Eating (way too well) in Paris: Third stop at Le Gourmet

Yet another interesting stop in our culinary adventures in Paris, the Le Gourmet restaurant offers great French cuisine for prices I hadn't seen in Paris in 15 years.

Lunch time, where to go?

This is the third installment of the series of articles which I set about to write a couple of weeks ago on eating out well in Paris. I love food, I love good cuisine, and I want fellow travelers to enjoy Paris to the hilt. That's enough reasons to guide them to those places I am certain they will enjoy.

Lunch time in Paris is restaurant time. People who work in the city do not carry their lunch bags with them. They rarely enjoy the benefit of a corporate catering service, but even if they do, such catering is hardly a feat for anyone's eyes and taste buds.

Small restaurants perform a vital service: they feed the locals rather satisfactorily, inexpensively, and in record time.

What applies to locals applies to travelers, and your next culinary stop happens in just such circumstances. After a long morning walk in the quaint streets on the slopes of the Montmartre hill, you feel nicely hungry. Your steps lead you to Place de Clichy, a busy crossroads between the 17th, the 9th and the 18th districts (metro station: 'Place de Clichy').

Time for a gourmet experience!

Le Gourmet

You may be hungry, but you are no fool. You want to eat well, and spend your heard-earned cash on food worth this name.

In my considerate opinion none of the eateries positioned around Place de Clichy are worth the money they ask for. I find their cuisine either overpriced, or downright vulgar. I never had a satisfactory lunch at any of these places.

So where to go? Not far away.

When you are on Place de Clichy, turn yourself so as to face the downward slope, with the metro station in your back. Aim at Rue de Clichy, left of Rue d'Amsterdam. Walk down the street for about 200 yards, and turn left in Rue de Bruxelles. Walk another 200 yards. There you are on the right sidewalk.

Your next favorite food stop is located at No. 19 rue de Bruxelles.

Name: Le Gourmet.

Identifiable sign: its French bistro-style facade. And a crowd.

Entering the bistro

If you happen to walk in at around noon thirty, you may have to wait just a tad. The place is packed. I have been to this restaurant numerous times, and I still have to be there the day it is not packed at lunch time.

My advice: come at around 12:00 am, and grab a spot before everybody else does.

The place exudes old charm, with dark wood panels, old posters, menu slates marked with chalk on the walls, a traditional bar, a mosaic floor, bistro-style chairs and tables. It smells good, though cigarette smoke can become an issue at times when the facade door isn't left open.

The owner and chef bought the restaurant about 2 years ago from its first and long-time owners, an elderly couple who retired after having steered the ship for longer than any local can remember. The new owner liked the decor, and decided to preserve it as-is, except for the facade which was changed early in 2006.

In this very Parisian setting, patrons feel immediately welcomed and are quickly seated either by the boss or a smiling waitress. This is lunch time, and they know patrons are in a hurry. No unnecessary delay.

Seated, and menu in hands

The menu is in fact chalked on the slates that hang on the front and back walls. A remarkable feat for such small a restaurant, the menu changes every day.

Anyone who lived in Paris for some time knows that restaurant menus do not change beyond the 'plat du jour' - the main fare for the day. Even the 'plat du jour' does not change that much: from one week to another, the same courses tend to get back on the menu.

Not so at 'Le Gourmet': the menu changes everyday and no two weeks are alike. True diversity. Even if you were to eat there every day for 20 days, you could try 20 different courses.

Gourmet cuisine is a mission

The boss comes from the province of Touraine, in Western France. He likes to work on French traditional dishes, and his cuisine draws its main inspiration from the famous Burgundy and Lyons regions.

Among the 'terroir' dishes served at Le Gourmet, you can taste veal knuckle (souris de veau), prime cuts of veal (onglet de veau), roasted gilthead bream (daurade royale rôtie), stewed duck (pot-au-feu de canard), pike dumpling (quenelle de brochet). And the list goes on.

To get fresh products from his favorite suppliers, he wakes up at 3:30 am every day to go to the wholesale market (the Rungis market, situated south of Paris). He buys only what he needs for the day, loads up his truck, and heads back to his restaurant where he's spend the rest of the morning to cook for lunch.

The chef's motto is "fresh products, traditional preparation". He uses butter, not margarine. He doesn't buy frozen products, and no off-the-shelf sauces as he prepares his sauces himself. He is light-handed on spices which he thinks 'are all too often used to hide something'.

Appetizer, main course, dessert, wines

Le Gourmet's menu typically offers a choice of 4 appetizers (such as a warmed up goat cheese served on a loaf of country bread), 3 or 4 main courses (meat, fish, poultry), and 4 desserts.

The choice of desserts is also 'old-school': depending on the day, your selection may include chocolate whipped cream, baba au rhum (a spongy cake saturated with dealcoholized rum), biscuits with ganache (a mix of chocolate, cream and butter), orange cake, fondant cake, floating island (beaten egg whites floating on a French custard), red fruit pies, and so forth.

Light wines get the lion's share of the wine list. The chef's hometown is Valencay (in the heart of the Touraine region), and he purchases his bottles directly from local producers. The list comprises a variety of well-thought-of vines: Gamay, Cabernet, Valençay, Bourgueil, and Saumur-Champigny.

All this for how much?

Beyond the quality of the food you are served at Le Gourmet, the check is another pleasant surprise. For a meager EUR13 (about $16), you have a full meal served in record time in a most pleasant atmosphere. For just a few more bucks, you have the wine to complete your experience.

To be honest, there are very few Parisian restaurants which will give you that much for such a low price. Le Gourmet wins my vote any time, any day. I recommend it to you wholeheartedly.

Where?

Le Gourmet

19 rue de Bruxelles

75009 Paris

Tel: 33 (0)1 48 74 53 42

Subway station: Place de Clichy

Lunch and dinner

***About the Author***
As Senior Editor of a free Paris guide, Phil Chavanne offers scores of valuable tips on Paris hotels, restaurants, monuments, and other sightseeing opportunities. Click here now to get this information and the inside scoop on the French capital.

An Affordable Gourmet Paris Experience

Picnicking is one of the most visible summer traditions in Paris, and early fall is not too late to enjoy this pastime; especially with the weather we've been having as of late. Strolling along the banks of the Seine or through the city's picturesque parks and ponts, you will inevitably come across large groups of friends of every age, gathered around a picnic basket, laughing, chatting, eating and drinking. Picnicking is one of best ways to enjoy the Paris gourmet food without breaking the bank.

The Champ de Marsfacing the Eiffel Tower, is a popular picnic spot, and the Pont des Arts, in the 1st arrondissement, is popular among students and international twenty somethings. Arrive early, as it becomes more difficult every minute tofind a spot among the revelers on the bridge, who sit around in groups, eating, drinking, smoking, playing the guitar and singing along.

The banks of the Seine are lively at sunset, those parallel to Quai St. Michel are usually packed with large groups of friends late into the evening, and under the Pont au Double near Notre Dame, the atmosphere is peaceful and romantic. The crowd is diverse and pleasant over on Ile St. Louis, and if you settle in close enough to the Pont Saint Louis, you may be able to enjoy live music with your picnic, as musicians busk for change on the bridge above you.

The Canal St. Martin is hip for a picnic, or just generally hanging around, and once the sun sets, there are plenty of bars and restaurants to continue on to. Parks are also ideal for picnics during the day. I can recommend Butte Chaumont in the 19th arrondissement, the Jardin Luxembourg of course, and the Parc Monceau amongmany others. Just scout around your neighborhood as a park or a green space is never far away in Paris

The best thing about a picnic is that it can be as fancy or casual as you like; as simple or as elaborate as you have the time for. If you're on holiday in Paris, you've got the time to prepare carefully and it is worth it. Everything you need may be found at any of the supermarkets around the city, but who knows when you'll be back in Paris, so it's worth taking advantage of little shops and markets.

You'll be able to smell the fromageries a mile away and there is one or more in every neighborhood. A gorgeous picnic can be made from a stroll through any of the neighborhood markets or market streets and of course the creme de la creme is La Grand Epicerie in the Bon Marche. This is the market to end all markets and you'll get dizzy seeing all of the choices for your picnic here.

Don't forget to stop into a wine shop for a bottle of chilled rose or two, you will be ready to picnic with the best of them. Bon pique-nique.

Doni Belau is the owner and editor of the Girls' Guide to Paris, a travel website and blog written by Parisian residents and insiders covering everything from fashion to culture to foodie faves in the city of light. To know more about Paris gaurmet please visit www.girlsguidetoparis.com

Dorie Greenspan on Desserts, Baking, and Restaurants in Paris

Phenomenal baker, cookbook author and bon vivant, Dorie Greenspan, shares her favorite dessert recipes, cooking tools and Paris restaurants with Facebook fans.

Hi Dorie, what’s your favorite cheesecake to make and/or eat?
I’m a fan of the old-fashioned tall New York-style cheesecake—the one that’s baked.

Do you have a favorite recipe for Galette des Rois?
The recipe that I’ve been using for years is the one in Paris Sweets. It’s very classic: two rounds of good puff pastry filled with almond cream—the same cream I use as the base for baked fruit tarts, except I give it an extra shot of rum.

Are there any "must have" baking tools?
No baker should be without: oven thermometer, accurate measuring cups and spoons, a kitchen scale, a great rolling pin and heavy-duty baking sheets.

What suggestions do you have for pairing the wines with specific chocolates and cake flavors?
I find that chocolate is not so easy to pair with wine. I’ve had luck pairing it with Mas Amiel, Banyuls and fruity, Syrah-based wines. When I made the chocolate-cayenne cookies for Food & Wine, they paired them with Lambrusco and I thought that was genius.

Hi Dorie, a friend asked me to make cookies using beer. Any advice?
I’ve never made cookies with beer. Hmmm. I don’t know if this is doable, but I’m wondering if you shouldn’t boil the beer down to a syrup to concentrate its flavor and then use the syrup in your cookies. I’d love to know what you come up with.

What are some of your favorite cookies that won’t go stale quickly?
When it comes to cookies that are good keepers, I think you can go two almost opposite ways: go for biscotti or other ’dry’ cookies, cookies that you can ’refresh’ by popping them in the oven for a few minutes, if necessary; or you can go for buttery cookies like shortbreads, always good keepers.

What is the most attractive dessert you regularly make and how do you go about the decorating process?
I make very simple desserts and it’s rare that I decorate them. This past weekend, I made an open-faced free-form apple tart, a galette, and the beautifully browned apples were all the decoration the tart had. Similarly, I’ll make cookies and depend on their shape for decoration (or a dusting of sparkle sugar) or make a cake in a great shape and let the graphic form be the decoration.

What’s the one thing in your kitchen you could not live without—be it a utensil, ingredient, appliance, or otherwise?
I’ve got a kitchen—okay three kitchens—filled with lots and lots of gear, but the tools I come back to over and over again are very basic: my measuring equipment, my baking pans, my Dutch ovens, and, of course, my stand mixer. I’d never want to be without my mixer.

My meringues are a bit marshmallow-like in the center, how do I get them to have a consistent texture throughout?
I know your problem and feel your pain. I think you should bake them at a very low temperature for a long period—you’re really drying them out, not baking them—and then prop the oven door open for the last 1/2 hour to let out any steam in the oven.

What are the most important skills for a baker?
I think it’s important to understand blending—when butter, sugar and eggs are properly mixed—to be able to make and roll out a dough, to know how things should bake. The best part about learning the skills for baking or cooking is that they’re obtained by practice and practice in this arena is very delicious.

Hi Dorie, what inexpensive hidden food gems have you found in Paris?
I find the supermarkets in Paris jam-packed with little gems and my favorite place to shop for food to take home for myself or to give as gifts is G. Detou-great salts and peppers, caramel chips made with salted butter and terrific sardines.

What is your favorite pâtisserie in Paris?
It’s not possible to name just one—impossible! But my favorite is Pierre Herme. I also really, really like the new Gontran Cherrier, particularly for simple cakes and breads, Hugo and Victor—their pastries have a fabulous look, as does their shop—and Pâtisserie des Rêves.

Hi Dorie! I am working my way through your baking book. I have loved everything so far, especially the French Lemon Creme Tart and World Peace Cookies. Are you working on any new books?
I am thrilled that you’re working—I prefer to think that your playing—your way through Baking From My Home to Yours. I, too, love the Lemon Cream (I’ve got a bowl of it awaiting tarthood in my fridge now) and the World Peace Cookies. I am working on a new book about baking in France. It’ll be out in Fall 2013!

I just received your book Around my French Table. I love it! What are some of your favorite recipes?
Yay—I’m so glad you’re liking the book! Now, with winter here, some of my favorites are Pumpkin Stuffed with Everything Good, Hachis Parmentier, My Go-to-Beef Daube, Marie-Helene’s Apple Cake and the Endives, Apple and Grape dish. I hope you find your own favorites.

How do you stay so healthy and trim with all of your scrumptious recipes?
So funny—I practice what I call Bake (or Cook) and Release: I bake, taste and give away a lot of what I make. Since I can be baking four or five things a day, it’s impossible for me to keep everything. And besides, giving things away makes my neighbors so happy :)

If you were to dive into another culinary culture, what would it be?
What an interesting question. I haven’t considered this before, but I think were I to dive, as you say, I’d dive into the foods of Southeast Asia. Maybe. Hmmm. A good question to dream on.

I grew-up in your neck of the woods in Connecticut and would love to know if there are any can’t-miss places you frequent while home. Cheese at Fromage? Meat from Cliff’s? I’m still in search of a great bakery too— any recent finds?
I love Fromage and yes, I buy meat from Cliff’s as well as from Bennie’s Market. I’m terrible to ask about bakeries, since I bake everything at home, except the great baguettes that I buy at Pip’s, the really good restaurant at the Copper Beech Inn. I love River Tavern, Alforno and Brasserie Pip’s, Bishop’s Orchards and the fabulous Star Fish Market in Guilford. And Ashlawn Farm coffee and the Farmer’s Markets at Ashlawn and Chester. This is making me a little homesick.

Apricot-Tarragon Cocktail Cookies. © Quentin Bacon

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Glorious Food in Paris-part II

If there is one thing that the French know how to do well, is food. The food is more of an art (and for some, a religion almost) in France, and then I knew that I would be remiss in my duties to the readers of Paris-eiffel-tower-news if not go and look for the glories of Paris's finest food for you. The following sample is not an option-is a must!

In part I, we discovered the most beautiful of Paris fromageries in Parisian cheese shops 5 Androuet and true French bread of Poilane. Now, we bring you two more of those places of glorious Parisian gourmet food.

Lafayette Gourmet-a feast of flavours and colours

Galeries Lafayette is one of the most distinguished and famous symbols of shopping in Paris. Their high-fashion displays and grand architecture old world (including a fine stained-glass dome) make any considerable us shopping experience. I must admit, though, that I tend to spend most of my time wandering around his Gourmet Food Court.

The food court is located on the top floor of Galeries and is a veritable feast of flavours and colours. There you will find everything and more to whet the gourmet dedicated: a bakery with a dizzying array of speciality breads and pastries (testament of love of France continues with baked goods of every description); a cheese counter with at least a hundred different varieties of cheese (both French and imported); meat and fish; a deli that offers the best special foodstuffs; and fruits and vegetables of every origin from around the world-all fresh products to perfection.

There is also a great section dedicated to every spice imaginable. The display of luxury chocolate and sweets are well worth a visit. I usually Commons here on all types of European chocolates when they are in the city, as many brands cannot be found in the United States and all of them are sold cheaper in Paris.

The first things out, Lafayette Gourmet offers wine ' library ' unlike any other: 1,800 of the best wines in the world, classified and presented with loving attention enough to satisfy the discerning wine connoisseurs.

40, boulevard Haussmann 75009 Paris

Metro: Chaussée D'ANTIN La Fayette

BE-tasty and elegant

Boulangépicier, or ' BE ', in short, is owned by two of Paris's most famous and respected chef and baker: Alain Ducasse and Eric Keyser, respectively.

Name and concept BE result of a merger of the ' boulanger ' (baker) and ' épicier (grocer). His creations are inspired by simple, traditional French recipes.

BE is housed in a smart, typically Parisian building located not too far from the Arc de Triomphe and close to the Parc Monceau. This makes it an ideal place for a take-away lunch near a green expanse of most beautiful of Paris.

For sale is a carefully selected range of fine products and a tempting selection of sandwiches, homemade soups and fresh salads as well as sweets and desserts, whether to remove or eat in (there is a lounge that takes around ten).

On the expenditure front, BE sells a range of gastronomic products (unusual, spices, condiments, jams, chocolate, candies, dough etc.) and a small selection of organic products and dairy products.

On the front of the selling Bread bakery, renowned Mr. Keyser, facts on the spot, both as a loaf to take at home or in the array of ready-made sandwiches mouth-watering. I've actually never had tasted bread Keyser and was really surprised to find that it was far superior to almost nothing I've tried other bakeries, including the famous Paujauran bread.

The array of breads with focus is displayed; They consist of various combinations of high quality ingredients and are all at once, fresh tasty, crunchy and moist, a welcome break from the ubiquitous mass chewy white bread.

I was particularly intrigued by their concept of ' Sandwich ' skewers, an assortment of mini-sandwiches on skewers. After much deliberation, I went to the Riviera, skewer that consisted of little cakes of bread filled with black olive tapenade (olive paste) and slices of fresh goat cheese; tomato sandwiches filled with ' caviar ' tomato and Basil Turkey; and then Basil buns filled with pesto and sundried tomatoes. Wise choice.

I washed the lot with a bottle of Orezza, a sparkling mineral water from Springs near Rappagio in Corsica. I have not had never tasted before and expected to find the French mineral water brands, as most common Chateldon and announced, but it was a pleasant surprise-Orezza has a refined and delicate aftertaste flinty levels of natural gas.

Of course, this is not food designer is the cheapest: sandwiches start at 5 euros, and my Riviera skewer set me back 7.5 euros. But it was worth every penny.

Tuck into tasty and elegant food to BE traveling or to remove a 73, boulevard de Courcelles, 75008 Paris

About the author:

Phil Chavanne and his team of writers Parisians share cargo on Paris and Paris Hotel with travellers who want to prepare well for their trip in the French capital. Meet the team in Paris-Eiffel-Tower-News.com: A Guide to Paris full of insider information about Paris and Paris Hotel.

Glorious Food in Paris-part III

If there is one thing that the French know how to do well, is food. The food is more of an art (and for some, a religion almost) in France, and then I knew that I would be remiss in my duties to the readers of Paris-eiffel-tower-news.com if not go and look for the glories of Paris's finest food for you. The following sample is not an option-is a must!

This third part, for the icing on the cake (no pun intended), brings two more gastronomic wonders, with Parisians first dessert: simply outstanding range of ice cream and sorbets Eric Kayser on fascinating island Saint-Louis.

And now for a Dessert ...

I think it is safe to say that Eric Kayser sets the standard for ice cream and sorbet ... Not only in Paris, but all of France-and very probably in the world.

Typically Parisian gelateria di Eric Kayser is located right in the middle of the Ile Saint-Louis, a small island on the river Seine, which is itself a major tourist attraction. The island of St. Louis is a miniature little charming Paris with its characteristic restaurants and hotels. In the early 20th century, its inhabitants imagined their specificity and ' separated ' from France to become the Republic for the island of St. Louis. One of those ideas loopy French!

Most grocery stores, tea salons and restaurants on the island of Saint-Louis advertise stock of ice cream by Eric Kayser. Yet there is only a tearoom Eric Kayser. The company is managed by the family descendants of the Chauvin, Monsieur Eric Kayser who opened the first store in 1954. The parlor is smart, with wooden panels inside and out, a stylish version of friendly to America.

Eric Kayser sells its ice cream in bulk and by the scoop from his living room, but many other retailers for sale in Paris their ice cream in cones and cups, and some grocers sell larger amounts.

Any guilt that you can hear indulge themselves can be laid to rest because Eric Kayser's fame derives in part from its use of natural ingredients. Their desserts contain preservatives, sweeteners, absolutely no chemical agents and stabilizers. The ice cream is made with nothing other than milk, cream and eggs, and the natural fruit aromas are: vanilla, cocoa, etc.

In terms of flavor, we go well beyond ' Chunky Monkey ' and ' Fish Food '. Get ready for something more refined and, ultimately, more tempting for the old taste buds (which should be encouraged instead of being attacked). We are talking about PEAR sorbet flavors for me more than an actual Pera pera. Green Apple; Strawberry (fraise des bois "); coffee; Nougat with honey; prune Armagnac ... All to die for.

Keep in mind that the French don't scoff, they're déguste ' (taste with relish)-so if you're expecting Very large portions of Jerry like you get in the United States, you will be disappointed. But then again, that may not be as bad as are our lifelines ...

Unfortunately, Eric Kayser's excellence is not a secret. There is always a long queue of eager customers no matter when you go, and during the warm season is even worse. Trust me though, the journey is worth it.

I like their hours though-open by 10 with a closing time of the late 20, I know that my cravings will be met in the evening – well, at least from Wednesday to Sunday, as unfortunately are closed the rest of the week. In addition, much to my dismay, I discovered that the site is not open for business during much of the summer holidays (a relatively common event in France). Yet all is not lost since we can always get our correction Eric Kayser from other ice cream and tea salons on the island!

For a taste of Bertillon of habituation, glories, take the Ile Saint-Louis: walk along the left side of Notre Dame; behind the Cathedral, cross the bridge to the left on Ile Saint-Louis; then, hang a right onto the Rue St-Louis en l'Ile and go to number 31 on the right side of the road. Or go underground and alight at Pont Marie station and cross the bridge. When you arrive at the island's Central Road, turn left and the shop is right there on the sidewalk opposite.

Go organic Parisian style

Paris is renowned for its local food street markets, which can be found on almost every one if its quartiers (districts). The market is very famous Nicot, the Rue de Levis is another almost famous. The wonderful symbiosis "traditional parish and" with great and capital no doubt lends Paris its unique character.

Personally, Parisian street market appeal to me because they offer a rare respite from the retail experience of supermarket bland, cookie cutter and because, just like the proverbial box of chocolates in Forest Gump, ' you never know what you're going to get '. Not only do always seem to find something I knew never even existed, but the quality and freshness of the products is high and the whole experience, in General, is less clinical and much more ... Well, fun.

Parisian street markets usually open operating outside tourist streets and take place either on weekly or biweekly basis. The stalls get established early in the morning, and sales of end-of-day began in the early afternoon, although really times vary from one market to another so I recommend to do your homework, and controlling schedules published by the local district City Hall.

All of them, the Marché de Raspail is probably my favorite. Takes place on Sunday mornings from 9: 0 in 13:30 on the center divider along Boulevard Raspail, between Rue de Rennes and Rue du Cherche Midi (stop at the station of Sèvres-Babylone).

Sunday Marché de Raspail turns only to organic food (' biologique ' or ' bio '), and many of its products are only a cut above the rest. In fact, French fresh products are renowned, and I must say that every time I come back to Paris, I am quite puzzled to find that I actually forgot what a true flavors such as cucumber.

The market stalls around number 100 and is scattered over 200 metres, and are managed by anyone and everyone-from organic producers to various dealers and some pretty interesting!

Sell everything is organic. I walked away pleased with some honey lavender, very rustic, loads of cheese and a delicious organic roasted chicken that was before my eyes ...

The service is usually very friendly. You will appreciate the way in which French suppliers actually bother to ask when in reality it means eating their products. They can select it for you accordingly (i.e. so that matures either too early or too late).

All in all, a healthy treasure, worth getting up early on a Sunday morning-even if only for an education in what fresh fruits and vegetables are actually supposed to taste like ...

The non-market organic Raspail runs on Tuesdays and Fridays between 7: 0 and 14:30.

Once again, le Marché Raspail in the 6th District, at the corner of Boulevard Raspail and Rue de Rennes. Nearest metro station: Sèvres-Babylone.

About the author:
Phil Chavanne shares a lot of useful tips and travel information on Paris, with the help of his team of experts in Paris. Click here to discover the French cuisine and Hotel Paris now.

Glorious Gourmet Food in Paris - Part I

If there's one thing the French know how to do well, it's food. Food is more of an art (and for some, a quasi religion) in France, and so I knew I would be remiss in my duties to readers of paris-eiffel-tower-news if I did not go and seek out Paris's finest gastronomic glories for you. Sampling the following is not an option - it's a must!!!

Say Cheese!

Beside wine, what else are the French obsessed with? Cheese! The French passion for cheese and the proliferation of the stuff in their country is frankly unsurpassed. A famous quote from Charles de Gaulle goes, "How can you be expected to govern a country that has 246 kinds of cheese?"

The French are as serious about their cheese as they are about their wine, and so it comes as no surprise that, like wine, French cheese is protected by AOC laws (appellation d'origine contrôlée, name of a controlled origin). These laws allow only certain limited quantities of a particular cheese to be produced in order to prevent mass production ruining the subtle variations in French regional cheeses.

So, in search of the ultimate cheese repast, I asked my Parisian friends where the cheese crème de la crème (no pun intended) was to be found in France's capital. The answer was unanimous: "Androuet!"

And Androuet it was. I wandered over to their fromagerie (cheese shop) at 37, rue de Verneuil and was greeted with the most tantalizing displays of cheeses - you have to see it to believe it! The cheeses look a far sight different than what they laughingly call cheese in supermarkets - this is the real enchilada.

Family owned and run, Androuet was founded back in 1909 by the current owner's grandfather, and since then its people have been cultivating the art of the maître fromager affineur (cheese maturing master). The name is famous worldwide. Today, and to the great benefit of the Parisian population, the house of Androuet actually comprises 5 fine cheese shops in Paris alone and plans to open another one in the new Roissy airport! They even have a branch in Stockholm, Sweden's capital.

Androuet's cheeses hail from more than 200 different locations and are all exclusively made with raw milk. Each cheese is unique, cured and matured under the supervision of maîtres affineurs (masters in cheese ripening), and aged or prepared in curing cellars. You'll find Androuet's shops in all Parisian tourist guides, and I was told that their clientèle comes from all over the world - from the US to Japan.

Cheese is best accompanied with bread and wine, and Androuet specializes in the best. They provide a wide range of wines, from red Sancerre to Chateau Neuf du Pape, and work with two Parisian bakeries to supply you with some very decent bread to go with your cheese.

So you can get your cheese, your wine and your bread all in one fell swoop, as well as excellent advice on all three free of charge. The staff speaks English, and a variety of other languages, so communication shouldn't be much of a problem... failing that, animated gesticulations punctuated by the odd use of random foreign words have always worked wonders for me abroad...

For those who want to take some of this priceless loot back home, Androuet provides air-tight and vacuum-sealed packages.

For Americans, you can check the US Customs & Border Protection website for the latest on food importing rules at help.cbp.gov, or the US Department of Agriculture's website (www.usda.gov). At the moment, they confirm that cured cheeses (i.e. hard cheeses like parmesan and cheddar) are generally admissible if imported for personal use, although this is subject to change depending on disease outbreaks. Keep in mind that you should declare them. Ask for advice from Androuet's staff - they'll be in the know about this.

A buffet-size assortment goes from 35 to 70 euros, and they do themed gourmet gift baskets, boxes and chests too. They even cater for private or business cheese-themed buffets with the whole nine yards: fresh and dried fruit, Poilane or Poujauran breads (see below), wine, candles, floral decorations etc.

Androuet in Paris (normal working hours Tuesday to Saturday, and they all close at 7:30 pm):

37, rue de Verneuil - 75007 Paris

Metro: Rue du Bac, Solférino (line 12).

134, rue Mouffetard - 75005 Paris

Metro: Censier Daubenton (line 7).

1, rue Bois le Vent - 75016 Paris

Metro: La Muette (line 9), Passy (line 6).

17, rue des Belles-Feuilles - 75016 Paris

Metro: Victor Hugo (line 2), Trocadéro (lines 6, 9).

23, rue de la Terrasse - 75017 Paris

Metro: Villiers (lines 2, 3).

Real French Bread

In France, almost anyone will tell you that Poilane bread is the pinnacle of Parisian baking. First established 75 years ago, Poilane is now run by Lionel Poilane, who took over the business from his father about 30 years ago and boomed it: the shop sells 15,000 loaves of bread each day, i.e. 2.5% of all bread sold in Paris, by weight.

The secret of Poilane bread is steeped in tradition. Lionel himself conducted an extensive research project on the 'ethnography', as he put it himself, of his craft. Poilane bread is made from wheat grown only on farms employing sustainable techniques with sea salt from the French Atlantic Coast. It's baked for over an hour in Poilane's specially designed wood-burning ovens, and will easily keep for a week in its original white and green paper bag.

Poilane bread traces its heritage back to the genuine regional French bread, but the business is remarkably modern. Today, the family manages a new shop in London and a 'manufacture' on the outskirts of Paris producing the goods that are sold in more than 2,500 restaurants and shops in Paris alone, and about 20 countries around the world. Poilane is one of the few 'global bakers' today, taking advantage of the Internet and the large FedEx hub near the Roissy-Charles-de-Gaulle airport to ship the bread worldwide. The goods land on dinner tables within 48 hours of their cooking.

The bread itself is decidedly old school: thick, chewy, and rich with a dark, fire-tinged flavor. Traditional French bread is not the ubiquitous white bread used in baguettes. It used to be a dark, wholesome stuff eaten by poor people when they could not afford anything else. It almost disappeared from French tables because of its very history. So much so that the old saying "He ate his white bread..." means that he mused and fooled around instead of working diligently, and now he's in for hard times (and only dark bread).

After World War II, the height of chic was white bread, imported from Austria. Poilane is very unique in that in a city where you can't walk two blocks without running into a baguette, he refuses to produce any!

Poilane's bread has won him famous fans over the years: Frank Sinatra and Lauren Bacall used to enjoy a loaf from time to time, and Robert De Niro is a customer.

There's one person in the shop who speaks English, who confirmed taking bread back to the US is no problem.

Poilane's famous bread can be found at 8, rue Cherche Midi, 75006 Paris. The closest metro station is Sevres-Babylone.

About the Author:

With thirty years of on-the-ground experience Phil Chavanne has helped many travelers to make the best of their stay in Paris. You can share his thorough knowledge of the city at Paris-Eiffel-Tower-News, a free guide with many advices, stories, and tips on Paris Hotels and Restaurants.

Paris is actually the Centre of Gourmet Food throughout Europe?

Paris is a city of phenomenal restaurants, bistros and quaint tea sedans, as well as the little coffee which we heard so much. These establishments serve a variety of fine gourmet foods from the elegant food dishes from the region, including the ethnic cuisine restaurants that make you feel at home, and a variety of many different foods you will never be able to sample them all.

Fresh food lovers will appreciate the markets that exist in Paris where he is able to walk and rub elbows with the locals, as you can experience the thrill of open-air markets and the taste of fresh produce such as fruits and vegetables and organic foods.

Naturally refined high-end is what I'm known for Paris and if you're looking for that you'll find no shortage of choices in Paris. Gourmet shops as you will find a wide selection Layfayette of regional gourmet foods and fine wines from around the world. The archive is very popular and a great place to buy local food to cook meals, if you do not want to eat out all the time there are.

If you're not a connoisseur fancy food and more are just a bite quickly and return to explore the area you can find a wide assortment of familiar haunts if you're an American in particular. You will be able to eat in pretty much any fast food plants bigger than you are accustomed to from home like Pizza Hut, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Burger King and McDonald, where you will be able to drink a beer with your burger if you choose so.

I suggest that you try to blend in and enjoy the local culture and local food as you possibly can. You will see that many of the local Diners and restaurants have budget menus with cheaper deals that many of the locals to participate. Try some of the rare flavours that you may not get the chance to try again.

Although Paris is known as the gourmet capital that not everything is what it is, there is also the regional native foods. And one good thing about these kinds of food that are good markets, and the locals prefer it as I have said. Take advantage of the opportunity to explore new foods and you can explore the sights that Paris has to offer.

Gregg Hall is an author and consultant living in Florida Navarre marketing on the internet. Find more and gourmet foods about to http://www.gourmetfoodsboutique.com