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KALEIGH IN PARIS
I DIDN'T think a McDonald's meal equated to a "tres chic" food experience in France, but according to Emily in Paris, it does.
After watching Lily Collins eat in the most sterile franchise location I've ever seen, I was enticed to visit a Parisian McDonald's to try the show's sexy rendition of the iconic Big Mac.
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All I got was a less-than-appetizing Croque McDo, a lousy macaron, and a burnt espresso, but no "McBaguette."
Netflix's third season of Emily in Paris came with romantic betrayals, an unexpected pregnancy, and a luxurious take on an American fast food classic.
In the first episode of the season, Emily decided to forego her usual glass of wine for lunch and entertain a marketing opportunity alongside her complicated love interest Gabriel.
They sat in a lush white-walled McDonald's and bit into McBaguettes, an exclusive menu item only offered at some locations in France.
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Two beef patties wedged between a narrow loaf of bread, lettuce, and Emmetal cheese: "Un petit plaisir," Gabriel described it.
Their entire McDonald's experience looked delightful as they were greeted with a clean environment and a case of sugary delectables.
As I was planning my "Kaleigh in Paris" trip, I decided to put the popular chain on my list to see if it was as pleasing as it looked on TV.
And let me tell you, I should've known better than to trust Emily's Parisian opinions. Her perception of luxury was as farfetched as her fashion.
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To be fair, the show's portrayal of McDonald's was way posher than it was.
Finding one to go to was no problem. There was a McDonald's on every corner like in the US — maybe even more.
Some were two stories with upstairs dining, while others had hidden corners of extra seating.
Emily's experience included floor-to-ceiling windows with a pretty street view.
I got to look at the kitchen and the line of registers in front — really breathtaking.
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But the location I went to did have that same beautiful case of pastries and desserts that Emily admired in the show.
I'm not saying the croissants looked like the best in the city or even the best on the street, but they looked impressive for a fast-food place.
From macarons to chocolate-drizzled donuts, the dessert section had a wider variety other than McFlurry flavors or packaged pies.
I can't speak to the taste or freshness of the more extravagant pastries offered at the Parisian McDonald's, but I will say the macarons were subpar.
My main motivation for substituting a local boulangerie or brasserie for the fast food chain was for the McBaguette.
And yet, I ended up eating a grilled cheese with cold ham on what seemed to be a flattened burger bun.
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Unfortunately, the McDonald's I chose didn't offer the McBaguette.
So, I settled for the French delicacy Croque Monsieur. They called it a "Croque McDo."
I was hoping this would be somewhat as satisfying as the Croque Monsieur I had already had on the trip, but it wasn't.
The sandwich was like a panini with hamburger buns and a last-minute cold cut add-on.
The cheese was so gooey and thin that it made the two pieces of bread slip and slide, in my hands.
I took one bite and tossed it.
For my beverage, I opted for an espresso.
I thought surely the coffee would be decent. It was a bit burnt.
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Aside from my mom and me, there were two other patrons in the McDonald's at 11am on a Wednesday.
The atmosphere was much cleaner than the sticky, children-packed ones I'm used to in the US.
However, I would have liked to go back and see what the state of the restaurant looked like at the end of the day.
Overall, I'm not mad I spent seven euros.
With that being said, the next time I'm in France, I will be doing what I do in New York: avoiding the fast food chain at all costs.
To make my day the complete Emily in Paris experience, I visited the other filming locations around the city.
I started with the leading lady's second home: the Savoir offices.
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Emily's marketing agency is next to Palais Royale in the first arrondissement.
The exact location is Place de Valois, a sunny little street with a darling restaurant across the way.
It's safe to say I would have no problem working in that office and popping over to the brasserie for an afternoon drink.
And the setting for Emily and her best friend Mindy's first meeting was just a few steps away.
Jardin du Palais Royale is the garden outside the palace building.
Rows of finely cut trees covered the closed-in area, while a black gate separated the open space from the very "Instagrammable" patio with the iconic circular platforms to stand and sit on.
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Before leaving the Right Bank, I ventured to Le Cafe Marly, a restaurant connected to the Louvre.
The show was not misleading about the lavish ambiance of this cafe.
Tables are lined up outside next to the Louvre Pyramid, the main entrance to the museum.
I could've sipped on champagne and admired the historical site for longer than the two hours I had spent.
However, I couldn't say the same for the location of Gabriel's restaurant and Emily's apartment.
Both are situated in the fifth arrondissement on the little roundabout as seen on the show.
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Though I immediately recognized the buildings, something seemed a bit off about the area.
Maybe the incoming clouds made the area seem grayer, but the setting seemed more run down in person than on TV.
Gabriel's restaurant in particular, which is actually an Italian restaurant in reality, appeared a bit decrepit.
It was clear the restaurant awning in the show was only used during filming.
You'd think the money made from the show could go toward replacing the establishment's awning.
But seeing the two wooden doors that lead up to Emily's apartment blurred out the gloom surrounding them.
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As I saw them, those doors looked like the perfect entrance to an apartment in the city that could one day be mine.
Emily did make one good decision in season three: to stay in Paris.
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