You have not experienced a true croissant until you have sampled one in France. And even in France, not all
patisseries (pastry shops) are a like. Some have croissants that are not flaky enough while others not buttery enough. I still haven't found one so flaky and buttery that it just melts in my mouth - my ultimate goal. A few have come close. When I find a croissant that is close to perfection, it stops me in my tracks. Before I am even out of the shop, I am unwrapping the croissant from its paper cover. If it is a good croissant, the initial bite always makes me pause. I stop, savor, and thank the heavens that I live in France.
This weekend, my last before Thomas arrives in France, I decided to try to find some pastry and chocolate shops that bloggers have been raving about. Google "best pastry shops in Paris," and pages of blogs appear listing all the their favorites. I found a location where there were a few patisseries within walking distance from each other and that was my destination for this afternoon.
As I walked from shop to shop (I only hit 4 because my 5 mile run this morning made me more tired than I realized)... as I walked from shop to shop I finally understood what being an artisan means. Most establishments had the chocolatier or pastry chef in the shop name. And most had the name on edible placards on each pastry or chocolate morsel. They are proud of their work. And after sampling a few, you easily recognize that they should be. Not only the tastes, but also the presentations are works of art. I tried taking a some photos, but the pictures I took through glass do not do the desserts justice. And yes, these do taste as good as they look. You can either take my word for it, or come to France to see for yourself.
 |
| Macaron tree (meringue cookies) in the store display of Hugo & Victor. |
 |
| Jams and sugar cookies at Poline, |
 |
| Croissant from Poline. |
 |
| Napoleon type deserts at Patisserie Sadaharu Aoki. |
 |
| The Fraiser from Christian Constant. |
On an interesting note. I had a light lunch along with the Fraiser at Christian Constant near the Jardin de Luxembourg. In addition to sugary confections he had a small variety of savory dishes. I decided to have a small quiche and tabbouleh salad at one of his indoor tables. He warned me though that there was a 20% service surcharge if you sit down and eat at the cafe -- and that is why people don't tip at restaurants. Service is already included in the bill... and the light bulb clicks on...
