We flew American Airlines’ business class, and knew in advance that they do not provide vegan meals and neither does the airlines’ Admirals Club Lounge. Fortunately there is a food court near the lounge for the plebeians, and Emily was able to get a rice and tofu dish. There was little for her to eat on the plane, just plain rolls and nuts. We were all comfortable, checked into the Ritz, and arrived in time for breakfast. After discussion with the maître d’, Emily was quite satisfied with their steel cut oatmeal (made with hot water), fresh fruit juices, and baguettes with jams and jellies. We had established that the French baguette, which we all love, is made with flour, water, and yeast.

So far a good start. The Ritz breakfast staff, in its elegant dining room, was quite attentive; and my suspicion was that we were not the first vegans. Also, we were well fixed for lunch. There was a familiar Belgian chain (with outlets in New York) called Le Pain Quotidien quite near the Ritz, 2 rue des Petits Carreaux, in place du Marché Saint Honoré. Their food is good and fresh, and, best of all, vegan dishes are marked with a carrot. Emily had the soup of the day (tofu with seaweed) and different tartines on gluten-free buckwheat crusts: the avocado with chickpeas, cucumber, and spicy tahini and the organic black bean hummus with avocado and spicy tahini. There were many tartines, and even a quiche, that Linda and I found digestible.

Since we were going to be in Paris for four nights, we had to plan accordingly. Emily came prepared with a list, and we had a serious discussion with the Ritz concierge team. It quickly became obvious to us that they were not well-versed in veganism. They recommended a well-known Chinese restaurant called Tong Yen in the 8th Arrondissement near the Avenue des Champs-Élysées. Apparently former Presidents Bill Clinton (now almost a vegan) and Nicolas Sarkozy were among the celebrities to frequent this long-established Parisian restaurant. As you know, the Ritz concierges take making reservations very seriously, so they handed us a typewritten confirmation, which we gave to the doorman. “Monsieur,” said the doorman, “our chauffeur is free just now, and will gladly take you to the restaurant. Just give him a small tip.” So the three of us jumped into the back seat of a black Jaguar limo where we met the Ritz’s elegant driver, George.

He approved of our reservation, again informing us of all the celebrities who go there. It was a short ride to the Tong Yen, which reminded me of any upscale Chinese restaurant in hundreds of malls throughout the U.S. The staff treated us very nicely and escorted us to a comfortable table on the second floor. Emily was nervous with the menu since nothing was not clearly listed as vegan. She settled for a made-up dish of tofu, baby corn, mushrooms, and bok choy on a bed of rice, Linda chose the Filet de turbot à la vapeur, and I had shrimp and peas on fried rice. All the dishes were very good, on par with similar fare in the U.S.

The next evening, we jumped into the backseat of our usual Jaguar limo and handed our typewritten reservation on Ritz stationary to George the chauffeur:

Loving Hut 92 bd, Beaumarchais.

Interestingly George, who was used to driving royalty to restaurants like Le Grand Véfour and La Tour d’Argent, seemed a little curious that we’d chosen a rapidly growing chain. There are over 200 Loving Huts throughout the world. However, this particular Loving Hut was smallish, in a remote neighborhood, and had bare-bones decor.

Emily loved the Loving Hut, and I admit we were not unhappy. We were treated very nicely, and I am sure the typewritten reservation from the Ritz was their first. The dishes (mostly vegan and clearly marked) included “large salad with vegan cheese”; “vegan pizza with salad”; and “veggie cheese crepe”—which was delicious. The drink menu contained “fresh-pressed vitality organic juice” and “elixir of youth cocktail.” Next to our table, there was a small birthday party for a woman. I was informed that she, a lifelong vegan, was 63 years old, but she looked 83.

The next evening we were back in the Jaguar with George, who was not surprised by our reservation for Le Grenier de Notre Dame, 18 rue de la Bucherie. This place was Parisian-established vegetarian, and some vegan, since 1978. Again a somewhat bland decor, side-street entrance, and the ingredients in the dishes were the usual bulgur wheat, tofu, vegetables, etc. The desserts, a pear crumble and soy ice cream, were good.

Our last meal in Paris was at Saveurs Végét’Halles, 41 rue des Bourbonnais. Unfortunately George was busy, so we hailed a taxi, which took us to Avenue du Bourbonnais (a €10 mistake). This was a similar establishment to the previous two restaurants, serving grains, soups, vegetables, tofu crumbles, and juices. Emily enjoyed it all, but we were getting weary. I must say every time we returned to the Ritz, the concierge seemed quite interested in the restaurants, and what we ate. This is typical French. They take food seriously.

Linda and I noticed a few things about vegan eating. First of all, our stomachs felt great and our digestive systems worked better than ever. Also, the cost per meal for all three of us averaged $85 per night. And most amazingly, we both lost about three pounds!

After arriving in New York, the next night we each ate two large sirloin steaks.

Letter from Paris: Touring the City of Light…with a Vegan The Saturday Evening Post

I was not disappointed.

Each woman spent a year in Paris in a significant decade of the Baby Boomer generation: the 1940s, 50s, and 60s. Each decade presented uniquely different environments to the three distinctly different women.  Clearly, their time in Paris influenced them greatly, and the experiences and lessons learned were carried throughout the rest of their lives.

Kaplan researched not only the women for each section of the book, but the events of the time when they grew to young womanhood, why they decided to go to Paris, and how their individual experiences were directly connected to their ultimate place in history.

Each woman’s chapter has two parts, beginning with her background prior to Paris, her decision to venture to Paris, and the details of her stay there. The second half illustrates the life of each woman after her return and what became of her, personally and professionally.

Unless you’ve lived under a rock since birth, you know Jacqueline was, and still is, one of America’s favorite and most significant First Ladies. She brought her intense love of history, beauty, and art to bear during her time in the White House, finding and restoring the historic and significant artifacts of the Executive Mansion while acting as an internationally-recognized hostess to the world leaders who graced her table.  Jackie was always French, in her ancestry and in her style of living.

Susan Sontag was the lesser known to me of the three women, and what a year she had in Paris! She left her husband and infant son to travel to Paris on her husband’s dime, explored the community of writers as well as her own sexual orientation at a time in her life when she was struggling to truly know herself and find the freedom to be who she wanted to be. The New Novel was changing the way authors wrote, without plot or character, and she made this style her own. Susan came to be known, first and foremost, as a significant American author and one of the leading intellectuals of her generation.

Angela Davis was a recognized philosopher and teacher when she traveled to Paris. Two significant events occurred during her time there: she learned from a newspaper article that four girls had died in a church bombing in Birmingham, her hometown, and she decided to join the Communist Party. Returning to the United States to continue her studies, she became a professor and an advocate for the American prison system. She spent 18 months in jail for her consequential connection to a courtroom shooting, also related to her involvement with the rights of prisoners.  She still teaches today and has written several books.

Dreaming in French is the first multiple biography I’ve had the pleasure to read and it is unique in that regard, bringing together three very different women with one similarity, which helped to shape their influence on those of us fortunate to live in their time.

Dreaming in French: The Paris Years of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy, Susan Sontag, and Angela Davis The Saturday Evening Post