Croissants – Page 6

Alsace – The Four Wonders of Alsace Tour Part 1. Eguisheim and Ribeauvillé

September 20, 2019 mmm-yoso Alsace, Bakery, Croissants, France, Markets & Grocers, Travel

Not much food in this, and my next post. But if you love fairy tale like streets and lovely half-timbered houses, you might enjoy this post.

I got up early on our first full day in Alsace. We'd really come to enjoy Alsace the previous winter when we visited Strasbourg. Though it was a week before the Christmas Markets opened in Colmar, we had enjoyed the previous evening. On this day we had arranged for a small group tour from Alsace Original Experiences called the Four Wonders of Alsace, which visited four different villages in Alsace.

But first, even though we were still satisfied from our rather large dinner the night before, we needed some sustenance. While the Missus woke up; I headed down Rue Turenne.

Of course, I had to walk over to the bridge and take a look at our wonderful balcony.

I had seen an Artisan Boulangerie on our street the night before, so I walked on over to Maison Alexandre.

And picked up two croissants for breakfast.

La Maison Alexandre
34 Rue Turenne
68000 Colmar, France

I got back to the apartment and the Missus popped a couple of pods in the Nespresso Machine and we had espresso and our croissants.

Unfortunately, these weren't very good; it lacked a nice crisp flakiness and butteriness. Oh well……

A short while later, we headed downstairs to be picked up for our small group tour. A few minutes later, our driver/guide arrived. We got really lucky as there were no other people on the tour for this day. So, we basically had our own private tour. And our guide, Christopher, was amazing!

The Missus and I felt like we had stepped into a Fairy Tale as we walked the cobblestone street of our first stop; Eguisheim.

The colorful half-timbered houses, the tiny streets, the charming décor just transported us. And, in fact, two of the villages wed visit on this tour, Ribeauvillé and Riquewihr was the inspiration for Belle's hometown in Beauty and the Beast! And while both of those villages were charming and lovely, it's Eguisheim that still stands out in our mind. In fact, in 2013, Eguisheim won the Préféré des Français and declared the "Favorite Village in France". And we could see why.

As we headed up the beautiful Rue du Remparts, Christopher pointed out a ton of little details to us. That cute skinny house in the middle of the photo above, now the home of a business, Le Pigeonnier, dates back to the 15th century.

Even in winter; the street bursts with color and adorable ornamentation.

Christopher went through small details on the structures and I took photos, though I should have taken notes so I'd have remembered what these small details told about the families, vocations, and social standing of the folks who once lived here.

Storks are symbols of fertility and good luck in Alsace. They are treasured and build their nests on top of roofs, steeples, and other high areas.

They were once threatened with extinction in Alsace, but a conservation program in the region has allowed for a rebound in mating pairs. And though they usually migrate South for the winter; Christopher pointed out a couple of stray "couples"(most White Storks are monogamous and share duties for raising their young) still hanging around in late November.

Christopher told us we were extremely lucky to see storks this time of the year and it must be a good omen.

As we made a circle back to the main road, we passed the rather hulking looking Church of Saint Peter and Paul.

Christopher took us in; there was something he wanted us to see.

Off on the "porch" to the side is a wooden Vierge Ourvante, an "Opening Virgin". Which dates back to the 13th or 14th Century.

This is a very rare artifact and is quite striking.

The center of this charming village is the Place du Château Saint-Léon, the former site of a castle. This area had been settled by first the Gauls, then the Romans.

Notice the statue and the church? Well, a former Pope and Saint; Leo IX was born in Eguisheim in, get this 1002! That chapel is named Chapelle Saint-Léon IX and was built and dedicated to Saint Leo in 1894.

It's a quaint, tiny chapel, which houses relics of the former Pope and Saint.

The frescoes in the chapel represent the seven scenes from the life of Saint Leo.

And though it was rather dark when we entered……

A coin in the machine changes that in an instant!

Our next stop on the tour was the charming, but bustling town of Ribeauvillé.

The old town is charming and as you'll quickly notice has quite a few "music" oriented statues, symbols, and icons.

Originally known as Rappoltsweiler, then becoming Rathaldovilare, in the 8th century, the village was passed on to the noble family of Rappoltstein. The Lord of Rappoltstein was the protector of the wandering minstrels of the land, who paid him a tax for protection. In fact, the minstrels had their own chapel in the village and even their own patron Saint! They used to celebrate at the chapel on September 8th and something similar still occurs on the first Sunday in September in Ribeauvillé; a festival called Pfifferdaj ("Fiddler's Festival"), which claims to be the oldest festival in Alsace.

Christopher lead along the main street making stops along the way to tell us stories about Ribeauvillé.

The main square is named Place de Mairie and a large gate and tower; named the Butcher's Tower (Tour des Bouchers), named after the slaughterhouse and butcher stalls that were located at its base.

The gate separates what was once the upper and lower towns of Ribeauvillé.

Speaking of butchers……this wonderful half timbered house……

Sits atop a very popular Boucherie named Siedel Hubert.

We ended up spending some time in the shop and purchasing some foie gras on the way back down.

Siedel Hubert
78 Grand'Rue
68150 Ribeauvillé, France

A bit further up the street was a beautiful square Place de la Sinne and the wonderful half-timbered houses.

Minstrels once used to gather around this fountain and in the inns that lined the square.

Christopher also pointed out various signs along the way……

And then asked us if we'd like to do some exploring and shopping on our own. So, after setting up our meeting place (the piper statue), we wondered around, did a bit of shopping.

And spent a good amount of time at Siedel Hubert, before meeting Christopher at the location designated.

We were charmed and taken in by these villages in Alsace.

And there were still several more stops to go! Stay tuned!

Thanks for stopping by!

Budapest – Jacques Liszt Bakery, By Beans Coffee, and Leaving Budapest

August 9, 2019 mmm-yoso Bakery, Budapest, Caffeine Fix, Croissants, Hungary, Travel

We awoke bright and early on our last morning in Budapest. And of course we took in the view (yet again) from our hotel window.

While the Missus was waking; for some reason, I decided to check on our train that was scheduled to leave Keleti Station at 140pm. I read that Keleti Station was closed for repairs and trains had been routed elsewhere. I told the Missus that I was going downstairs to speak to the Concierge and then perhaps go and grab something light for breakfast.

As is usual for the Marriott, the Concierge was ever so helpful….they checked the schedule, called around and found that our train had been rerouted to Deli Train Station (Southern Station). They got me all the info I needed; told me not to worry, they'd arrange a cab to the station.

So I went looking for a bakery. Right across the street from the hotel in the building which houses the Hotel Zenit I noticed a sign……

It was a bakery….right across the street and we hadn't noticed it at all!

I walked in, and yes, this was a working bakery. You could see the Baker at work.

I recall the prices being amazingly inexpensive for a bakery basically in the middle of all the hotels and tourists.

I ended up getting 2 croissants and a couple of those gougere like items they call "scones" (Pogácsa) here and took them back to our room.

The croissants were a bit disappointing; lacking in the flakiness and butteriness we look for in a good croissant.

The Pogácsa were ok; though a bit more dense than what we'd had the day before.

Jacques Liszt (In the same building as Hotel Zenit Budapest Palace)
Apáczai Csere János utca 7
Budapest 1052, Hungary

The sun rises at around 5am in the morning at the end of May; so even though it was bright and sunny outside; we had the boardwalk to ourselves as we headed out for one last walk.

Passing all the landmarks large……

And small that we'd seen during our short two days in the city.

We loved the sights just as much as we did on our first day……

Though we had learned some of the history, both ancient and some more recent, and of the tragedies that are part and parcel of the city.

Having done some decent walking; we decided to grab a cup of coffee. After checking around a bit, we headed back to the Hold Utca Food Market and that coffee stand where we had seen the sweet pooch lying around the day before. No dog on this morning; but the young lady working was very sweet.

The Missus had a Cortado.

And I had an Americano.

And we sat watching the school kids walking hand-in-hand as they toured the market hall.

It was a nice little break.

By Beans Coffee
(In the Hold Street Market Hall – ground floor)
Hold utca 13
Budapest 1054, Hungary

After our caffeine fix, we strolled back to the hotel and rested for a bit. Check out time was at 11. We got a taxi from the hotel and went across the Chain Bridge again…..this time on four wheels though. We went through the tunnel that bores under Castle Hill and ended up at Deli Station a few minutes later.

Deli Station looks a bit worse for wear, but we easily found a place to sit. And I went to the bakery stand for more Pogácsa and some water.

We had really enjoyed our short visit to Budapest. I'm fairly certain we'll return someday. But it was time to move on to our next stop.

Though I'll always remember the jewel of a city that is Budapest.

Thanks for stopping by!

Champagne – Driving to Bouzy and Epernay, Lunch at Café le Progrès

July 20, 2019 mmm-yoso Bakery, Champagne Region, France, Croissants, France, French Restaurants, Travel

While the Missus was enjoying our stay in Reims, She was already itching to do some additional exploring the following morning. Even though we had a private tour of the area the next day (so I could actually sample some champagne), She convinced me to rent a car to do some impromptu exploring.

But first, we decided to walk around a bit, and grab some breakfast. I also wanted to find the location of the restaurant we had reservations for that evening. So we headed down Rue Chanzy and almost right next to AnnaS our dinner destination was a bakery named Le Four à Bois. And the Missus was really excited to see that in addition to our typical Croissant au Buerre, they sold gougeres!

So we got a croissant and a half dozen gougeres. The gougeres were too bready and dense, not light and airy like we enjoy them. The flavor was decent though.

The croissant was a bit too chewy, didn't have enough butteriness, and wasn't flakey enough for our taste.

Le Four à Bois
100 Rue Chanzy
51100 Reims, France

From here we walked across town to the train station and found that Enterprise Rent-A-Car had a nice compact available, which we rented for the day.

And so we headed off through the beautiful countryside.

We stopped at few towns on the way and eventually stopped and walked around the most appropriately named Bouzy. Where we stopped and stretched our legs a bit.

There were a few Champagne houses along the way, but I think many of them are by appointment only. And since I was driving anyway, we thought we'd just wander around a bit.

From Bouzy it was Bisseuil, Ay, and another wonderfully named town, Dizy, before we made our way to the city that is home to what is considered to be the "real" capital of Champange, Epernay. We decided to park at the southern side of town and walk in.

Basically across the street we passed a really nice looking church…

Turns out that this is the chapel of the Auban-Moet Hospital…….if you recognize the name; it's "that" Moet. Apparently, one of the conditions of financing the hospital was that a Catholic chapel would have to be built. Another being that the care was to be provided by Nuns.

We enjoyed the walk into town….the houses were wonderful; each different and original.

As we got to the first major roundabout before getting to the heart of the city we came across this very distinctive structure.

This is the Chateau de la Lune ("House of the Moon"), built in the Art Nouveau style, designed by Architect Henri Clouet.

Near the center of town is the Portail Saint-Martin which dates back to 1540 and is all that remains of the Abbey of Saint Martin.

We did a bit of window shopping, but since we'd be coming back the next day, decided to not visit Avenue de Champagne, where all the Champagne Houses are located.

After doing a bit of shopping we decided to stop for lunch. We just wanted something easy and not fancy and this place seemed to fit the bill.

We enjoyed the al fresco sitting arrangement; Le Progres is what I'd basically describe as a "diner". We just wanted something simple and got the charcuterie and an order of frites.

The baguette was pretty good, crusty and yeasty. The Pate de Campagne was pretty good; the rest rather routine, but really, not bad for the price.

The Missus enjoyed the frites which were nicely fried, crisp on the outside, moist and light inside.

And pretty much what we wanted….

Café le Progrès
5 Place de la République
51200 Épernay, France

What was kind of interesting about this place was that it is located on Place de la Republique, which is the roundabout that I would consider to be the center of the city is.

After resting for a bit, we headed back to the car. We took a different route back. This one along Avenue Paul Chandon. Which we really enjoyed.

The street ended at Église Saint-Pierre-Saint-Paul…..

A soon enough we were back at the car. It was time to head back to Reims……

We'd had a fun, yet relaxing time exploring Champagne on our own.

Thanks for stopping by!

Paris – Cafe Constant, Bar du Central, and Le Moulin de la Vierge

April 6, 2019 mmm-yoso Bakery, Croissants, France, French Restaurants, Paris, France, Travel

On our last evening before heading to Champagne, we decided to take it easy. We'd had a fun and busy trip so far and thought just heading down Rue Saint-Dominique to revisit Cafe Constant would just be low stress and relaxing – remember when they created a sitting space for the Missus under the stairway? Anyway, we hadn't made any reservations for dinner and thought revisiting this casual, affordable, low-stress might be just the thing. We had a plan B, but they had a table open.

**** Cafe Constant has closed

Instead of the typical three course meal, we wanted to try some of the other items on the menu. Plus, we knew that 2 apps and one main course would be more than enough for us.

We each started with some wine and then the Terrine of "Kakos", foie gras, pork shin, and lentil salad.

This was delicious; it was also quite a large portion. Definitely rich, porky, with the lentils adding a nice nutty-acidity. This was really good.

The Salmon Marinated like Herrings and boiled potatoes was not.

The salmon was a bit too fishy for us and it didn't have enough of the wonderful savory-acidity and clean finish of the stuff we really like.

The main we shared was more than enough for the both of us; Tete de Veau (Veal head), Langue et Cervelle (Tongue and Brain) Snackees, Pommes Vapeur, et Sauce Gribiche.

The veal head had been rolled and roasted perfectly. The out layer of fat was rich and crisp, the flavor deep and yet without offal tones. It was nicely seasoned as well. Same for the tongue, which seemed to have such a deep beefy flavor and was much more tender than it looked. The brain was a hard sell for the Missus; I think the iodine-metallic tones and almost fishy flavor freaked Her out a bit. And of course, the Missus had discovered how much She loved Sauce Gribiche the night before at Arnaud Nicolas. The potatoes were fine; firm, but cooked through….and that sauce really helped to cut any overly rich and oily tones the dish might have had. Perhaps we'll have the pigeon or the Oursins (uni) with Eggs next time.

Café Constant
139 rue Saint-Dominique
75007 Paris, France

On the way back to the apartment we stopped for a drink to end the evening at one of the many bars that line the street.

The Missus had a nice glass of Red and I had the "El Burro".

It looked like there were quite a few ex-pats here. The staff was super friendly.

Bar du Central
99 rue Saint-Dominique
75007 Paris, France

While the Missus was getting ready and packing the next morning, I headed on up the street to the other bakery on the block.

And I got a croissant and two expressos to go.

The verdict; well this croissant was crisp, but not flakey, and could have used more butter and salt flavor as it was rather bland overall. We're still looking for that "perfect croissant" for us.

Le Moulin de la Vierge
64 rue Saint-Dominique
75007 Paris, France

A few minutes later, we were ready to go. The La Tour-Maubourg metro station was basically a half block away. From there it was off to Gare L'est, which we had been to before. So we were familiar with the lay-out. Having a bit of time before our train, we walked to the café across the street and did the "Parisian thing".

Next stop – Reims!

Paris – Boulangerie Nelly Julien, Musée de l’Orangerie, and Canard Street

December 2, 2018 mmm-yoso Bakery, Chains, Croissants, France, French Restaurants, Paris, France, Travel

We slept a bit later than usual on our first morning in Paris. This was good since we’d be doing a bit of walking on this day. We quickly got ready and before heading off to our first stop grabbed some croissants at Boulangerie Nelly Julian which was right around the corner from our apartment.

We were kind of excited about this since Douceurs et Traditions de Nelly Julien had place in the top in the Concours du Meilleur Croissant au Beurre AOC Charentes-Poitou; basically the best butter-croissant competition in Paris over the years.

So of course it was the Croissant au Buerre we had. It was nice and buttery, great balance with salt, but we didn’t enjoy the hard and not flakey exterior and the interior was on the slightly greasy and doughy side. It might have been the wrong day.

The place is indeed popular; there’s always line as we noticed when passing during our stay.

**** This location is now Boulangerie La Parisienne

Nelly Julien Douceurs et Traditions
85 rue Saint-Dominique
75007 Paris, France

It was a quite a nice and clear day as we crossed Pont Alexandre III and walked along the Seine.

We walked past Place de la Concorde and over to Musée de l’Orangerie. I had been wanting to visit this museum for a while. A whole lifetime ago; I had to take an art appreciation class. There’s not much I recall about that class; well, at my age, there’s not much I recall about any class…..however, I remember our instructor loved Monet’s series of painting named the Water Lilies. He liken Claude Monet’s situation at the time of creating this work to Beethoven writing his 9th Symphony while completely deaf. You see; by the time work was being started on this work; Monet was suffering from cataracts and going blind.

The Museum itself is small, it was created to shelter the Orange Trees of Jardin de Tuileries.

Monet’s Water Lilies are displayed in two rooms on the first floor, the rooms have renovated to display this work to the specifications designed by Monet himself.

Monet takes us to his garden in Giverny during different times of the day; the light and reflections play off the natural light in the room. From the peaceful morning to the splashes of bright yellow at Sunset.

The second room features the other foliage around his pond.

You really get the amazing play of natural light when you view the works from different angles; which I found, especially with “Sunset” when returning to the first room from the second.

There’s also the Walter-Guillaume Collection wich features works by Cezanne, Renior, and Picasso.

And some other quite interesting work as well; from classic, to very Modern.

We also saw school tours being done almost everywhere we went; some with children quite young in age. It was fun to watch and listen…..

From the museum; we headed across the Jardin de Tuileries over to Rue de Rivoli.

So, here’s a hint about personal property security when in France. We’ve been here several times and have seen these folks in action. A group of girls; clipboard in hand will approach you to sign some sort of petition. You’ll quickly notice that they will surround you and while you’re distracted, pick your pockets, or the like. So, whenever these groups approach, I simply say, “no…thank you….” and scurry away. Our next stop was in the 3rd Arrondissement, so we walked on over to Rue Étienne Marcel, then to where it became Rue aux Ours to pick up our pocket wifi (or as the French say “weefee”) device. It works real well when you have more than 3 wifi devices.

After this…well….we needed a break. We were fairly close to Rue Montorgueil, so we decided to walk over and grab some espresso….and people watch. We saw a “good dog” doing a wonderful job walking without a leash; until it came across what must be the little fellows favorite market, it was time for a sudden detour as he ran inside.

We also saw these fellows…..

A few years back after having coffee at Les Deux Magots we came across Firefighters selling “hunky” calendars for charity and bought one for a friend of the Missus. So, here we were back in Paris; it was that time of the year I guess. It was a hoot watching the firefighters flirt with all the girls and especially the older women…..most of whom ended up buying a signed calendar!

While having our caffeine fix; the Missus and I discussed lunch. I mentioned a bunch of places in the area and others a mile and change away. I had a nice list from that area since we’d be staying in the 2nd on our return trip to Paris.

I mentioned this new “chain” from Lille had just opened a shop in Paris; right on Rue des Petit Champs, named Canard Street. This is basically what they call a “Street Food” concept…think fast casual; but it ain’t your typical “fast casual”. The Missus sounded quite excited; even though I told Her we’d be basically staying right around the corner from the place….She just wanted it “now”.

I know; it looks like any other fast casual restaurant on the street…..

But, think about the name….Canard Street….then think about the items on the menu; Foie Gras Sandwiches, Duck Confit “Burgers”, Magret Tartare……

And what we got; for the nice price of 18 Euros; the simply named “Planche Canard Street”…..basically a charcuterie board.

Yikes…..man, this was like I died and went to duck heaven. Actually, the items were all decent; and the foie gras terrine and the saucisson de magret were excellent. The duck rillete and Saint-Nectaire (cheese) were really good. The baguette was passable and this was a load of food.

The Missus even had a glass of wine….I got a Coke Zero.

Man, this was quite a lunch…….and you definitely got your money’s worth.

Canard Street Paris
16 rue des Petits Champs
75002 Paris, France

It was time to head back to the apartment and sleep off all that duck……

Thanks for stopping by!

Paris – Délices de Shandong and Yet More Croissants

October 26, 2018 mmm-yoso Bakery, Chinese Restaurants, Croissants, France, Paris, France, Travel

You could tell the Missus needed a break from hotel breakfasts. Instead of partaking with the usual fairly good breakfast at the Hotel Monge, She just went with some coffee while I arranged our transfer to the airport. Our flight to Copenhagen wasn't leaving CDG until 730 pm, so we had some time to kill. So, we arranged our transfer, checked out, stowed our bags, and headed out. The Missus had decided that we should try a few more croissants, since She had not found one that truly appealed to Her yet.

So, we headed back to Rue Mouffetard.

And the very popular Le Fournil de Mouffetard.

A got a croissant au buerre.

Which we took to the side street and consumed. This was nice and flakey, but too dry and without enough butter. Pass…..

Le Fournil de Mouffetard
123 Rue Mouffetard, 75005 Paris, France

The Missus was a bit bummed; but I told Her I'd seen one other (last) place to try; right down the street. I knew it was a chain; so this was no Artisan Boulangerie, but I thought why not give it a try.

This places was also quite busy; though the folks here, and even the customers, a few of whom wanted to make sure we'd get our order right, were really nice, decent folks.

So, we got our croissant and walked on over to Square Saint-Medard where we took a seat on one of the benches.

And wouldn't you know; this was a pretty good croissant; flakey and light, just enough butter and salt….from a chain!

Oh well; I'm not to complain about the Missus finally finding a satisfying croissant.

Saines Saveurs Paris 5ème
2 Rue de Bazeilles, 75005 Paris, France

We then went about killing time around Saint Germain before heading back to the Hotel.

As we reached the hotel, the Missus told me She was getting hungry, but really didn't want French food. I told Her I had an idea and after a quick explanation She was all for it. Using Google Maps; we wove our way thru side streets and slowly up the hill, until we came to this restaurant.

**** Délices de Shandong has closed

A tiny shop; I told the Missus that it's now under different ownership and doesn't have much Shandong style dishes; but it had two items that She might enjoy.

And so it came to pass; for our last meal in Paris; we had jiazi and suan cai.

They were out of the pork and suan cai dumplings; so we just went with the standard pork and cabbage. You knew right away this wasn't a Qingdao style establishment since it was just black vinegar and chili oil; no pounded garlic. But these weren't bad at all; like decent home made jiaozi; the wrappers tender and pillowy, the filling a bit on the saltier side. These were still better than anything comparable in San Diego.

The Missus really enjoyed Her Suan Cai, ahem, "charcroute"…..

Man, that fermented cabbage did smell like…well, "Sammy's Feet", it really wasn't salty, with just a cheesy-fermented flavor, just like we make at home. The Missus asked the owner where she was from…..Shenyang….well that makes sense. The Missus enjoyed most of this; except for the pork which was dry and had a funky flavor. It was just simple comfort food. Just what we needed on a cold, damp day.

Délices de Shandong
88 Boulevard de l'Hôpital
75013 Paris, France

From here we took a leisurely stroll back to the hotel.

That's the Arts et Métiers ParisTech above.

And the Manufacture des Gobelins, the tapestry factory that has supplied the French Monarchy since the 18th century.

We got back to the Hotel Monge and waited for our shuttle in the reception area; the Missus watched Netflix, I did some reading. Soon enough we were at the airport, reading for the final leg of this three week trip. It was back to Copenhagen!

Paris – Marché Monge, Rue Montorgueil Market Steet, and More Croissants

October 20, 2018 mmm-yoso Bakery, Croissants, Farmer's Markets/Night Market, Markets & Grocers, Paris, France, Travel

During our last full day in Paris, we made no plans, "réservations pour le dîner, oui", but really had no real plans other than that.

So, during our breakfast at the Hotel Monge, we came up with our plans for the morning.

Well, at least a place to start. We headed down Rue Monge, one block later we headed west on Rue Lacépède, then turning down Rue Mouffetard. Several blocks down starts the really well known part of Rue Mouffetard, known as Marché Mouffetard, the street that Hemingway dubbed as "A Moveable Feast".

Things were quiet on this morning.

It was still too early in the morning it seems. So when we got to the Paroisse Saint Medard, we decided to head back up to Place Monge. We'd return to Rue Mouffetard the next morning.

At Place Monge; we noticed that it was market day.

The entire square was taken over with booths selling prepared food, produce, meat, and of course fromage.

We always enjoy these markets, as we get to watch everyday life.

And having been to a couple of places in France, we had to smile at places that jogged our memory.

Remember the "Route du foie gras"?

And having just returned from Strasbourg, I just had to crack up when I saw this…..

I recalled how the Missus could not pass up that choucroute garnie?

I did ask the Missus if She wanted some; but She wistfully told me; "I'm still full and it's too early in the morning". so perhaps we'll have to head back to Alsace one of these days.

From here we headed up Rue Monge.

Crossed over the Seine on Boulevard du Palais.

This was the busy 1st Arrondissement. There's a lot going on here; the Louvre, the Jardine de Tuileries, Jardin du Palais Royal, it's all here.

That's the Fontaine du Palmier on Place du Châtelet, like may things in Paris, it has quite a story.

The Tour Saint-Jacques (Saint-Jacques Tower), once part of Church of Saint-Jacques-de-la-Boucherie ("Saint James of the butchers"), which was demolished in 1793. All that remains is the tower.

The tower indicated that we were getting close to our next destination.

Once we came across Les Halles, which used to be the central market and has a great long history. It was demolished in 1971 and replaced with the Les Halles Forum a shopping mall.

A short turn right and you're on Rue Montorgueil; one of the most well known Market Street….as like we were often told; is "très différent du marché de rue"….the difference between a "street market" and a "market street".

There are businesses, like La Maison Stohrer to the right; established in 1730, that claims to have invented Rum Baba.

There's an interesting mix of tourists…..

And locals……

It's a wonderful miasma of sights, sounds, and smells.

I'd been told by some folks that people in Paris were quite rude. And while we had run into a few folks who basically didn't want anything to do with tourists……there were so many wonderful folks like the nice woman who saw us staring at the Rue Montorgueil sign and came up to us and asked, "Monsieur, Madame, are you lost, do you need some help?" We never forget these moments as it makes us better human beings. We are all more alike then we are different. It is much harder to be cruel and cold than it is to be kind.

We had done our exploring for the day and decided to head back to the hotel. We knew that lunch really wasn't in the cards. The Missus decided that perhaps we should continue our "croissant quest" on Rue Monge.

Maison Gregoire was a block away from our hotel. Of course we got the croissant "au buerre" (croissants made with butter, not margarine).

This one was a little light in the butter side of things and on the dry side. In terms of flakiness and lightness it hit the mark.

Maison Grégoire
69 rue Monge
75005 Paris, France

Catty corner from Maison Grégoire is another Artisan Boulangerie.

Same drill…except when I removed the croissant from the package….good lord!

Burnt, bitter,….incinerated. Dry as all heck. The lady in the bakery seemed detached and it seems that she just didn't care. This was horrible.

Boulangerie Teillet Philippe
66 rue Monge
75005 Paris, France

Our quest for a favorite croissant continues…….

Paris – Boulangerie Laurent B, Les Deux Magots, and L’Avant Comptoir

July 21, 2018 mmm-yoso Bakery, Caffeine Fix, Croissants, France, Paris, France, Spanish Restaurants and Cuisine, Travel

The Missus was starting settle in a bit…..and She needed a "mission"; something to obsess about. So why not croissants? I had always thought that an excellent croissant au beurre is harder to come by than most folks think. I believe our lunch the previous day at Gontran Cherrier had stirred something. The Missus had croissant fever. During our wonderful meal the previous evening at Arnaud Nicolas we had a nice chat with one of the Servers. He said croissants are a very "personal preference" and we should explore…..but we should definitely stick with artisan boulangerie, where strict codes are adhered and the products are made on premises.

So the very next morning we stopped almost right across the street from Le Fontaine de Mars (La Fontaine du Gros-Caillou).

At the beautiful Boulangerie Laurent B.

We loved the vibe and the very "French" design of the shop.

The croissant, not so much. It was doughy, not buttery nor flakey enough.

Boulangerie Laurent B
112 rue Saint-Dominique
75007 Paris, France

We spent the day on the left bank; exploring shops and taking in some of the sights. Nothing major; just kinda having a nice time in the Saint Germain and Latin Quarter. There's tons of shopping to be done here.

And sometimes and occasional sight like the Église Protestante Saint-Jean.

After spending a good amount of time shopping; we needed to refuel a bit.

On our previous trip to Paris; we passed Les Deux Magots ("le do mago") once the meeting place of Paris's literati and the artistic set. Names like James Joyce, Hemingway, Oscar Wilde, and Albert Camus are mentioned.

It is, of course, now a major tourist stop. We sat outside and had our caffeine fix.

Sitting outside; paying a ton for over priced coffee, watching dozens of tourists taking selfies in front of the place.

I went in to take a look at "Deux Magots"….the café opened in 1884 and kept the name of the silk shop that once stood here.

You do have a nice view of the Église de Saint Germain des Prés.

And the people watching is quite interesting.

Les Deux Magots
6 place Saint-Germain des Prés
75006 Paris, France

A bit more shopping…well, then it was time for lunch. We just wanted something small to eat and a tapas bar named L'Avant Comptoir came highly recommended.

We found the tiny shop to be quite charming. It did indeed remind us a bit of those stand-up pintxos places we enjoyed in San Sebastian and Bilbao.

Menu cards hung on the wall; specials on a chalkboard.

The service….was well, brusque and borderline rude…..only to us though…..

It was bit strange.

Though I got a kick out of watching one lady walk in; order a glass of white wine, and chug the whole thing down in one gulp. She must have been thirsty.

I managed to order two glasses of wine and three items from the menu before the guy just turned around and walked away from me.

The first to arrive was the foie gras (remember "Basque Butter"?). This version was served with preserved cherries.

First off; the bread here was nice and warm, it was delish.

The foie gras was overcooked and mealy. The sauce was a bit too sweet for our taste. Very disappointing.

I ordered the Chanterelles with Jamon Iberico.

Loved the textural contrast of the crisp, crunchy croutons and the mushrooms. Wasn't a big fan of the Jamon as it was too lean for my taste…..I must be spoiled by all the Jamon Bellota Iberico Pata Negra I ate in Spain. The flavor was off for us as well; too much sour acidity.

The one dish that was excellent was the pork belly.

Crunchy skin, buttery fat, nicely seasoned; the wonderful porcine flavor shone through.

So; it was one out of three with regards to the food. Perhaps it was an off day? But the lousy service didn't help things either.

It seems we always have one not-so-great meal in Paris. So perhaps it was good that we got that out of the way.

L’Avant Comptoir
3 carrefour de l'Odéon
75006 Paris, France

Paris – Montmartre and Gontran Cherrier

June 3, 2018 mmm-yoso Bakery, Croissants, France, Paris, France, Sandwiches, Travel

On our second full day back in Paris; the Missus decided on getting a few things done. First, She wanted to see the view from Montmartre, the highest hill in the city, and then get some shopping done. So we headed off.

The morning was grey and drizzly, which didn't make viewing potential from Montmartre very high, but if there is one thing we've learned from travelling, it is you can't control the weather.

Even on a gloomy day like this one; Pont Alexandre III is quite picturesque.

It is considered one of the most beautiful bridges in the world and there are quite a few stories about it as well.

We headed past those familiar places.

Up to Rue Lazare and past Église de la Sainte-Trinité.

Up past place Pigalle. We somehow came upon a brick church.

This is Eglise Saint Jean de Montmartre. It looked a bit different than other churches we've come across in Paris and it started to drizzle. We took that as sign to stop and visit the church.

Created in the Art Nouveau style, there's a lot packed into this little church.

I really enjoyed the vivid stained glass…..

When we turned the corner we could see Sacre Coeur in the background along with the funicular tracks and stairs. This being the Missus….well, we took the stairs….all 300 of them.

I'm not sure why the Missus loves climbing those stairs so much.

Perhaps She is concerned about my cardiovascular well being?

Anyway, we did make it to the top…..

The view is still worth the climb even on a gloomy day as this.

And looking back at Sacre Coeur, it looked like there was the possibility of sun…..

The Missus decided not to go into the church, so instead we headed down the winding streets…passing tons of tourists and shop that seem to cater to them.

We did pass through a couple of squares that had little fairs going on.

And the Missus enjoyed doing some window shopping while we strolled down the hill.

And while we did enter a couple shops, the Missus refrained from buying anything….I believe She as saving Herself and my credit card for later on in the day.

One thing that did catch my eye was this windmill.

Apparently there were once a dozen or so of these windmills in Montmartre. Today there are two left. They are known as Le Moulin de la Galette and were built in the early 17th century. This one is viewable from Rue Lepic and stands above a restaurant that also bears the name Le Moulin de la Galette.

In the mid to late 1800's the area where the restaurant resides was turned into a Guinguette, basically a type of bar. The windmill and guinguette became the muse of many of the artists who spent their time here. Some familiar names like Renoir, Van Gogh (who had an apartment nearby), Toulouse-Lautrec, and Picasso among them. And, did you know that it was used on the cover of one of my favorite Rod Stewart albums?

I love stories like this.

We headed a bit further down the street and the Missus decided that we should get something light to eat. There was a Boulangerie on my list named Gontran Cherrier. There are multiple locations of this shop in Paris (including Japan, Singapore, and South Korea). This however, is Gontran Cherrier's original shop.

It was easy to pick out what we wanted….the Missus had decided to try at least half a dozen croissants in Paris, so this would be the first. We also got a sandwich; a veggie version. The miso bread would have to wait for another day.

The line moved fast; the service was efficient, and the folks quite nice.

The croissant could have used a bit more salt, but it was decently buttery, flakey, with a nice, very mild chew. This would end up being one of our favorites in Paris.

The sandwich was just what we needed….the baguette crusty, the cucumbers and tomatoes full of the flavor….the slight bitterness of the arugula helping to balance out the sweetness and mild briny flavor of the cucumber.

Gontran Cherrier
22 Rue Caulaincourt
Paris, France
(There are several other locations in Paris)

The Missus was now energized and ready to do Her "serious" shopping. We headed down the hill…….passing the (in)famous Moulin Rouge (lots on the windmills and the one on Moulin Rouge here)

We headed down Rue Blanche, taking note of the businesses along the way.

Of course the Missus wanted to stop by Galeries Lafayette to check out the Christmas Displays yet again.

A short while later we were back at Chanel Cambon. You pretty much get your own personal shopper here….while the Missus and the very nice young lady did their thing, I had a chance to watch the "interesting" customers.

Mission accomplished, the Missus could get back to the apartment fast enough……

She got what She wanted…….

And it was time for a nap.

Thanks for stopping by!

Burgundy – Driving the Vineyard Route, Meursault to Saint Romain, and Lunch at Aupres du Clocher (Pommard)

July 10, 2017 mmm-yoso Bakery, Burgundy, Croissants, Fine Dining, France, French Restaurants, Travel

I awoke as the sun rose on our first full day in Beaune. The previous day had been pretty busy, arriving in Beaune, getting settled and making reservations and finding a place for dinner. But this, well this was going to be a full day, we had a car and the Missus was rarin' to go.

But first, I headed out……

Down the quiet streets of early morning Beaune.

I recalled passing a Boulangerie the previous day as we were walking in from the train station. And it was one of the few places open this early in the morning.

Very friendly woman working. All I needed was on croissant to share with our morning coffee.

Boulangerie Pâtisserie Lapalus
1 place du docteur jorrot
Beaune, France

A decent, but not great croissant. I'd grab a baguette there before we left Beaune that was quite good though.

And then we headed out; around the ring road, finding the sign to Autun.

It was, without a doubt, beautiful.

As we kept stopping to take photos.

Imagine waking one morning, getting into your car and driving into a "postcard".

The road slowly crept upward.

Until we came upon the town of Meursault, with it's distinctive Town Hall.

It was a Friday, which turns out to be Market Day (Friday). We enjoyed walking around. Not only were food items on sale…..

But all manner of furniture and household goods as well.

From kitchenware to baskets to beds!

We took a short walk……this town is so charming.

We decided to take another break and hit up the Boulangerie.

For another croissant and espresso.

Le 7éme Péché
11 Place de L Hôtel de ville
Meursault, France

We then headed off down to Puligny-Montrachet.

Where according to many, the best white wine in the world is produced.

Because I drove, I could not partake. The Missus was free to sample whatever She wanted.

We came around the loop and took time to admire the Château de la Rochepot.

Which dates back to the 12th Century.

From here it was another climb uphill.

There was one more stop the Missus just had to make. On this trip, the Missus had grown fond of wine from the appellation of Saint Romain. And so, we just had to head downhill and stop in that town.

And stalk Her favorite producer…..

Yikes!

Luckily, there were no embarrassing moments as no one was around.

We then headed back toward Beaune. We'd made a complete loop and got back no the main road. The Missus had read about a restaurant in the town of Pommard. So decided to stop and see if they would be able to accommodate us.

Luckily, we'd arrived early and we got a table without reservations.

We were actually given a pretty nice table, with a street view. The lunch menu was basically a choice of two tasting menus. We took the more expensive option which was still a very reasonable 50 Euros…remember, we had become used to Paris prices.

The bread was interesting; it featured something the Missus would love later on; gougere….

Things started off with a nice and somewhat refreshing soup.

The thing I recalled the most was how the acidity of the cream really set off the flavors.

Of course we basically shared everything, passing dishes back and forth between us.

When the Missus's Escargot arrived, I knew that the chef was aiming for a more modern take on French cuisine, as per the "foam". There were some fairly tender grains under the delicious crème d'ail, a very smooth garlic crème. I asked what these were and was told "d'epeautre", basically spelt. It was nutty and slightly sweet. I recall on the menu that these were "escargot Bourgogne sauvage". Which I take to mean wild local snails. I thought all the ingredients were the stars rather than the escargot.

I had the Tartare de Dorade; which I believe is a type of sea bream.

This turned out to be basically a salad and I enjoyed the vinaigrette. I thought the squid was a bit tough.

Check out the Missus's main.

Yes, that is foie gras crowning a nice piece of tuna. I was kinda hesitant about the missus ordering this; but of course it had foie gras, which was decently prepared if a bit over-cooked. The tuna was actually perfectly cooked; quite rare and not dry.

To be perfectly honest, the Missus enjoyed the fennel, lima beans, and the wonderfully earthy mushrooms the best. I gotta say; the portion size on this was quite generous.

As was the portion size of the Entrecot of Veal.

Again, quite a large cut of veal, cooked perfectly for my tastes, decently tender. The mushrooms were again our favorite item on the plate.

The Mousse tiede d'epoisse was our least favorite dish. This was served separately and the flavors were so strong it as hard to enjoy.

Man, that cheese was so salty and the croutons on the bottom of the mousse; which tasted like gingerbread just added more strong flavors.

As for the rest of the desserts, well, the Missus enjoyed them.

Overall, we thought the meal was quite worth the price. The service was a bit spotty but quite pleasant and we were pleasantly surprised with our meal.

Aupres du Clocher
1 rue de Nackenheim
Pommard, France

Man, after that meal I needed to rest up. Plus we still had dinner reservations.