Croissants – Page 6

More of Vienna and a Caffeine Break at Cafe Central

January 11, 2020 mmm-yoso Austria, Caffeine Fix, Croissants, Travel

**** Not much food in this one……lots of churches and monuments though.

On our second day in Vienna, we set out to explore what we had missed on the previous day. We just walked through Stadtpark onto the Ringstrasse, the road the circles Innere Stadt, Vienna's "Old Town" where many of the city's sights are located.

Like the Opera House, which we passed the previous day.

Right past the Opera House is a Statue of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, the famous German writer.

We had to crack up when we walked past the statue….there was an empty wine bottle on the statue's lap……..I guess Goethe might have had a pretty tough night?

Right past the statue is a nice little green space; this is the Burggarten; which is famous for the statue of Mozart that resides there, as well as the Butterfly House.

Just a few steps further up the Ring, you'll pass the Museum Quarter. The impressive Maria Theresa Monument sits between the Natural History and Art museum.

Maria Theresa was the only female ruler of the House of Habsburg, the Archduchess of Austria and the Queen of Hungary and Bohemia. Though she was married to Francis I, the holy Roman Emperor, Maria Theresa reigned over the House of Habsburg due to the Pragmatic Sanction of 1713, which her father, Charles VI put into place during his reign.

On the monument, Maria Theresa sits on a throne; the four horsemen represent her four top military commanders. Her four top advisors stand a the ready between the horsemen. Behind and above the left shoulder of the statue of Gerard van Swieten, Maria Theresa's person physician, you'll see a young boy, on the boy's right shoulder rests a hand. The boy is none other than Mozart. The gentleman whose hand is resting on Mozart's shoulder is that of Joseph Haydn. Haydn and Mozart were close friends; it is thought that Haydn, thoguh a quarter century older than Mozart, taught him quite a bit and was a mentor to the child prodigy.

Even though the museums weren't open and it was a windy and damp day; it was fun wandering around the area.

We especially enjoyed the cute elephant statue in front of the Natural History Museum.

From here we crossed the street and took a look around Hofburg Palace, where we had ended things the previous day, before having lunch then heading to Belvedere Palace.

There are actually some Roman Ruins on display on Michaelerplatz right in front of the Palace. And right across the street is Saint Michael's Church. Since it started to drizzle a bit, we decided to head on into the church to take a look around.

The Altar is quite impressive.

St Michael's is also well known for the Pipe Organ that Joseph Hadyn once played. This is also the church where Mozart's Requiem, unfinished at the time of his death on December 5, 1791 was first played. You can see the date along with a death mask of Mozart on the wall as you enter the church.

At this point we needed a break. The drizzle had ceased and the Missus wanted to visit another Viennese Café. Café Central was just a few blocks up Herrengasse, so we headed on up the street for something light to eat and a caffeine fix. According to what I read, the café was opened in 1876. Among the noted regulars at the café were some pretty (in)famous names. As a matter of fact; during early 1913 it is said Hitler, Trotsky, Tito, and Freud were said to have visited the café. Crazy….

And so we had our coffees and a fairly mediocre "homemade" croissant with paintings of royalty gazing at us.

The coffee was good, the service professional, though not quite a elegant as Cafe Imperial according to the Missus….at least it was less than half the $30 that I doled out at Café Imperial.

And then there was that rather lifelike Peter Altenberg statue……

Cafe Central
Herrengasse 14
Vienna 1010, Austria

We headed out, and decided to take a peek at the Schottenkirche ("Our Lady of the Scots") at the top of the block. The interior was quite impressive.

We headed back down Herrengasse, then across Michaelerplatz and down a passageway to our next destination…….and to our surprise saw some horses walking across the way.

I'd forgotten about the famous Spanish Riding School in Vienna.

Apparently, these are the rather posh stables.

Where I saw an interesting sign…..

We headed to our last destination; but decided to make one more stop along the way. To visit the Augustinian Church, where many of the Habsburgs were wed and where the hearts of 54 Habsburgs are interred in urns in one of the Chapels, and their bodies are in the Crypt below.

The Missus was kind of "Churched out" by this time……

So, we mainly spent time checking out the very interesting Monument to Maria Christina.

And then we were off…..to our next destination…..

Thanks for stopping by!

The Croissant Files – Wayfarer Bread and O’Brien’s Boulangerie

January 8, 2020 mmm-yoso Bakery, Croissants

I was pretty surprised at the response to my "Croissant Files" post back in October. I was great to get some recommendations, two of which I had on my list and one that was totally new to me. This should actually be one of those "R(ecommendations) & R(equests)" type of posts, but I decided not to wait. So here goes.

Wayfarer Bread:

I had Wayfarer on my list for a while and just really didn't want to make the effort to drive there. But, after recommendations from Red Devil and Cathy Greene….well, I needed to visit. And to be perfectly honest, driving up to Bird Rock really isn't that bad early on a weekend, which is when I went. Though there was already a line formed when I arrived at around 745….one very nice fellow was in line letting people go in front of him since folks aren't allowed to order breakfast sandwiches before 8 am and he wanted a breakfast sandwich.

I ordered a croissant and an Americano for me and one pastry to go; which I dropped off for the Missus.

CathyG had mentioned the croissants are "well-browned"…..no kidding….

This was way too dark and over-baked; it basically exploded when I bit into it. That exterior is far past flaky. The layers are a bit too dry; though the interior is nice and light.

I also appreciate a nice "sheen" to the pastry, which this one didn't have.

Good balance of butter and salt; with just the hint of sweetness, and a whiff of yeast. Of all the croissants we've had in San Diego so far this is the Missus's favorite.

I've returned twice since this visit and I think the explosive nature of the croissant is the M.O. here.

Wayfarer Bread & Pastry
5525 La Jolla Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92037
Hours:
Daily 730am – 3pm

O'Brien's Boulangerie:

"Vickie" made this recommendation. Even though Cathy did a post back in December of 2018, I'd never have thought to look in a mostly office park/industrial area of Poway for a Croissant.

I also really liked the folks working; so very friendly early on a Saturday morning.

The place was quiet when I arrived right past 7am, but quickly filled up.

Like Wayfarer, I ordered an Americano, a croissant for me, and one to go which I dropped off for the Missus at work.

This one had a slightly fluffy, though almost too moist interior and needed a bit more butter and salt, though it was fairly yeasty, with a mild, though not overly sweet interior. The dough had a decent stretch, but again felt a bit too wet.

The exterior wasn't flaky enough and it lacked that perfect middle ground of flaky and mildly crisp. Better than the croissants from my previous post.

The Missus however, wasn't impressed……

O'Brien's Boulangerie
13615 Stowe Drive
Poway, CA 92064
Hours:
Mon -Fri 7am – 4pm
Sat 7am – 3pm
Closed on Sunday

So, I've got a couple more places on the list. Any recommendations are welcomed.

And….if you're wondering what our current favorite croissant is in Paris….well, as of our most recent trip it's this one.

Which actually won the Best Croissant au Buerre in Paris for 2018. We walked a mile-and-a-half each way twice for this baby on our last trip to that city.

Our favorite from our previous trips, just didn't measure up this time….though I'm sure we'll be back to check them out again.

Anyway, thanks again for the recommendations Cathy Greene, Red Devil, and Vickie!

The search continues!

The Croissant Files – The French Oven, Bread Bar (Little Italy Mercato), and Prager Brothers (Little Italy Mercato)

October 28, 2019 mmm-yoso Bakery, Croissants, Markets & Grocers

The Missus and I were planning a trip….well, this one is basically four trips out, and we started ruminating about croissants…..do we miss Paris, and even there, it can be hard to find a good croissant….to be honest, we've had our share of not so good croissants (au buerre) in Paris as well. The discussion reminded me that I had a couple croissant photos just waiting for a post. I guess today's the day. So, "allons y"…..

The French Oven:

Several folks in the office, who live in the Scripps Ranch area kept on telling me about The French Oven, telling me it's run by a fifth generation Boulanger from France. So, a few weekends later, I headed on over to a little strip mall in Scripps Ranch.

Man the place was hopping!

Service was fast, I believe the owner was working the front of house as he and another gentleman were speaking in French. It kinda made my morning.

As for the croissant, while it was the best of the three in post, well, it was okay…..light with a decent flakey-crispness, but really lacking in butteriness, and when broken lacked that hint of yeastiness we love.

Not bad.

You can read Cathy's post on The French Oven here.

The French Oven Bakery
10299 Scripps Trail Suite E
San Diego, CA 92131

Bread Bar (at the Little Italy Mercato):

The following week, I dropped by the Little Italy Mercato to do some shopping. And decided to pick up a couple of croissants for the Missus and I to try. First, was from Bread Bar.

This was more crumbly than flakey and crisp. It had enough salt, but lacked a good buttery flavor and was too dry. It also had that fishiness that pastries in the states sometimes have, usually from the eggs used, which both the Missus and I don't care for.

Bread Bar in the Little Italy Mercato.

Prager Brothers (at the Little Italy Mercato):

We enjoy the bread from Prager Brothers and should probably head up to their bakery in Carlsbad. But until then…..

The croissant was not bad; but lacking in enough butteriness, salt, and yeastiness to us. The texture of the interior was a bit too soft for us.

We'll stick to getting their wonderful breads.

Prager Brothers at the Little Italy Mercato.

So….the search goes on…..

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…….