Who Are You?
A Southerner living in Paris for 20+ years who worked as a PR and restaurant consultant for the most notable chefs in the world conceptualising restaurants and launching the first US Michelin Guide in NYC. After so many years working with everyone in the business – now – I am a Journalist as the Executive Producer and Podcast Host for my series “After Service with Wendy Lyn” – documenting and interviewing chefs, restaurants, natural winemakers and food culture. When I’m not filming, I enjoy organising private food & natural wine tours in Paris, France for friends who are traveling together and documenting my eating + drinking travels on Instagram.
Why Did You Create This Site?
Restaurants are my life. I literally eat in restaurants every single day. In fact, it is why my favorite thing to make for dinner is reservations. Because of our travels, I am constantly asked where we went, who we met, what we did, and where we ate. This is our list.
What Are The Criteria You Use To Choose The Places Featured On Your Website?
The business should be:
- A place I enjoy, that is comfortable, fun and friendly
- Run by owners/staff living in the area/region/state/country
- Respectful of its employees and customers
- Proud to source high-quality regional product(s) including important details like bread, butter, coffee
- Cooking with a high-quality product
- Championing local culture and traditions
- Frequented by like-minded locals
- Run sustainably for the current generation without compromising future generations to meet their own needs.
How Did You End Up and Decide to Stay in Europe?
Originally from the Deep South, I grew up with food as the center of my life. Each morning started with “what’s for lunch?” by shrimping & fishing on the Gulf of Mexico with my grandfather. During University I worked in marketing & the Test Kitchen at Southern Living Magazine and as an intern in London. During a graduation weekend in Paris, I fell down an Alice in Wonderland rabbit hole and landed at the most wonderful Mad Hatter’s tea party with all these crazy chef characters eating & drinking for 12-hours from lunch to dinner around the table. In the South, we call this “linner.” It was literally this moment that I knew I’d never leave Paris. Then when I organized a ” linner” day for us in Venice, Italy – crabbing, fishing, and cooking in the lagoon – Chef Yves Camdeborde said, “Lets do this every day!” It was then and there that I realized the “Linner Club” was the spirit of everything I do, both personally and professionally. For over 20 years now, friends in the industry & I have traveled the world together to experience amazing new places and people just on a day off. London for a rock & roll dinner, baking with a legend in Copenhagen, Edinburgh for a sustainable lunch in a garden. It’s what we live for.
Can You Show Me Around?
Absolutely. I share my time in the food city that captured my heart. Check out my popular private food & wine tours in Paris, France. I’m honored to have been named: One of the Top 10 Food Guides in the World – The Wall Street Journal, One of the Top 6 Food City Tours in the World – The Sunday Times, The “Ultimate Food Insider” and “On a First Name Basis With Every ‘it’ Chef” – Travel & Leisure Magazine, Wendy Lyn is the “hyperconnected private guide behind Paris Is My Kitchen” – Food & Wine Magazine.Covid extensions expire December 31, 2022.
Copyrights:
All of the content (photography included) belongs to Wendy Lyn. If you would like to use content/links/photographs, contact me directly first.
Media Requests:
I am an experienced fixer for publishers, network tv, production crews, hotels, airlines, etc. If you need someone on the ground who can get you to the story, can get things done and make things happen: send a note to contactme (at) Wendy-Lyn.com
