It’s 10:00 AM in Paris. We’re in a coffee shop in the Marais district called Café de la Poste. This is the meeting point for “Le Foodie Tour”. We’ve arrived early, so we have time to have coffees before starting the tour.
It’s quiet here. Very comfortable. I’m guessing we’re between morning and lunchtime rushes. There’s just us, a guy seated across the room, reading a newspaper, and an older gentleman who’s sitting near us. He has a good-looking English bulldog sitting at his feet, under the table. He’s quite a handsome fellow. The bulldog, that is.
While we were sitting there, the bulldog got up, casually walked around the room, politely checking out the clientele. Apparently he approved of everyone. We like how pet-friendly they are over here.
There are a lot of Parisian foodie tours to choose from. We opted for one called “Paris by Mouth.” We chose a Paris by Mouth tour that takes place in the Marais district, (briefly described last time). The tour will focus on cheese, bread, charcuterie, chocolate, pastry, and wine. Sounds right for a Parisian foodie tour, eh? We’ll walk around the Marais, visiting small shops as we go, and to finish, we’ll have a mini-feast of some of the things we picked up along the way.
La Boulangerie
When it was time to meet, we went outside and met our fellow foodiphiles. There were eight of us, plus our guide, Deniz. After introductions, we walked down the street to our first stop, a boulangerie, (bakery). But of course, not just any boulangerie. This one is owned and operated by a fellow who has won the coveted “Best Croissant in Paris” award.
Think for a moment what that must mean. You could compare it to “Best Deep-Dish Pizza in Chicago” or “Best Pecan Pie in Georgia,” but those comparisons would fall short. People here are WAY more serious about food than just about anyone anywhere. Especially when it involves butter, flour, and yeast.
The boulangerie is called “Tout Autour du Pain.” (“All Around Bread”). The man behind the pain is Benjamin Turquier. Not only has he won the “Best Croissant” prize, he has also placed in the top ten for the “Best Baguette in Paris” prize, too. Three times.
The boulangerie is tiny inside, so after having a look around, (and taking in the wonderful bread smells), we went back outside. Our guide, Deniz, grabbed some croissants and baguettes for us to try. They were amazing, of course. The croissant was so buttery, light, flakey, and perfect. But I think I liked the baguette best.
There’s just something about a good baguette. The crusty outside. The almost creamy inside. The yeasty thing going on. When you tear a piece off of a baguette, it’s a feast for the senses – taste, touch, and smell. We savored a few pieces, then moved on to the next stop. Deniz saved some for us to have at the end of the tour.
Le Chocolatier
The next stop was at what I’ll call a chocolate shop. I’m not sure what to call it, really. It’s way more than a place that sells chocolates and a few other tasty specialty items. There was an air about the place. An air that, I’m sure, was the intended result of painstaking architectural and interior design. It was an air of perfection.
We were in “Jacques Genin – Artisanal Chocolates, Pastries, and Coffee.” At least that what it says on Google Maps. It doesn’t say that on the outside of the building, though. It just says, “Jacques Genin.” And in one window, “Chocolat.” And in another window, “Caramel.” Classy. Très parisien, non?
I’m glad we were there with a small group. This is the kind of place that I’d be too intimidated to go in alone. I know. Sad, but true.
The proprietor, chef, chocolatier, and candy maker, monsieur Genin, used to make specialty chocolates and sweets exclusively for fancy hotels. Now he has opened his own place where anyone can come in and buy his creations to eat on site or take home.
The chocolates, meticulously arranged in display cases, were like none that I’d ever seen. They had tastefully artistic designs on them so that those in the know could tell what kind of chocolates they were. They came in interesting flavors. Chocolates might be infused with mint or basil. Each one was perfectly shaped.
Et les Conficeries…
There were two other specialties on display: caramels and “pâte de fruits.” The pâte de fruits are little squares of concentrated fruit “jellies.” I didn’t think I’d like these little things, but they were GOOD. Fresh fruit – whatever is in season – is delivered straight to the shop. They make these little things upstairs, every day.
Then there were the caramels. I didn’t need any convincing to try the caramels. I probably don’t need to try and describe how good they were, either. Not like any I’d ever had before. That’s for sure.
The two places we’d visited so far were similar, in a way. Each of them is the creation of kind of a madman – someone obsessed with whatever it is they’ve set their mind on doing. But just being obsessed doesn’t make one a master. They had to have the skills, perseverance, and determination. In the case of these two guys, they did. And we’re the beneficiaries.
To be continued…
