Pink Flamingo Pizza

We've been noticing a fair amount of fowl-centric street art recently.


It doesn't look like any of these birds are by the same artist - or like any of them are even supposed to be the same species. Guess it's just a coincidence.

And now for something completely different. After eight months of going without pizza (not including home-made, which isn't the same), we finally made good on our landlord's recommendation to try out a pizza place close by called the Pink Flamingo.

With an inventive menu, a hipster-friendly design sensibility (in a hipster-friendly neighborhood), lots of seating and an awesome mascot, the Pink Flamingo has it made. We got the "Che," a cheese pizza topped with slow-cooked pork (marinated in garlic, lime, "new" onions, and coriander) and fried plantains. It was a little pricey and a lot small for two people to share, but it sure hit the spot.

The Pink Flamingo currently has one outpost in the Marais and one in Berlin along with the original place in the 10th arrondissement, where we went. They're planning on expanding soon, opening up other franchises around the city, but there's a reason you should hit up the original location: it's right around the corner from the Canal St. Martin.

You can actually get your pizza delivered to you (by bike!) at your picnic-spot along the canal, free of charge. We didn't take advantage of this sweet deal on the evening we joined thousands of others enjoying the delightfully warm temperatures and increasingly late sunset, but we certainly will next time. We'll also make sure to bring a full bottle of wine.

In case you're wondering about other pizza places, we also recently visited Positano, in the 6th arrondissement (another landlord recommendation), which was also good, also a little pricey, but not as creative as Pink Flamingo. We've heard good things about Maria Louisa (just around the corner from Pink Flamingo - taste test, anyone?) and Al Taglio, just off Rue Oberkampf. If you've been around the Parisian pizza block, let us know about your favorite place!

Paris in a day

Alyssa and Michelle were mostly recovered from jet lag by Sunday morning, so we decided to take them on a long walk through a few different neighborhoods and past several of the most important sights in Paris.

We began at our apartment and walked down rue Faubourg du Temple to the Canal St. Martin in the 10th arrondissement. We were lucky enough to catch a boat passing through the locks on its way down the canal.

After meandering across Place de la République, we entered the Marais district, historical center of Paris' Jewish community and current place-to-be, in the 3rd and 4th arrondissements. We detoured into the Centre Pompidou (home of Paris' modern art collection) to use the toilet, marvel at the finds in the bookshop, and admire the postmodern architecture. Unlike last time, we didn't go up to the 6th floor to see impressive views of the city, but you can see them for yourself via the museum's own webcams.

We continued our journey through to the Hôtel de Ville, not a hotel at all, but the City Hall of Paris. We've seen the place in front filled with exciting exhibitions before. Right now, it's covered by an ice skating rink and two free carousels as a gift from the mayor to celebrate the season.

We crossed the Pont d'Arcole on our way to the Cathédrale Notre Dame de Paris...

...made our way to the Louvre...

...and stopped to enjoy the view.

What a day! There's actually a great story from lunch, but I'll let Louis tell you all about it.