Gray Day Greens Fix

The cafe's owner said he's trying to stay under the radar (and out of the blogshophere) so his cafe won't be overrun with backpackers!

Ever since I discovered that Kristen's Kale Salad was available at this newly opened cafe in the Marais, I've been wanting to go and get my greens on. I finally made it down yesterday and was so excited to see the gorgeous Emily from Paris Paysanne and Kristen herself sitting front and center right when I walked in.

"Quelle Surprise!"

After exchanging bisous, Kristen rustled up some salad, made specially vegan for me, and I sat down to join them for some conversation and healthy dose of laughter.

Kristen: pretty (and) smart!

Kristen has become a celebrity in the cutting-edge culinary scene here in Paris; besides making the pages if Elle and Glamour, and putting in an appearance on the Huffington Post, just yesterday she appeared in 20 Minutes, a French newspaper targeting the Metro-commuter set.  So exciting!

Emily's star is ascending, too. She's shopping around a book which will focus on her passions: Parisian markets and fresh, organic food. She's the Parisian authority on where to eat and drink locally-produced food and wine, and I always learn something new whenever I visit her smart, informative blog.

Dressed simply with olive oil and lemon juice, the salad was a delicious, pared-down melange of carrot, kale, and super-fresh raw almonds.

The kale salad was divine. Simple but flavorful and satisfying. This particular kale came from a small farm in Normandie. Kristen picked the stuff herself on a recent visit out west. Lucky girl!

A photo of one of Kristen's many success stories--a kale farm in Normandie that supplies the goods for the salads--sits on the counter at the cafe.

Before I left, I spoke with the cafe's owner, who, without knowing I might be a blogger, lamented the unwanted attention erupting out of the blogosphere. "I'm not like the other cafe owners who want to attract the masses," he said. "I want to keep the clientele local. I don't want it to be come overrun with backpackers."

Eeks!

Well, then. I won't say the name of this cafe, but if you really want some of Kristen's killer kale salad, you can message me privately and I'll give you the scoop. Or we can all wait for Kristen to expand her salad-and-chips enterprise to more cafes and stores across Paris. One can hope!

Blurry kale chips, anyone?