A Parisian Superhero

It had been almost a year since my last trip to Paris, and some decisions don’t require debate – they require action. Flight booked. A wannabe chic outfit or two packed. Dinner at Kubri in the 11th – inevitable.

Chef Rita Higgins had blown me away on my previous visit. Knocked my socks clean off. I still haven’t located them. I assume they’re tumbling through some mythical dryer reserved for lost laundry and life-altering meals. And before leaving that night, my friend Heidi and I reached a very serious conclusion – Chef Rita Higgins is not just a chef. She’s a superhero.

Exhibit A – runs one of the most exciting kitchens in Paris. Exhibit B – mother of two. Exhibit C – opening another restaurant because apparently time bends in her presence. A casual sandwich spot near Canal Saint-Martin, because why not add “sandwich wizard” to the résumé?

So naturally, we came up with something worthy of her brilliance – the Capron. An apron that transforms into a superhero cape. Practical. Necessary. Long overdue.

Back home, I enlisted some AI help, mocked up a design, and sent it off. Cute idea. End of story.

Not even close.

Fast forward to Brooklyn. I’m at Inga’s Bar, chatting with two delightful British women in town for Etsy meetings. One of them mentions she makes superhero capes for a living. I went wide-eyed and smiled like the Cheshire Cat. I might have been Alice, but lucky enough I was in Brooklyn instead of Wonderland.

And just like that, the Capron became real. Fabric. Movement. Drama. A fully functional apron that, when the moment calls for it, transforms into a superhero cape. It was made and sent. Chef Rita Higgins now has one.

Did she wear it when I returned? No. Did it matter? Also no. She’s already operating at full superhero settings.

And then there was the food. Again.

Think Hispi cabbage with Aleppo pepper butter, crispy peanuts, pickled apricots, fresh oregano leaves – smoky, tangy, crunchy, soft, flawless. (See above.) Follow that up with whipped labneh with grilled broccolini and herbs everywhere – bright, airy, gone too quickly…

Then the spiced lamb shank – collapsing under its own perfection, surrounded by freekeh, almonds, walnuts, pistachios – each bite better than the last…

Dessert sealed it. Chockablock with pistachios aplenty, sweet, nutty, enrobed in meringue, and entirely devastating…

Kubri remains the bomb diggity. The diggity of bomb. A place you plan around, not squeeze in.

And Chef Rita Higgins?

Apron, cape – it doesn’t matter. She’s the Parisian superhero we all need.