A Food Experience: Petit Louis Bistro

 Food is love, food is family, food is culture, and food is the fuel of life. As a student at Loyola Ive had the pleasure of my maturing pallet correlate with the diverse culinary experiences Ive been introduced to during my time on campus. I've enjoyed authentic Mexican cuisine, traditional greek recipes, Italian food, and many others. While I have enjoyed many different cuisines I have not yet dove into the cultural significance and importance of cultural food in the United States. Which led me to try one of Baltimores hot spots - Petit Louis Bistro, an authentic french restaurant in the city. 

Before diving into the different french items on the menu I wanted to appreciate French cuisine before indulging in it. according to the wildly unreliable but sometimes factual website Wikipedia I learned that 2.3% of the population in Baltimore is of French decent making it one of Baltimores rather - untapped if you will - immigrant communities. Unlike the surrounding of Washington DC that seems to be a hotspot for French immigrants. Regardless I wanted to dive deeper into understanding the importance of the French and their food. 

France in particular is the spot to go for culinary arts and known to be home to not only some of the best culinary schools in the world but some of the best restaurants as-well. But it doesn't stop there, food in France is art - and nothing short of it. Food is incredibly important to the culture in France, to the french its an experience, an activity you can fully emerge yourself in. However most importantly to the French, food brings people together its an opportunity for conversation for attention, its sentimental. 

However if you're unable to go to France yourself, and indulge in the culinary experiences it has to offer, the United States has some amazing options. While around 9.4 million Americans come from French Ancestry as of 2023 only 145, 222 French citizens are also American citizens. The French population in America is rather small in terms of immigrant status, making it trickier to find authetic French culinary experiences. Despite the statistics Baltimore is home to an incredible French restaurant in the heart of Roland Park - Petit Louis Bistro. 

To be quite honest, I've been lucky enough to dine at Petit Louis before with my family, however going more recently with a more developed pallet changed my experience. This visit meant I would opt for more out of box things on their menu that are known as things that the French do best!  

On My Plate: 

ESCARGOTS de BOURGOGNE Snails, Fresh Herb Butter, Garlic

MAGRET de CANARD Duck Breast, Port Poached Pear, Onion Marmalade, Red Wine 

CRÈME BRÛLÉE Vanilla Bean Crème Brûlée .

Sitting down at the table with my mom, older brother (who's quite the foodie) I was excited to let them take the wheel in ordering my food.. as I tend to stick to my favorites of anything close to steak. The difference in my experience than theirs definitely stemmed from the fact they have both indeed been to France, which I have not had the pleasure of experiencing yet, therefore they knew what they were doing. I wish I could say "to my surprise" but indeed I was not surprised when the first thing they had me try was snails.... snails. I can honestly say that I appreciated the presentation, and the creativity but the texture was something I would rather not relive. 

On to the next.. my brothers favorite, the duck. Duck I sat there thinking to myself questioning if my companions had hit their heads as we walked in... they couldn't possibly think that I would enjoy the thought of Daffy of Donald on my plate, but I swallowed my tongue and trekked on with this culinary journey. I found the duck to taste rather earthy, which was unsurprising considering that ducks aren't far from the ground but regardless I tried to enjoy this delicacy. I didn't mind the duck altogether and found it more appetizing than snails, but I think I might not be the best candidate for French delicacy's considering I have such an issue with the texture of foods to begin with. 

Gosh, I really wanted to venture outside my comfort zone, and I do have a found appreciation for the French are this art of theirs but when it came to the Creme Brûlée I was hoping it would live up to my High School Musical dreams but it really wasn't my favorite either. Annoyed with myself I really wanted to walk on the wild side but in many ways Im just a plain Jane who enjoys my crappy American food. 

Food is incredibly important to the function of all living things but also critically important in almost all cultures. Whether its no meat on good Friday for Catholics, fasting in the Jewish religion for Yom Kippur, the sacredness of cows In Hinduism, the list goes on. Food is not only a part of the interconnectedness between religion and human beings but food is also a pillar in heritages and cultural groups across the world. In many ways we associate different foods with places because of their origin and popularity of their food. We are increasing blessed to be able to share different foods  around the world and tie them directly to their culture. Despite my unfortunate dislike for the French's food I did enjoy my experience dining at a high profile restaurant that encapsulated want I assume to be the standards of professional staff and kitchens in France. Between the waiters clothing, the cleanliness of the restaurant and foos presentation I can see why French food is held at such a high standard. 

Sources: 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_French_in_Baltimore#:~:text=The%20Baltimore%20area's%20total%20population,including%20French%20Creole)%20at%20home.

https://www.itm.edu/blog/ihm-5-best-countries-to-study-culinary-arts-abroad#:~:text=4.-,France,culinary%20schools%20in%20the%20world.

https://www.optilingo.com/blog/french/french-dining-experience/#:~:text=Why%20is%20Food%20Important%20to,a%20“world%20intangible%20heritage”.

https://france-amerique.com/the-french-in-america/