Carrie Salomon, the American chef who delights Paris

Tell us all about yourself

"I've been in the restaurant business since I was 14, but I never thought I'd make it my profession, and even less so in Paris! I've gone through a number of food-related professions since I arrived in Paris 20 years ago: cookery books, the press, photography, styling, and then in recent years, a lot of consulting for restaurants and hotels, creating menus and training teams. Then, at the end of several assignments, I realized that I wanted to continue to take ownership of a cuisine I'd helped to create, but that's never how it works... That's when it became clear that I really wanted to have my own restaurant, a home of my own."

Tell us about your passion for cooking...

"I used to love shopping with my mother and choosing produce. Some people don't like shopping, but even today, when I need to be soothed, I love going to the greengrocer to see what's on the shelves. In my neighborhood, there's Miyam, which has a bit of everything, Taka and Vermo for magnificent cheeses, Terroirs d'Avenir and Biocoop. For me, food and beautiful products are soothing and rejuvenating. That's how my passion for cooking came about."

What role does beauty play in the dishes you cook?

"It's so important. It starts with the product and the season. At the restaurant, I work with an organic farm, Ferme de l'Envol in Essonne. I love arrival days: I get crates that are like paintings. I find that we eat first with our eyes, and that beauty lies in pleasure, sharing and a certain ethic: here, we don't use red meat and proteins are present in small quantities, carefully chosen and used sparingly. I love creating, it's nourishing. Ever since I started fermenting, especially our own kombucha, I've loved the ritual of doing a little every day. It's really beautiful and rejuvenating: smelling the fragrance as it changes day by day, watching the colors and taste develop."

If you had to sum up your cooking philosophy in one sentence?

"A vegetarian cuisine, very gourmet."

What does "eating well" mean to you?

"It's not only good for my body, but it has to be good from an ecological point of view too: so products that don't come from the ends of the earth on restaurant plates. No avocado, no maple syrup... I make my own syrups, citrus at the moment."

What bathroom essentials do you need to look after your skin?

"A restaurant opening is very time-consuming, the days are very long and I'm often sleep-deprived. So I use a lot of products to combat dark circles and treatments that brighten up the eyes. Also, when you're cooking, it's important to keep well hydrated, drink lots of water and take care of your skin. I use the Brightening Eye Gel Tata Harperthen the Crème Fraîche Hydratante Ceramide Soufflé Antipodes to moisturize, followed by Tinted Moisturizer SPF20 Oh My Cream Skincare. I don't wear much make-up, as it's not very suitable for cooking. In the evening, I apply the 3x Retinol Regenerative Serum by Goop Beauty, which I keep next to my bed so that I don't forget to apply it before bedtime."

What are your wellness rituals for refocusing when life gets too busy?

"Unfortunately, I never have time for a yoga class, but 5 minutes of yoga, a few sun salutations, is always better than nothing. Otherwise, I love to take a bath in the evening and, recently, I discovered the sound bath with Uma Gaia It's powerful and refocuses me."

How did you imagine your Chez Carrie restaurant?

"I wanted to create a warm, sunny space. When I saw the yellow of the vintage tiles, I immediately saw a sign. I was looking for a resolutely Parisian place with a good feel where I could put my ferments on the shelves and do the decor my way, with citrus and squash still lifes, candleholders... I created a wine list of winemakers with Jill Cousin, and Dawnie, my partner, manages the room and the café. My friend Nilima Davroux is my architect, and Johanna Solal created a large painting of a picnic on the water that proudly decorates the room. I was looking to surround myself with inspiring women and feminine energy."

What flavors or recipes inspire you at the moment?

"I'm always looking for balance, and right now, with the onset of winter, we're in need of comfort: citrus fruits, pure vegetal, green veloutés. On the brunch menu, I offer increasingly comforting dishes: hot halloumi with warm potato salad with labneh, mint and dill, pickled fennel, or mushroom eggs Benedict with a creamy Hollandaise and a little pancetta."

What's the dish or recipe that makes you feel deeply at home, no matter where you are?

"The caesar salad - lemony and crunchy."

Is there a particular season or time of year that influences what you cook?

"Autumn. I'm one of the few chefs who really appreciates autumn and winter vegetables: the textures, the densities... Vegetables in winter bring rich, gourmet textures, like butternut and scamorza fritters or celery and shiitake polpettes. This is one of our best-sellers, with smoked ricotta and mint gremolata. I prepare them in the oven. A real delight!"

What would be your advice for turning a simple meal into a real moment for yourself?

"Fresh herbs, that and acidity, with mint, coriander, dill, it wakes you up! And a velouté in a blender, with steamed or boiled vegetables until tender, is ultra-reinforcing. At the moment, I'm mixing fennel with cooking water, olive oil and Parmesan cheese, all blended very smoothly. I also add a handful of kale and dill, with a small potato for texture, and a good dose of yellow lemon juice for freshness. It's my sweet recipe for the season."

Carrie's selection

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Follow Carrie Salomon on Instagram @carrie_in_paris.

Carrie is the chef behind the restaurant Chez Carrie14 rue Leopold Bellan 75002 Paris.

She is also the author of the cookbooks: Une Américaine à Paris (2014), Mangez de saison (2016), Chef's Fridges (2020), N'en jetez plus (2020), Poisson cru (2021), Breakfast All Day (2022, Editions de La Martinière) and Bohème Cooking (Editions Countryman Press) published in 2024.