The premise of this account is that my French husband judges America. The reality of our marriage is that America has been quietly winning him over for years, one convenience at a time, and he would simply prefer the comment section not know. Consider this article a leak.
What do French people actually like about America?
Once you get past the official positions, the same list emerges from nearly every French transplant we know. The produce section - the one aisle he praises on camera; February berries feel like science fiction to a man raised on seasonal scarcity. Free water, free refills - in France you pay for every drop, with a side of judgment. Strangers who say hello - his full arc: "suspicious, then confusing, then, I admit, wonderful." Customer service that wants to help - returning an item in France is a legal proceeding; returning one here made him emotional. And the optimism - the general American assumption that things can be fixed, improved, attempted. "In France we assume it will fail beautifully. Here they assume it will work. Sometimes they are right. It is very disarming."
And the guilty pleasures?
Two more, documented under protest. The drive-through: philosophically opposed, practically used - with three boys under four, the man has ordered coffee from his car and enjoyed the absence of parking with visible relief (his complete coffee position is on file). And the diner breakfast - not weekly, "not as a lifestyle," but as an event: pancakes, bottomless coffee, a waitress who calls him honey. He calls it "dinner's fun cousin." He orders the same thing every time. He thinks we haven't noticed.
The verdict
Assimilation isn't surrender - it's a slow, unwilling accumulation of affections. He remains French: the gouter holds at four o'clock, dinner stays coursed, and the creamer aisle remains an unresolved diplomatic incident. But the record should show: the man says hello to strangers now. Unprompted. We got him.
Questions, answered
What do French people like most about America?
Consistently: the abundance (especially produce sections), the friendliness of strangers, free water and refills, helpful customer service, and the general optimism. Convenience culture wins them over faster than they admit.
What do French people find strange about America?
Portion sizes, eating at all hours, sweet coffee drinks the size of vases, ice in everything, aggressive air conditioning, and dinner at 5:30 PM top the list.
Do French people who move to America stay French about food?
Mostly yes - meal structure, real cheese, and scheduled eating tend to survive the move, while conveniences like drive-throughs and big supermarkets get quietly adopted. The hybrid is the point.
For his verdicts delivered with unreasonable seriousness, we're on Instagram — and Le Bulletin gets one field note like this a month.