Isabel Silverstein
Intro Journal
September 7, 2026

Bonjour!! My name is Isabel Silverstein, and I am an Elon Dining Marketing Intern! This semester, I will be doing my Bites Abroad segment, documenting my food across my home base, Paris, and across the places I travel. I am so excited to share my journey through food with all of you.

This week was my orientation week with my program, so it was definitely a week of
firsts. But even though life may move fast in Paris, a proper pause for lunch is a daily ritual. This week, my go-to lunch was a classic French baguette sandwich enjoyed in the gorgeous Jardin du Luxembourg.

There is something so comforting about the simplicity of French food. One day, I kept it traditional with a classic jambon-beurre (just ham, cheese, and good quality butter) on a crispy baguette. It may cut up the roof of your mouth, but it sure is good! Another day, I opted for a warm, pressed panini filled with chicken, tomato, and fresh mozzarella. Simple but delicious, and what added to the experience was sitting in the garden in a classic green chair, people-watching.

During a walk from the 5th to the 6th arrondissement, I stumbled across a cozy local pizzeria. My pie came topped with a runny egg right in the center, which added an incredible richness to the sauce and the cheese. Ingredients taste so much fresher in Europe compared to the United States, so this pizza was perfect. But a big adjustment was learning that in Paris, everyone eats their slices using a fork and knife. Additionally, the other day I was eating pasta in my homestay, and I was observing my host mother cut up her pasta and eat it with a fork and a knife. It is so interesting to see the difference in the culture of eating.

To close out our week, our program gathered for our welcome dinner. We ate at a cute little classic French restaurant right near the Seine River called “Le Petit Châtelet.” We each got to sample a multi-course menu of traditional French cuisine.

I started with the Rabbit Pâté. I will admit I was a bit hesitant, but going abroad is all about trying new things. This dish exceeded my expectations. Served chilled, it tasted like a richer, more savory chicken. It came accompanied by briny cornichons. It wasn’t until after I observed somebody else eating this that you are supposed to spread the pâté onto crusty bread and top it with a pickle to cut through the richness.

For my main dish, I had the duck confit. This is a traditional French dish made by curing duck (usually the legs) in salt and slowly cooking it submerged in its own rendered fat. This was hands down my favorite dish of the trip so far. The duck was unbelievably tender, rich, and savory. It was paired with a side of potatoes au gratin that were crisp on top and melt-in-your-mouth creamy underneath.

You cannot end a proper French meal without dessert. For mine, I chose the crème
brûlée. This restaurant put a twist on a classic crème brûlée by adding fresh raspberry purée under the custard base. The tart fruit balanced the sweet caramelized sugar crust perfectly.

Reflecting on my first week of meals, the rhythm of eating here feels noticeably different from home. The typical French diet includes a lot more carbs and relies far less on heavy protein portions than a standard American diet. Yet, because meals are paced out and spent enjoying good company, everything feels balanced.

I am so excited to keep exploring local markets, neighborhood bistros, and new corners of this magical city. Thank you so much to Elon Dining for making this Bites Abroad series possible, and I will see you all next time

Isabel Silverstein
Journal 1
September 21, 2026
Bonjour!!

Welcome back to my bites abroad series! i had so many good eats this week since I last spoke to you all!! This week I decided to focus my dining on traditional French cuisine!! French cuisine is known for its high-quality ingredients, rich flavors, and elegant presentation. Even the simplest of dishes taste better here because they are made with fresh, in-season ingredients! Additionally, France is very environmentally focused, which is partly why their diet is less meat-focused. But one thing I love here is that people care less about eating the most protein and eating items that have the best macros. Instead, they eat to socialize and truly enjoy the food!

One traditional French meal I ate this week was at a spot in the 10th arrondissement called Le Petit Carillon. This was a classic neighborhood brasserie (traditional French restaurant). I ordered the langue de bœuf, which is beef tongue. This is the first time I’ve had beef tongue served this way. It was served kind of like steak. It was so, so tender and flavorful and lighter than a hearty steak. The bite was kind of fatty and melted in my mouth. The beef tongue was served with mashed potatoes. France has mastered the mashed potato. The secret is probably a lot of good quality French butter. This was a perfect lunch! → 8/10

Another day this week I went on a day trip to Auvers-sur-Oise, which is a beautiful town outside of Paris. This was Van Gogh’s final resting place, so we walked around and saw some of the landscapes he painted here. We also walked inside a chateau and explored a Van Gogh art exhibit. On the way back to the train, we stumbled upon an absinthe museum. I am of legal age, so I thought, why not try some! We learned how it was made. It is made with the herbs: grand absinthe, anise vert, star anise, fennel, lemon balm, and tansy. Then the man prepared us a traditional absinthe drink using the absinthe they make. First, you pour the liquid, then you use a special slotted spoon, put a sugar cube on top of the spoon, and let water drip and dissolve the cube into the absinthe. Then you let the cup fill with the sugar water. I was shocked that I really liked the flavor of the different herbs. The combination kind of tasted like a mild licorice! → 7/10

Another night, I was walking around and came upon this cute area with a lot of people and decided to eat at a random restaurant there. It ended up being my favorite dinner yet. The ambiance was perfect because we were in this very lively circle area in the Latin Quarter. There was not a tourist in sight. To make the vibes even better, a jazz band started playing in front of us! My friend and I ordered a salmon salad and moules frites (mussels and fries). The mussels were so insanely delicious. They were small mussels, so I assume they were from somewhere somewhat close to Paris. This was my favorite dish of study abroad so far. These were the first mussels I’ve had that did not taste fishy. They were mild and perfect. Once we ate down the mussels, the sauce was revealed! These were moules marinières, and so the sauce was a light, savory broth made from melted butter, finely chopped shallots, garlic, fresh parsley, and dry white wine, combined with the natural juices released by the steaming mussels. We made sure there was not a drop of sauce left in that pot. Also, they give you a fresh baguette in every restaurant, and it is typical that you put it straight on the table and then use the bread to soak up any sauce left on the plate. The fries were also good in the sauce. The salad we ordered was also so good. The ingredients tasted so fresh, and the salmon in it was perfect. The dressing was creamy and had fresh dill in it. It was the perfect complement to the mussels. We could not end this incredible meal yet, so for dessert we got the Pain Perdu. This dish is just like American French toast, but it was way better than that and also was served with caramel sauce and ice cream on top. I am still thinking about this. It was amazing. The caramel sauce tasted freshly made, and the ice cream melted onto the toast and got absorbed. → 10/10

Lastly, I have been having so many pastries in Paris, and I only want to document my favorites with Elon Dining! So this week my favorite pastry was a chocolate eclair from this place called Pâtisserie Julien Filoche. This eclair had a chocolate-dipped outside with cocoa nibs. The inside filling was like rich but fluffy chocolate mousse. So good. I think I could have eaten 10 of these. → 10/10

After eating this, we happened to walk past the Emily in Paris apartment, and they were setting up to film the season finale! I ended up walking back past this area later, and they had finished filming the last episode ever. The cast and some of the crew were celebrating, and I was able to spot a couple of the characters!

Thank you so much for reading about my bites abroad! I am having such an awesome time abroad, and I am looking forward to sharing more eats with you soon! See you next time!!

Isabel Silverstein
Journal 2
October 6, 2026

Bonjour!!
Welcome back to my bites abroad series! I have done so much these past two weeks. Last weekend I took a trip to Marseille with my program. This week was a busy day of classes in Paris. Then, this weekend, I took a trip to Madeira, Portugal with some friends. The more places I go, the more good eats I get to show you! My bites abroad video this week was packed with food and I did not have the time to explain everything so now here is the place for that.

Starting off in Marseille, I was on the hunt for a good and fresh piece of fish. I am glad I found this place right on the water. I ordered the fish of the day because I assumed that ensured it would be freshly caught. This dish was very simple because the fish could stand for itself. I love a white fish because they are so flaky. This one was very lightly breaded and on the side had rice, grilled vegetables, and this cream sauce that had herbs, cream and garlic. Simple but perfect. I think I could eat seafood everyday and never get bored of it. Another highlight in Marseille was a meal I had with my cohort.

My main dish did not stand out but the appetizer and dessert most definitely did. For the appetizer, we all tried “Panisses” which are savory fried chickpea flour cakes. These had a very soft texture and also were perfectly salted. When accompanied with the aioli, it hit the spot. In Marseille, aioli is a staple. Aioli is a thing in America as well but it just tasted so much better here. It is made right before it is eaten by emulsifying garlic, olive oil, egg, and lemon juice. It has a mayonnaise texture but tastes so much better. I am going to have to start making this homemade because it is so delicious; I will put it on everything.

For my dessert, I picked the profiteroles. A profiterole is a classic French dessert made from a light, airy choux pastry puff filled with sweet cream, custard, or vanilla ice cream and topped with warm chocolate sauce. In this case, the pastry was stuffed with vanilla ice cream and topped with a dark chocolate ganache. This was incredible. The ice cream had the perfect amount of vanilla bean and the chocolate ganache was slightly bitter which made it so the dish was not overly sweet. Everyone in my program who got this dessert licked their plate clean and ate it all even if they were full. I wish I had more time in Marseille so I could try more typical dishes but I had to head back to Paris!

Back in Paris, my meals consisted of croissant beurres, pain au chocolat, jambon beurres (baguette sandwiches with cheese, butter, and ham), quick kebab sandwiches, and more. I have become addicted to French pastries and baguettes.

My favorite meal was at a Vietnamese place called Pho Tai in the 13th arrondissement. In my “Food in the City” class, I learned about the Michelin guide and then went down the rabbit hole of looking at all the places in Paris on the guide. Stay tuned for future videos and journal entries because I definitely plan on checking out some Michelin spots. I saw this spot mentioned on the guide. It did not have a star, it was just an affordable place to eat with very good food. It did not disappoint. I ordered the Porc au Nems to start which were deep fried spring rolls that I then wrapped in cilantro and lettuce and dipped in a sweet vinegary sauce. The way these flavors came together was perfect. They were so crunchy and flavorful! Next I got the special beef pho. It had raw meat on top! I think I was supposed to let the meat cook in the broth but I ate some of the pieces raw. I love how Vietnamese cuisine uses so many fresh herbs. I topped my pho with fresh herbs and squeezed lime over the top. The only way to describe this is a hug in a bowl. This was the best bowl of pho I have ever had. The noodles were for sure homemade. The broth was so savory, salty, and flavorful. It tasted as if the broth was slowly simmered for hours and hours. The bowl had the raw pieces of beef that were cooked in the broth and were delicious. There were also pieces of very tender meat in it. I am ready to head back to this spot the second a cold rainy day rolls around in Paris.

Finally, I ate really good during my trip to Madeira this past weekend. This is a Portuguese island located off the coast of Africa. For my first lunch here, I started off with a Brisa to drink. This is a Madeira made soda. They had two flavors: Apple and Passionfruit. Both flavors were great but I was addicted to the passionfruit one. I wish I could order a case to the US. To eat, I got a tuna steak. I had the option to cook it myself on a stone or get it grilled. I of course picked the stone. I lightly seasoned the tuna and then cooked it. It got kind of stuck to the stone so I somewhat overcooked it but it still tasted like the freshest tuna I have ever had. Thinking back on it now, I could have just saved half of it to eat raw because it was definitely freshly caught. After exploring the city a little, I came across a market selling all sorts of exotic fruit grown locally. I was able to try a bunch from different types of passion fruits to a pineapple banana (look it up!).

The next day, I had my first brunch of study abroad. I started off with the fruit juice of the day which was dragonfruit orange juice. Dragonfruit does not have that much flavor so it mostly tasted like a sweet, refreshing, orange juice. I also ordered an acai bowl. This was the best acai bowl I have ever had because the acai in it tasted different, probably because it’s the first one ive had without additives and chemicals. It was topped with fruit including local bananas which tasted amazing. It also had sweetened condensed milk on top which added an element of sweetness. With something sweet, I need something savory so I went with a croissant with avocado and scrambled eggs. Simple, but I have not had scrambled eggs in all of my study abroad experience. The avocado in this really was a game changer because it was perfectly ripe and the best texture. It was so good because avocados grow on the island.

Since this week was dedicated to highlight meals, everything gets a 10/10 from me!! Thank you so much for reading about my bites abroad! I am having such an awesome time abroad, and I am looking forward to sharing more eats with you soon! See you next time!!