Travel Guide 2012 Part One: Paris

Since my last post, I managed to make it to Paris, France; Charlotte, NC; Boston, MA and few other places in between.

It has been a fun filled summer and I have 3 weekends in California so there will be lots to share!

Here’s a little journal of Paris 2012

My 1st meal on my trip, croque monsieur and frites at Cafe Le Petit Pont. The location of the restaurant is fantastic as it’s across the street from Notre Dame. You’ll also see it as an exterior shot in the Selena Gomez/Leighton Meester movie, Monte Carlo. Don’t ask me how I know that little tidbit 😉

Later, I met my friend at the famous Les Deux Magots. I was last there in December 2010 & this time I had the pleasure of dining outside. This cafe is famous for once being the destination of the literary and intellectual elite and has been in existence since 1873.

My friend had the Croque Monsieur and I had the Quiche Lorraine. Of course, we had to have a couple of glasses of rose too!

Some of the many displays of charcuterie and fromage along the Rue Mouffetard, one of the oldest streets in Paris and one of my favorites for food shopping. It also has a tea purveyor that I enjoy, Dammann Freres. If you’re in DC, you can enjoy the tea at Cafe du Parc at the Willard Hotel.

I had petit dejeuner on New Year’s Eve morning 2010.

Really, what else can I say? Macarons – yum! Laduree is one of the most famous pastry shops in France. They have multiple locations: near the Louvre; St. Germain; near the Arc du Triomphe. I particularly like the Rue Bonaparte location because it’s in a neighborhood and you tend to have an equal proportion of regulars and tourists. If you travel to NYC, you can also visit their outpost there.

Caramelized pork belly, of course!

One of my favorite restaurants in Paris, l’avant comptoir. If you love pork belly, blood sausage or anything rustic, you’ll love this stand up cafe. They have a window for take away crepes which are delicious as well.

My friend stayed at an airbnb and this was her view. I loved the grey of the rooftops.

If I know there’s a Chinatown, I’m going to want to explore it. I was last there in December 2010 and had a great time eating Vietnamese food. So we went to the same restaurant, Pho 14.

On my 2010 trip, I had wanted to go to the Galeries Lafayette, but they were closed due to the holidays. It’s a gigantic high end department store with a stained glass dome. The interior is beautiful as is the clothes and other items that they sell.

This delightful number can be found in the CHILDREN’S department!!

There’s a tearoom inside Galeries Lafayette, not just any tearoom but Angelina. Angelina is famous for its Mont Blanc, a deliciously sweet pastry comprised of meringue, Chantilly cream and chestnut cream. They’re also famous for their hot chocolate. See that beautiful concoction that looks like a flower? That is ALL whipped cream 🙂 Their most famous location is by the Tuileries gardens on the rue de Rivoli.

When I left for Paris, I asked friends if they had any requests. One was for Patrick Roger chocolates. It was definitely a learning experience to enter this exquisite shop. It was a hot August day and upon entering the shop, it felt like I was in a refrigerator with pulled shades. That lovely piece of artistry is made up of blocks of chocolate. Scary hippo, indeed! In the past, he sculpted a 32 foot tall, 4 ton Christmas tree out of chocolate!! True artistry at work. He has 3 shops and the one that I visited was in the Saint Germain neighborhood.

That was just the tip of the iceberg! So many places in 4 days 🙂 More in the next post!

Bon voyage!

MXM

Cafe Le Petit Pont
1, rue du Petit Pont

Les Deux Magots
6, place Saint-Germain-des-pres

Laduree Bonaparte
21, rue bonaparte

l’avant comptoir
9, carrefour de l’odeon

Pho 14
129, ave de Choisy

Galeries Lafayette/Angelina tearoom
40, blvd Haussman

Patrick Roger
108, blvd Saint Germain

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