The intoxicants of barman Frank Meir and gossipy observations of journalist Basil Woon take us back to the 1930s, when Paris was the stomping ground of American expatiates and the haunt of film stars, artists, writers, and intellectuals. Central characters include Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Gertrude Stein, Cole Porter, Henry Miller, T. S. Eliot, James Thurber, Louise Brooks, Mary Pickford, Tallulah Bankhead, and Noel Coward. Whether they were escaping “dry” America or just enjoying the mystery and romance of Paris, most found their way to the Hotel Ritz, the social and artistic center of the city. Delightful, delicious and de-lovely, this flask-sized guide combines recipes and storytelling to brilliantly capture “the Paris moment.”