Call me old-fashioned, but sometimes I like old-fashioned places. One place that does old-fashioned especially well is France. But Iโm not the only one who feels that way; people come from around the world to visit the city, and baskย in the ร lโancienne charm, which is sometimes derisively described as carte postaleย Paris. Like other cities, Paris is changing and isnโt a museum, per se, butโฆ
One thing that seems to cross international lines with successย is baking. I never visit a country without sampling their baking. I visit bakeries, and enjoy everything from French croissants and hearty German breads, to Indianย naan breads and bagels in Brooklyn, Montreal, and Jerusalem. Here in France, just after the new year, the windows of pastry shops are lined with all sizes of Galettes des Rois,โฆ
From the outside, Compagnie Gรฉnรฉrale de Biscuiterie is a low-slung place, resembling a workshop of some sort, rather than a pรขtisserie, located on the way up to Sacrรฉ Cลur, in Montmartre. I made the trek up there to check it out because I was interested in the one thing the low-key place makes: cookies. The French use the word โcookiesโ primarily to refer to chocolateโฆ
[UPDATE: In the fall of 2018, Merguez & Pastrami closed, and the space will become Saulโs, a restaurant by the same owner, offering similar specialties.] The most interesting neighborhood right now inย Paris is the 9th arrondissement. Walk in any various directions from a mรฉtro station after you land there, and youโll find yourself in a completely different neighborhood, whether itโs surrounded by stately buildings onโฆ
[UPDATE: Fulgurances in Paris has closed.] Itโs been a hectic year and I havenโt gotten out as much as Iโd like to, in spite of a long list of places Iโm trying to visit in Paris, and a more I plan to check out this fall. Early in the summer, I reserved a table at Fulgurances, intrigued by the food of Israeli chef Tamir Nahmias,โฆ
One of the great French dishes that I make every summer, when I gather fresh vegetables and basilย at my market, is Soupe au pistou. Originally from Provence, the soup is meant to use the lovely vegetables of the season, andย is crowned with a spoonful of pistou in the middle of each bowl, which guestsย are encouraged to swirl in themselves.
Shortly after I had arrived in Paris, I was havingย dinner with Romain at Bistrot Paul Bert. Nearby, a couple wasย speaking English and when I struck up a conversation with them, I asked how they knew about the restaurant. They mentioned they saw it on a โBest ofโ list inย a culinary/travel magazine. So it wasnโt a secret back then, nor it is now. And with goodโฆ
When I moved to Paris, I didnโt liveย far from the Marchรฉ dโAligre. Not known for having a great sense of direction or distance, I didnโt know how close I was and would take the bus home, loaded down with my purchases from the market. There was a closer market in the Bastille, but the Aligre market was especially bustling, and had an energy and dynamicโฆ
UPDATE: Panifica has closed and a new bakery (thatโs good!) has opened in its place. I used to cross Paris to buy a loaf of bread. That was when I was more of a dรฉbutant and kept a list of bakeries that I wanted to visit, and Iโd make it a point to check off as many as I could, to try their bread. Butโฆ
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