City Editor Shea here. It’s been a little over a year since I spent a lovely summer week in Paris, and while reminiscing on my trip, I realized the City of Love shares some similarities to the Circle City. So if you’re craving some French fun, here’s how to spend a day like a Parisian in your own backyard.
No good day in Paris starts off without a proper breakfast — and for me, that breakfast is always a croissant. Rene’s Bakery has its buttery, flaky bake down to a science, with varieties including hazelnut and double almond. Of course, you’ll need some espresso to wash it down, so you should swing around the corner to Perk Up.
Once you’ve fueled up, I’d put that croissant to good use with some shopping. Also located in Broad Ripple is french pharmacie flea, where you can find everything from art to French provincial furniture to antique garden statues — minus having to figure out how you’re going to get your finds through customs.
Next up: A fall weather walk on a beautiful bridge or two. In 1922, The Indianapolis Star wrote, “For general effect, attractive design, and setting, the bridges of Indianapolis are praised above even those of Paris.” While the 30th Street Bridge is one of the most Parisian, it’s still under reconstruction — so I’d recommend taking a stroll along the Fall Creek Trail, which passes by several other gorgeous bridges. Bonus: It connects to the Monon, so you can easily get there from breakfast and shopping, no car needed.
Who needs the Louvre when there’s the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields? Okay, we don’t have the Mona Lisa — but we do have “Reawakening the Rococo,” a current exhibit that will transport you straight to Versailles with its extravagant pieces.
Filigree’s macarons are anything but basic, and are often themed around current pop culture or sports topics.
Photo by @filigree.bakery
Speaking of which, it’s time to let them eat cake. Hit up Tous Les Jours for French + Asian fusion gateaux, or if you’re craving macarons instead, you can find delectable varieties at Filigree Bakery, The Cake Bake Shop, or Macaron Bar. If that gets you inspired to don a chef hat yourself, book a class.
Finally, you’ll need a fancy dinner to complete your Parisian day. I’d propose a meal at Josephine, a French-inspired tavern named after Napoleon Bonaparte’s first wife, or Auberge, which offers French staples from salade niçoise to boeuf bourguignon.
What else would you do on your Parisian day in Indy? Let me know.
