Flavors of Paris Gastronomy Tour – 2

Tina Chevalier - 28/06/13 - www.MyFrenchLife.org

To read Flavors of Paris Gastronomy Tour – 1

Première Pression Provence – 8 Cour du Commerce Saint-André

Olive oils, tapenades and herbs. Oh My! I didn’t know if I was in a science lab, test kitchen or a retail store. Turns out all of the above! It’s a space of excitement, discovery and usability, with tastes and aromas that are unexpected.

I received a serious olive oil education there. Ready? Independent Artisanal Olive Oil Producers exclusively from France supply the store with their “gold wine”. The nature of the soil, the age and size of the tree are très importants, as are altitude, exposure and irrigation of the orchards. But the treatment, storage and conditioning oils make the difference between a good oil and a great vintage. You can read about all the ‘real people’ who produce these oils in booklets that are given to you at the store. Examples of oil descriptions: Notes of almonds, berries, butter. Notes of cocoa, mushroom, candied fruit, vanilla. Is this olive oil? Oui, and from France!

Voilà, now let’s taste! One wall literally has large clear glass cylinders in a wooden case full of ten different Artisanal Olive Oils, appearing like beakers in a lab. You can taste them and fill up different sized glass bottles to take home! I tasted all of them of course and I was blown away! But that’s not all, there’s more to taste. I ended up purchasing five different kinds. But my favorite was the truffle! There’s also at least three tables filled with jars of different kinds of tapenades to taste as well. I took home jars of truffle (bien sûr), and fig chutney.

I can’t even write enough to do this shop justice, so just trust me! Everyone needs a good variety of olive oils and tapenades so just go check it out. You will come out happy and well educated – I know I was!

Suitable for all types of diets and health conscious people.

La pâtisserie Gérard Mulot – 76, rue de Seine et 2, rue Lobineau

Tina Chevalier - 28/06/13 - www.MyFrenchLife.org

Oh La La ! Macarons, miroir des elfes, tarte au citron, millefeuille, fraisier and so much more! For those that don’t know these names in French, they are serious dessert masterpieces! The kind that you stare at for about 30 minutes trying to figure out where to take your first bite. Then once you’ve decided, you still can’t bring yourself to cut it! Talk about ’eye candy’, it really is something to behold in person. They also make sorbets, chocolates, savory pastries and breads! Opening first in 1975, they are known for their seasonal flavors of macarons as well as their stunning pastries. Clearly vegans and lactose-intolerant people will have to ask for suggestions, but for the rest of you, bring extra euros; you’re going to need them! In saying that, there are plenty of fruit tarts and other things to choose from. I dare anyone to try to walk by the windows here and not go in. I stood in front of the display cases for at least twenty minutes wishing I could just crawl in. I think my gastro-guide Lisa Rankin was starting to worry about me! But I was entranced by the sheer genius of design and presentation of their goodies. This is a pastry lover’s paradise! Absolutely BE-YOND!

Bacchus and Ariane – 4 rue Lobineau

Tina Chevalier - 28/06/13 - www.MyFrenchLife.org

Vin ? Oui ! Vin Rouge ? Oui, s’il vous plaît ! And of course there are many other types of wine here as well. This is a small but well stocked wine boutique, located in the covered market at the heart of Saint Germain des Prés. This boutique offers a wide range of wines from all the territories of France, with a special focus on the region of Burgundy. I’m personally a fan of the Rhône region, but you can find a new favorite of your own here. The staff are extremely knowledgeable and they were quite impressed with me when I made a straight line for a certain bottle of “Châteauneuf du Pape” on the shelf to enjoy that evening with friends!

You don’t like wine? Are you feeling ok? Just kidding, wine is the perfect gift for everyone and every occasion. So stop in and stock up for yourself and others.

Final Thoughts:

Let me just say that I could honestly write one full article on each of these places. However I am limited in my word count, so I would like to take an “appreciation bow” in front of all the shops. It was an amazing experience of pure gastronomic pleasure! And a special merci to Lisa Rankin of “Flavors of Paris Food Tours” and “My French Life” online magazine for the unforgettable day! Below are the links to the websites for some of the places that I didn’t write about which you should still check out, they deserve it! Santé!

La maison GiraudetFromagerie Sanders?? – Le J’Go? – ?Flavors of Paris.

Merci Lisa Rankin.

You can read Flavors of Paris Gastronomy Tour – 1

Image credits:
1. Première Pression Provence.

2. La pâtisserie Gerard Mulot.
3. Bacchus and Ariane.

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Tina Chevalier-Popineau

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6 Comments

  1. Julie Chamand Jan 18, 2012 at 9:22 AM - Reply

    “Notes of cocoa, mushroom, candied fruit, vanilla”… Oh my… It sounds so delicious. I’d be curious to know what one should cook with that kind of oil. But does it really taste like what it is supposed to? Or is it just the label telling you what’s inside?

  2. Tina Chevalier-Popineau Feb 7, 2012 at 8:01 AM - Reply

    Bonjour Julie,
    Glad you enjoyed the article! Great questions too! To answer them for you; Some of these oils are not used for cooking. Some are used for just dipping for bread or veggies. Some can be tossed with hot pasta and that’s it. And yes, some are used for cooking.
    Feel free to ask the Staff members for suggestions! They are so helpful and yes, they have booklets with some useful info on how to use the oils as well!
    I hope that helped! Bonne chance! 😉

  3. Julie Chamand Feb 7, 2012 at 9:46 AM - Reply

    That sounds really good! Thank you Tina 🙂

  4. Tina Chevalier-Popineau Feb 7, 2012 at 10:32 AM - Reply

    Your Very Welcome Julie!
    Lots of options for salad dressings, marinades, dippng sauces, you name it! Grab a few flavors & go to town! Oh & invite me over too! LOL! 😉

    • Julie Chamand Feb 7, 2012 at 4:21 PM - Reply

      LOL! I’d love that, but for the moment I’m living in Australia. You can imagine my pain when I read such appetizing articles…

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