In the course of nibbling my way across town, I came across two interesting food trends that are difficult to ignore.

First, Parisian chefs are opening up to international flavors, and not just relying on classic French cuisine. They want everyone in the world to think of France when theythink of excellent food, and Italy and Asia have certainly made dents in the French ego during the last decade or so. You don't have to go to Paris to have incredibly good (or bad) food anymore. At any rate, in many cases of the fusion cooking I tried, the results were mixed, and the chef's attempts at creativity were just plain weird.

Spices are very "in," and often used indiscriminately in ways that seemed pretty strange to my palate. When I had cinnamon-coated goat cheese and Szechwan peppercorn- or rosemary-chocolate truffles (what's French for "yuck"?), I prayed that this trend wouldn't last too long.

The second habit was the use of vegetables as desserts. This is easy to track back to the success of Arpege's candied tomato dessert a few years ago. But the tomato is a fruit and happily lends itself to a sugary treatment. At one three-star restaurant where we were being served the chef's choice, the waiter brought a sweetened leek tart with carrot syrup and candied celery. Bugs Bunny wouldn't have been able to eat this misguided romp through the vegetable patch. At first I thought this dessert was a single chef's conceit, but when my friend Susan reported being served a sweet eggplant crepe (thank God they held the chocolate sauce) at mid-priced restaurant, we saw a pattern.

Cheese: Androu‘t, 6 rue Arsene Houssay, 8th arrondissement. Fine cheese is one of the glories of French culture (no pun intended). At this shrine to fromage, you'll be able to enjoy an entire meal of cheeses, served in "flights," as one might enjoy a selection of Cabernets at a wine bar. You'll start off with mild triple-cremes, and move through four or five other categories, until you reach the sharp blues. It's not an inexpensive privilege--our lunch for two came in at about $150.00 with a bottle of nice Bordeaux.

Also, expect to be overwhelmed by the experience--we skipped dessert, which is included in the price of the degustation. Neighborhood people come here to eat "regular" dishes from the menu (chicken and such), but the fun of coming here is the cheese.

Old-Fashioned Brasserie: Grand Colbert (le), 2, rue Vivienne, 2nd arrondissement. This turn-of-the-century brasserie is so authentic, it looks like it was designed by a Hollywood art director. The staff has not gleaned any charm from the decor, but it is still a fun place to eat. I think what I enjoyed the most about this restaurant is its democracy--everybody got the same terrible service. We went with our dear friend Renče, who is as Parisian as the Eiffel Tower, yet her attempts to get the waiters' attention were always rebuffed. If we had gone by ourselves, we would have thought it was the service staff's xenophobia that made them ignore us. Go anyway, and savor the fresh seafood platters, grilled fish, and ile flotante (soft poached meringues in a vanilla sauce).

Favorite Bistro: Chez Maitre Paul, 12, rue Monsieur-le-Prince, 6th arrondissement. Be sure to reserve at this small, wood-paneled restaurant specializing in the cuisine of the Jura mountains. Be sure to order a bottle of vin jaune, a rich gold-colored, off-dry white wine, and indulge in the chicken in cheese sauce.

Tea Shop: Mariage Freres, 30-32 rue du Bourg-Tibourg, 4th arrondissement. Renče insisted that we have tea with her at her favorite salon, nestled in the Marais. The menu is a veritable encyclopedia (they have one in English) that lists hundreds of teas, and the pastries were wonderful, especially the "sunflower" cake. A wonderful place to relax and revive yourself after a day of sightseeing. Avoid weekends, though, as it can be a little too busy. Also on the same street is a little shop called Cuisineophile, that just might have an interesting cuisine-oriented knickknack that you must bring home with you. At the end of the street, look for an excellent chocolatier, whose card I've misplaced.

Splurge Restaurant: Grand Vefour (Le), 17, rue de Beaujolais, 1st arrondissement. One of Paris's oldest restaurants, and most luxurious. Under the arches of the Palais Royale (where you can pay homage to Colette, the female gourmand and writer), many of the tables of this restaurant marked with plaques designating favorite customers (Callas Ate Here!). The chef, Guy Martin, is the current darling of the Paris media. You'll enjoy classic French cuisine with a cutting-edge sensibility. Bring lots of money. Our lunchtime tasting menu was about $375 for two, including an excellent bottle of Burgundy. Needless to say, we skipped dinner that night.

Pastries: It doesn't matter what you order at these bastions of patisserie--everything will be sublime, or at least, different from what you could order back home. My two old favorites, who have been in business for decades, are Laduree (16 rue Royale) and Strohrer (51, rue Montorgueil). I get the meringue cookies at Laduree, and kugelhopf and the cinnamon cakes at Stroher, but who cares? Gerard Mulot (76, rue de Seine) creates gorgeous cakes from the new school of patisserie, with exotic fruits and deep-flavored chocolate. Mulot is also a caterer, so you can get exquisite sandwiches and salads for an impromptu picnic in the nearby Luxembourg Gardens.

Ice Cream: Berthillon, 31, rue Saint-Louis-en-l'Ile, 4th arrondissement. Ile-St. Louis is one of the loveliest places in Paris, a secluded little island in the middle of the Seine without the hustle and bustle of the surrounding metropolis. This tiny little ice cream store on the island's main artery is famous for its rich, creamy ice creams and sorbets that sing with fresh, true flavors. I opt for flavors that I may not get stateside, like nougat or hazelnut.

One-Stop Gourmet Shopping: Near the Madeline (8th arrondissement), you will find a veritable gourmet ghetto, with two temples of gastronomy literally cheek-by-jowl. Of the two, I prefer Hediard at 21, place de la Madeline, because it's a little smaller and easier to navigate. I never leave Paris without a trip to Hediard to buy a stash of fleur de sel and p‰tes de fruits (the ultimate gumdrop). Fauchon is right across the square at number 26, with two stores (a pastry shop and expensive tea salon, and a specialty grocer-takeout). True foodies will want to visit both places. (Also on the same block as Hediard is Caviar Kaspia, where you can enjoy a caviar feast, and La Maison de la Truffe, with truffle specialties.)

Candy Shop: For a journey back in time, you must visit La Mere de la Familie at 35, rue Faubourg Montmarte, in the 9th arrondissement. You'll find an amazing assortment of old-time candies and other confections, including some that you haven't seen in years, like real licorice sticks and horehound drops. But try the handmade marshmallows in gently flavored, lovely pastel colors. They're the real thing.