|
|
Les Breads Françaises |
| |
|
| |
| French bread like
many other aspects of French life is overrated.
Actually, that's a lie.
French bread is phenomenal. But in Paris it can be difficult
to realize this because many Parisien boulangeries (bakeries)
don't make their own bread. They are just distribution
points for large bread factories. However, there are
a lot of places that make their own bread and actually
do it really really well. Hooliator has not even come
close to finding all of them. However, he has found a
few really good ones, and they are here.
One of the more interesting
things I have learned through experience living in
France is that you don't
always get what you pay for. Contrary to our American
sensibilities, the more expensive boulangeries are
not the better ones. But the opposite is often the
case. Listed below
are my favorite places to buy bread and pastries.
There
is a bit
of french
bread
terminology
at the bottom of the page.
|
| |
| |
| |
|
|
|
Miss Manon was the very first place
I ever bought a croissant at in France. It's been
very hard to please me since then because Miss
Manon has some of the best bread available
in Paris at a "correcte" price. Try the "Pain
Compagne" or Country Bread. This is Hooliator's
favorite bread.
Find it on rive gauche of the Rue St. Antoine between Metro Bastille and Metro
St.
Paul
along
line 1 in the 4th arrondisement. |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| This one located just outside Metro Corvisart along
line 6 in the 13th arrondisement has the best "chausson
aux pommes" which I've found in Paris. The normal
bread here is nothing special. The tart up at the
top of the page came from this place. |
|
 |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
| If the "pain aux raisins" is your thing,
this is your place. The regular bread here is quite good
as well. Find it from Metro Bastille by heading up Rue
de la Roquette. When the street splits, bear left (don't
turn left!!) and round the corner. This is not only one
of the best boulangeries in Paris, it is one of the cheapest. |
| |
| |
|
|
This place was the
surprise hit. It was recommended to me by Mr. Miro (the
musician).
It has the best bread I have found in Paris. Period.
Try the "Ficelle Ancienne", it's like a
baguette made with saucisson (mmmmm!).
Find at the end of line 4 at Porte d'Orelans on Rue
General Leclerc. |
|
|
|
| |
|
| There are many good boulangeries
in and out of Paris. Just look around, try different
places,
ask locals. Another one which is outstanding where you
can watch the bread being made can be found near the
bottom of Rue Moufftard just across the
street
from Starbucks. You can take line 7 and get off at either
Metro Gobelins or Metro Censier Daubenton, it's smack
in the middle between them. It's a great place to buy
a wonderful sandwich for less than 4 euros. But get there
early because the sandwiches sell out quickly. |
| |
Important terminology:
|
| |
| Pain aux
Raisins: also called an Escargot
aux Raisins. Looks like a cinamon roll but is not. It
is a semi-sweet roll with egg or flan and raisins. You
can tell the quality visually. If it looks pale and sickly,
or limp don't buy it.
Chausson aux Pommes: Apple
tart. Difficult to tell the quality visually. If
it costs more than €1.20
(2006) dont' buy it. They usually contain apple sauce
and the difference is in the crust and in the quantity
of apple sauce.
Pain au Seigle: This is a wholesome medium dark bread.
Pain Compagne: This
is supposed to be a heavy country bread. You can tell
the quality visually by looking
at the size. If the large ones are the size of a football,
it's all air inside and you should move on. A good
will not compress when you cut it. A lousy one will
flatten out as soon as you put any pressure on it,
even with a very sharp knife.
Pain au Chocolat: This
is like a squarish croissant with a bit of chocolate
in the middle. Sometimes the
chocolate runs end to end, in some places there are
just bits of chocolate at the ends just to make it
look good. No way to tell visually.
Brioche: butter
roll. French people love these. I think they are
nothing special.
|
| |
| French music is cool, find
it by clicking HERE!!! |
Visit the Loire Valley by
clicking HERE!!! |
Visit me in my crappy Paris
apartment it by clicking HERE!!! |
| |
|
|
