Lyon

Let’s just get this out of the way - I had wanted to come to Lyon specifically for one dish - Praline Roses. These are almonds (and I read sometimes peanuts) cooked in sugar dyed with a bright pinkish red hue. They remind me of the nuts that one can buy on the streets of NYC, except more colorful. They put these pralines in everything, tarts, chocolate and what I came for - brioche!! I couldn’t believe that one of my favorite breads had caramelized almonds baked into it. When I first bought the brioche, I was convinced that I couldn’t eat it all. Well, I did!

The bakery that I went to get the brioche praline is Boulangerie du Palais, located at 8 Rue du Palais de Justice, 69005 Lyon France. They also had other wonderful pastries and pizzas. There were many locals who came for the wonderful pizza that was displayed in the window. This reminded me of a bakery in the Bay Area called Arizmendi Bakery that has delicious breads, baked goods and pizzas.

Lyon is known for its gastronomy, there are wonderful fromageries (cheese shops), butchers, special Lyonnaise Bouchons (type of restaurant found in Lyon) - specializing in all parts of the animal. But being mostly vegetarian (I eat meat sometimes, but its rare). Ya girl had to find the local vegan burger joint! Not only was the burger I ate delicious, but I was overwhelmed by the sauce! It was this wonderful mustard sauce that wasn’t too pungent and has a complimentary flavor to the patty. And no vegan cheese, and yet the burger tasted amazing. Hank Burger Lyon is located at 5 Rue Pizay, 69001 Lyon.

Another place worth mentioning is Dandelion Cafe, located at 20 Rue de Condé, 69002 Lyon. There are a lot of nice cafes in Lyon serving quality coffee and food. This one just happened to be on the way to the central area from where I was staying and had non-dairy milk. One note though, cafes all around France, especially in big towns get packed! Most people get their drinks sur place (eating at the establishment) and these places are usually very small. Because of the nature of my trip I was more on the leisurely route, so it was preferable to enjoy my coffee sitting rather than to-go. Anyhow, its just a little tip for those of you who might visit France.

Thanks for reading, I hope this inspires you to go explore the culinary scene somewhere in the world!