Wining and dining in France with Patricia Wells

This week it’s food critic and cookbook author Patricia Wells. Originally from the US, she moved to Paris in 1980 where she worked as a restaurant critic for the International Herald Tribune and later the French weekly newspaper L’Express.

Along the way she has published 15 books and made a home in Paris and Chanteduc, in Provence. 
We talk about all that and also the big sale of her culinary antiques collection via Chez Pluie.

The Earful Tower podcast episode 

Listen below to the episode or wherever you get your podcasts. Scroll down for some highlights from the conversation.

How did life start in Paris for Patricia Wells?

Patricia Wells and her husband came to Paris in 1980 and moved into an apartment next to Parc Monceau, pictured below. She says that they came to Paris for her husband’s job, then stayed for hers.

As many a Paris story goes, they had only intended to stay for two years, but that all changed once she got a job as a restaurant critic. She began writing The Food Lover’s Guide to Paris article by article, and this was eventually picked up and published in 1984.

How has the Paris food scene changed over 45 years?

Patricia says the city’s culinary scene has changed “dramatically” – and that she has “more disappointing meals than happy meals”. She feels that in some parts of Paris, rather than the focus being on food, it feels like business has started to take over. In the past, chefs simply had one restaurant, but nowadays there are some chefs with 16 restaurants.

With this in mind, Patricia pointed out that when picking a restaurant, she now prioritizes dining at those where she can become a client fidèle: a loyal customer. She said that she and her husband have a cafe that is ten seconds from her apartment and she’s there at least two or three times a week. “We go either just for coffee, for dinner, or sometimes we just go in there for a drink. You walk in everyone hugs you kisses you, you sit down and they give you what you want.”

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What’s life like in Provence?

Patricia and her husband purchased their home in Provence in the 1980s when a house they’d previously rented was up for sale. “I always think the best big decisions we make in our lives are when we’re young and naïve”, she says of the purchase.

They went on to spend summers and winters in Provence. “You understand why the painters wanted to be in Provence – the light is just amazing, you can’t not notice,” she said on the podcast.

Interested in learning more about Provence? Have a read of the Earful Tower blogpost: Provence for beginners: Five places to seek out.

What was it like to be friends with Julia Child ?

Patricia first had contact with famed chef, author and TV personality Julia Child in 1984. Patricia had just published The Food Lover’s Guide to Paris and received a fan letter from Julia in which she said “I hope one day I get to meet you.” Later that same year they met in Paris and soon became good friends. Patricia said that Julia was “just wonderful”, they were friends for years and spent time together in both Paris and Provence.

When Julia Child was set to leave France, Patricia asked if she could have her stove. “Having Julia Child’s stove would be like having Freud’s couch,” she joked.

After some indecision, Julia eventually agreed, and the stove was a cornerstone of Patricia’s culinary collection.

More on Patricia Wells’ antique culinary collection

And lastly, Patricia is selling her collection of antiques and furniture via antique’s dealer Chez Pluie. You can find the collection: At Home with Patricia Wells by following this link.

The podcast episode

Below, again, is the podcast episode with Patricia. Enjoy! And if you like what you hear, please consider becoming a Patreon member on the link below to support The Earful Tower and unlock extra content.