the day of a million posts

(You know you're procrastinating when...)

In honor of my flatmate Alyssa's birthday, on Sunday night a bunch of us went out for a fantastic dining experience. We hit up Au Refuge des Fondues, a - real shocker here, folks - fondue place in Montmartre. I'd been warned that often reservations were just a formality, which worried me, since we were travelling 15 deep. As soon as I saw the restaurant, though, I understood: the place only fit about 45. It was tiny, with two long, narrow tables pressed up against the walls and barely enough room to walk beween them. It was communal-style, and as there were more of us than available butt space we got to know our neighbors very well. The walls were painted wild colors, and previous diners had grafittied all over them with shout-outs and quotes. I'd also been warned that it was very touristy, a warning that was confirmed by the "YALE '03" and "ERASMUS" tags on the wall behind us and the fact that only the waiters spoke French.

Because the space was so tight, to get to the wall side of the table the manager had to help us girls over the table, which pretty much set the raucous mood for the evening. After kirs and appetizers, they brought us wine in baby bottles and huge, steaming pots of cheese and oil. We stayed there for a couple hours, laughing over the hunks of bread and raw beef and taking silly pictures with the baby bottles. It was an amazing experience. It's crowded and smoke-filled and hot and they really give you no choice but to have a great time. If you're ever in Paris and just want to let loose a little, go there. Plus, the whole thing was only 16€. Sweet deal.