Paris, France — A fundamental part of train travel is the restaurant wagon, often affectionately referred to as the bar car, as in the bar part of the wagon. It’s where you can sit down to a meal, sometimes good, sometimes not so good, enjoy drinks or even a family outing to escape from the mundanity of your regular wagon seat. A delightful and educational and free exhibition exploring this key car on a train is being held at Ground Control one of the more iconic urban renewal programs in the heart of the French capital just minutes from the Gare du Lyon train station and a short walk to the Bastille. Ground Control, named in a nod to David Bowie, opened up in what was once a postal sorting center of the SNCF, France’s national railroad company. So it is more than fitting that an exhibition devoted to railroad dining is being played out there. You can even sit in a recreated restaurant wagon inside the exhibition. 

Entitled Food Express — Photographs of a Moving Cuisine, the show brings together archive pictures, contemporary shots and objects underscoring in-train drinking and dining, today and yesterday. Rare photographs are on display emanating from the archives of the SNCF and the Newrest Wagons-Lits. There are some surprising meals from the 1980s on board the TGV, France’s high speed train, like the rather gourmet appetite of white asparagus spears garnished with black olives and lime wedges. What is astounding are the complete four-course French meals that were served up. It should be pointed out here that the « gastronomic meal of the French » is inscribed on UNESCO’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage Humanity. There are the humble snack foods too, like the croque-monsieur, a kind of inside-out grilled ham and cheese topped off with béchamel sauce and browned on both sides beneath the grill or fried. So to add to the ambiance the nine restaurants at Ground Control — all of which have received the Écotable label, for their environmentally-friendly practices — are joining in the act offering up their individual takes on the iconic French sandwich. It’s a moveable feast experience as you order at the stand and then bring your own tray to the table, the case onboard some trains. 

The first croque-monsieur was served in 1910 in a café on the Boulevard des Capucines in Paris according to the Larousse Gastronomique. Over 100 years later it is still going strong and has been declined in a host of international and national versions at Ground Control.  Among the offerings one finds the Greek take dubbed Croque Kalamata with grilled eggplant, Kalamata olive spread and feta cheese sprinkled with mint leaves on a rustic bread. Meanwhile the Burning Croque from the house of Burning Naan complete with butter chicken, farmhouse cheddar, béchamel on sliced whole wheat bread and served with potatoes. Or the Smash Reverse bun from the stand serving specialties of northern France. This approaches a classic croque but with a special twist: very thinly sliced ham, hearty grilled bacon Emmenthal cheese and pickled red onion, ideally served with home-made French fries. And from the Refugee Residence, the Sudanese croque on homemade Sudanese fenugreek bread, satay-flavored béchamel, candied onions and halal chicken and grated Emmenthal is bursting with exotic flavors. 

Visitors enter Ground Control from an extensive greenery-infused outdoor terrace, conducive to eating, drinking, socializing and enjoying the great urban outdoors. Inside exhibitions, a space for renting board and card games, a record shop (aptly named Uncle Tom) and exhibition spaces await. Outside of the croque-monsieur menu there is also a wide selection of food of the world available from stationary food carts serving homemade food featuring organic and locally-sourced products as well as a market garden on the premises. One of the more interesting food offerings is from the Refugee Kitchen spot of the Refugee Food Association featuring cuisines on a rotating basis from places like Sudan, Afghanistan and West Africa. 

The train exhibition is on until October 5th but the unique collective experience at Ground Control bringing together cultural, artistic, and ecological activities dedicated to bringing about a better world is on all year. This is where the grass roots operations come in. The community is the venue’s core value with regular festivals, events and programs. One of Ground Control’s unique initiatives is to facilitate education for minors that are either isolated or exiled in France. Called Droit à l’École (the right to go to school), the program offers course work and extra help programs to school age students. Yoga classes, food and wine sessions and music and dance experiences are held on a regular basis. ©Trish Valicenti for The Gourmet Gazette  For the full program go to https://www.groundcontrolparis.com/

Ground Control – 81 Rue du Charolais, 75012 Paris, France. Wed & Thurs; noon until midnight. Fri-Sat: noon until 1am and Sun: noon until 10:30pm
https://www.groundcontrolparis.com/