, where you should drop $300 on a meal, and where you can save a few bucks. In our third installment: Paris.

Le Fooding, a contraction of the words "food" and "feeling," has for nearly a decade been stirring up the Paris scene. Highlighting out-of-the-ordinary restaurants in categories like "feeling" and "mini-prix," the movement has undoubtedly expanded the boundaries of the local food universe. Their annual awards are unorthodox, closely watched, and summarized and mapped for your convenience after the jump. You can also find coverage of last year's awards in here.

January in Paris is cold, bleak and rainy. Is it not fitting, then, that the slate be dominated by depressive singer-songwriters wearing weather-appropriate beards? Standout and southern-tinged shows include Thao Nguyen, Iron & Wine, and Okkervil River. Cat Power will also be returning to Paris and performing somewhere other than a Lagerfeld catwalk. We've got that video, fear not, after the jump. That's where you'll also find a radio player stocked with songs from upcoming performers. As always, we advise you to stay ahead of the scalper's game by linking to our regularly updated Google calendar.

In addition to the quieter cultural and gastronomic options, there will be plenty of opportunities to get loud this NYE. This roundup includes everything from electrofunk to gypsy swing to nasty, sweaty salsa. Tickets are cheap (ranging from free to €35), but be sure to arrive early to have any hope of getting in. Happy New Year!

Every restaurant in Paris seems to be pimping a New Year's Eve menu, with prices ranging from expensive to astronomical. Dining out on NYE will not be cheap in any case, so it's important to choose carefully and to reserve in advance. To help you decide where to conduct your Saint-Sylvestre swallowing, a selection of options, with special menus and prices, is presented here. Bonnes fêtes!

Cheapskates and dollar converters take heart: there is plenty of low-cost shopping in the chi-chi French capital. Assembled here are some favorite addresses where you can find gifts that range from €5-15. What's more, your local Monoprix (or any grocery) is a treasure trove of goods that are inexpensive here and prized abroad. Fill your basket with tiny mustards, bars of dark chocolate and fleur de sel -- small favors that are very French and cost less than a café crème. And in the liquor aisle, bottles of pastis, Calvados, and crème de cassis make for lovely and low-priced gifts.

Oyster season is in full effect in Paris. The month leading up to Christmas finds the bivalves big, flavorful ,and spilling out of crates across the city. Parisians are crazy for les huîtres, whether as an elegant first course or eaten off the top of a parked car at le Baron Rouge. In fact, more oysters are eaten here -- more than 130,000 annually -- than in any other country in the world. For a little aphrodisiac action of your own, the following addresses are renowned for serving some of the best shells in town.

There's nothing worse than following the advice of a guidebook and winding up in tourist hell. Paris, like any major city destination, is available for purchase in antiseptic form, and many plastic-wrapped places continue to be promoted in the mainstream travel press. Consult this list to clear the trash from your itinerary, then fill the empty space with fresh ideas from our Paris archive.