American Chefs Open Paris Bistro, Battle 100 Years of Dust and French Indifference
KEY POINTS
- •John Morisano and Mashama Bailey opened L’Arrêt in Paris’ 7th arrondissement in a century-old building needing big renovations.
- •They blend American Southern hospitality with traditional French and rural cooking while connecting with local dining favorites like Chez Marcel and Brasserie Lipp.
- •The couple frequently shops at Marché Raspail despite its limited open days and relies on La Grande Épicerie for quick dinners after long work nights.
John Morisano pivoted from video games at Activision to co-running L’Arrêt in Paris’ 7th arrondissement alongside Mashama Bailey, who migrated for cooking school but stayed for aging furniture restoration. Their new restaurant thrives in a century-old building last refurbished in the early '70s, where they’re mixing Southern American hospitality with French rustic food traditions that even Parisians scratch their heads over. Their local haunt, Chez Marcel, specializes in kidneys with mustard sauce—where metallic tooth filings await if you’re unlucky. At Brasserie Lipp, they hang until 2 a.m. getting mushy over wines, claiming regulars status alongside immortal waiters. They navigate markets closed most days, buy spicy sardines by the dozen, and chase giant Indian drumsticks down Rue de Verneuil. The culinary neighborhood sitcom unfolds mainly between $13 baguettes and La Grande Épicerie’s foie gras corner.
Share the Story
American chefs taking on a hundred-year-old Paris bistro is basically watching a charming sitcom where vintage furniture collides with Southern comfort—and kidneys haunt the menu like unwanted party guests.
Opening a Paris restaurant in a building last touched in the '70s is just a stylish form of archaeological renovation mixed with overpriced mustard sauce therapy.
They’re serving kidneys that might turn your teeth to filing material, but hey, at least the waiters at Brasserie Lipp are eternally employed and mildly drunk by 2 a.m.
Source: Eater | Published: 1/28/2026 | Author: Mashama Bailey
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