20 Little Cities » Where to eat

Pink Flamingo in Paris: A different kind of pizza.

admin — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 20:00:44 +0000

*UPDATE: PINK FLAMINGO JUST OPENED A NEW PIZZA JOINT. IT IS LOCATED ON RUE D’ALIGRE IN THE 12TH ARRONDISSEMENT.

If you want a regular (as in classic flavor) pizza, you might want to try a different place. Aside from La Dante (tomato-mozzarella-basil) or La Cantona (8 cheeses), Pink Flamingo likes to offer flavors that will make you travel, which can be very useful if, for example, you can’t decide between pizza and Indian food (try La Gandhi: sag paneer, baba ganoush and mozzarella), or pizza and Spanish food (try L’Almodovar: pizza paëlla), or pizza and North African food (try La Macias: chicken cooked tajine style with cured lemon and olives)… Among the less unusual ones there’s also La Björk (smoked salmon, lumpfish roe and crème fraîche), La Basquiat (cured ham over gorgonzola and figs) or La Marcello (roquette with olive oil and balsamic vineger and parmesan.) As you might have noticed the pizzas are named after inspirational people who have made a difference in this world. While the pizzas are made in a traditional way—they use organic flour and all of the toppings are made with quality ingredients and fresh produce bought daily from the farmers market—Pink Flamingo likes to think of its product as something that stands out by its quality and novelty. And for dessert you can order some cheesecake.

Here are Pink Flamingo’s delivery maps in Paris’ 3rd and 10th arrondissements. Deliveries are made by foot or bike, hence the limited delivery area. Pink Flamingo cares more about the environment than getting the pizza to you super fast (that said, it’ll still get to you in a timely manner.) Last but not least, if you want to eat your pizza somewhere along the canal, you can order it at their restaurant in the 10th, leave with a Pink Flamingo balloon and when it’s ready they’ll come look for the balloon!
For food to go and to eat along the canal there’s also Le Cambodge restaurant.

Pink Flamingo 3rd arrondissement
105 Rue Vieille du Temple
75003 Paris
tel: 01.42.71.28.20
Metro: Filles du Calvaire

open 7/7
M-F: 12pm-3pm / 7pm-11.30pm
Sat, Sun: 12pm-4pm / 7pm-11.30pm

Pink Flamingo 10th arrondissement
67 Rue Bichat
75010 Paris
tel: 01.42.02.31.70
Metro: Goncourt, Jacques Bonsergent

Tu-Sat: 12pm-3pm / 7pm-11.30pm (last order and delivery at 11pm)
Sun: 1pm-11pm
Closed on Monday

Pink Flamingo 12th arrondissement
23 Rue d’Aligre
75012 Paris
tel: 01.43.43.47.07
Metro: Ledru-Rollin, Faidherbe-Chaligny

Tu-Sun: 12pm-3pm / 7pm-11.30pm (last order and delivery at 11pm)
Closed on Monday

Jacques Genin in Paris: The caramels, chocolates and pastries you don’t want to miss.

admin — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 21:50:28 +0000

There are the classic caramels, the famous ones au beurre salé (salty butter caramels) from Brittany and then there are the flavored ones such as the passion-mango caramels from Jacques Genin that are absolutely decadent and probably some of the best in the world—I weigh my words. Other flavors are: pistachio, almond, hazelnut, coffee, vanilla, ginger, cinnamon, licorice… They are so soft and buttery you wonder how they manage to keep their shape and you tell yourself you can’t eat more than one but you can’t stop going back to them. His chocolates drive me nuts—oh! the caramelized almond Rochers, mmm the hazelnut pralinés! They are made with the finest ingredients, the flavors are as delicate as the patterns drawn onto their perfectly square shape and their names are as playful as they are appetizing. And then there are Jacques Genin’s pastries: he has mastered the art of the classic French pastries (éclair, Paris-Brest, tarte au chocolat noir, mille-feuille…)
After years of working in his lab and selling his treats to high-end restaurants and hotels, Jacques Genin has finally opened his own shop/tea salon. It is located a few blocks away from the busy area of rue de Bretagne, its trendy cafés and popular shops.

Jacques Genin
133 Rue de Turenne
75003 Paris
tel: 01.45.77.29.01
Metro: Filles du Calvaire

Tu-Sun: 11am-7pm
Closed on Monday

Le Square Trousseau: A perfect terrasse in Paris open all day for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

admin — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 13:51:17 +0000

If you saw the movie “Paris, je t’aime” then you have seen the inside of this lovely turn of the century café-restaurant located right across the street from the pretty square Trousseau—a perfect view from the heated terrasse. My favorite time to hang out at Le Square Trousseau is during off-hours when there is always a free table on the terrasse (and not too many smokers around) and for l’apéro or breakfast. They serve good coffee and some of the best croissants and pain au chocolats (voted best in Paris) that come from the very popular bakery next door, Blé Sucré.
The restaurant fills up pretty quickly for lunch and dinner so I would recommend making a reservation. If you want to try a dish that makes this restaurant more than worth going back to, try the seven-hour lamb. Oh, and the hamburger looks delicious. Le Square Trousseau restaurant can also accommodate private parties up to 18 people in the restaurant’s adjacent private dining-room. The food is good, the staff is great, the place is very charming, the atmosphere is peaceful, there’s free Wi-Fi and magazines, Le Square Trousseau is always open—it’s a great address.

Le square Trousseau
1 Rue Antoine Vollon
75012 Paris
tel: 01.43.43.06.00
Metro: Ledru-Rollin

Open 7/7
M-Sun: 8am-2pm (lunch/dinner menu from 12pm until 12am non-stop)

Du Pain et Des Idées in Paris: A treasure of a bakery.

admin — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 22:11:26 +0000

It is true what they say, Christophe Vasseur’s caramelized apple tartelette is to die for. It is simply the best one I’ve had—it probably came out of the oven a little before I bought it because it was still warm and that only added to my one-of-a-kind experience of apple tartelette consumption. It’s funny how some very simple pleasures can change the course of your day. I think I will forever associate that part of the 10th arrondissement with Du Pain et Des Idées bakery.
Christophe Vasseur is passionate about his trade. At 30 years old he left the corporate world to become the renown baker that he is; he opened his bakery Du Pain et Des Idées in 2002 and was elected Meilleur Boulanger de Paris 2008 (Best Baker of Paris) by Gault & Millau.
At Du Pain et Des Idées all of the breads and pastries are made the most traditional way (here a baguette is made in seven hours as opposed to the average hour and half) and with the best ingredients (only fresh seasonal fruits are used for the pastries.) Three-Michelin-star chef Alain Passard says of Christophe Vasseur’s Le Pain des Amis that it is the best he’s had.

Du Pain et Des Idées
34 Rue Yves Toudic
75010 Paris
tel: 01.42.40.44.52
Metro: Jacques Bonsergent, République

M-F: 7am-8pm
Closed on Saturday, Sunday

Hot chocolate at La Patisserie Viennoise in Paris.

admin — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 20:50:04 +0000

This is a perfect place for hot drinks on a cold and rainy day. La Patisserie Viennoise is a quaint, and almost centenarian, tea salon nested right between the University René Descartes and La Sorbonne. Located in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, at the edge of the Latin Quarter, it is often packed with students sipping the decadent house signature drink: a bittersweet hot chocolate topped with a mountain of homemade whipped cream (if you order the small hot chocolate I suggest you ask for half the amount of whipped cream so that you don’t end up with a lukewarm drink.) La Patisserie Viennoise serves traditional Viennese pastries (apfelstrudel, sacher torte, linzer torte…) and salads, quiches and pasta dishes for lunch. When in the neighborhood, do not miss the master chocolatier Patrick Roger located a block away.

La Patisserie Viennoise
8 Rue de l’École de Médecine
75006 Paris
tel:01.43.26.60.48
Metro: Cluny - La Sorbonne, Odéon

M-F: 9am-7pm
Closed on Saturday, Sunday

Patrick Roger in Paris: Chocolate spectacle and gustative excellence.

admin — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 20:24:11 +0000

Patric Roger is one of France’s finest chocolatiers—he has been awarded the Meilleur Ouvrier de France (MOF) title in 2000 and is systematically amongst France’s top ten chocolate artisans of the year.
Patric Roger is known for his extravagant chocolate sculptures that are a total delight for the eyes. He is a must-see and must-try. Aside from his top-of-the-line treats and entertaining sculptures (I’m crazy about the “Allegory”—a caramelized almond, orange and grape chocolate candy, and the “Cuzco”—almond nougatine chocolate candy), what I love about Patrick Roger are his opening hours—they are as straightforward as can be. The hours are the same everyday in every boutique. And this, believe me, is very refreshing in the land of awfully puzzle-like and debilitating store opening hours!
Check out Patrick Roger’s website to see his chocolate creations and have a look-see at his portrait… it’s worth the detour.

Patrick Roger
Patrick Roger 6th arrondissement
108 Boulevard Saint-Germain
75006 Paris
tel: 01.43.29.38.42
Metro: Odéon, Cluny - La Sorbonne

M-Sat: 10.30am-7.30pm
Closed on Sunday

91 Rue de Rennes
75006 Paris
tel: 01.45.44.66.13
Metro: Rennes

M-Sat: 10.30am-7.30pm
Closed on Sunday

Patrick Roger 8th arrondissement
199 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré
75008 Paris
8th arrondissement
tel: 01.45.61.11.46
Metro Charles de Gaule - Etoile, Ternes

M-Sat: 10.30am-7.30pm
Closed on Sunday

Patrick Roger 16th arrondissement
45 Avenue Victor Hugo
75016 Paris
tel: 01.45.01.66.71
Metro: Charles de Gaule - Etoile, Ternes

M-Sat: 10.30am-7.30pm
Closed on Sunday

Stéphane Vandermeersch in Paris: A disciple of master pastry chef Pierre Hermé in the 12th arrondissement.

admin — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 22:17:08 +0000

Stéphane Vandermeersch, who worked five years for Pierre Hermé, bakes breads and pastries that make his shop one of the most visited in the 12th arrondissement, and draws crowds from all corners of Paris. While his morning pastries and breads will make people line up at his bakery on the weekend, he is most famous for his Galette des Rois (the Twelfth Night cake that celebrates the Epiphany), he sells about 4000 of them each year, and if that wasn’t enough he has also been crowned the master of Kouglof, and his Millefeuille (an unpretentious delectable classic French pastry) has been voted number one in Paris! Now go, run, race to Vandermeersch!

Stéphane Vandermeersch
278 Avenue Daumesnil
75012 Paris
tel: 01.43.47.21.66
Metro: Porte Dorée

W-Sun: 7am-8pm
Closed on Monday and Tuesday.

Patisserie Le Triomphe: The quintessential Parisian croissant.

admin — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 21:21:12 +0000

I will take the metro at dawn and endure the early morning dense crowd for croissants from Le Triomphe, even if some of Paris’ croissants voted “best of” can be found a few blocks away from my place. They are what I would call the quintessential Parisian croissants and Le Triomphe makes them how I like them best: no fancy sweet glaze on top, flaky on the outside, doughy inside, buttery but not greasy, just the right texture and flavor. It’s this kind of croissant that makes a Frenchman homesick when he is away from the motherland and has a tourist rush to a bakery on his arrival to France. Le Triomphe pastry shop has three stores, two in Paris (I went to the one in the 20th arrondissement) and one right outside of the city limits. I tried some of their pastries too and they are absolutely delightful. I will go back for more of those too. Thank you A. & D. for pointing me in the right direction.

Le Triomphe
Le Triomphe 20th arrondissement
95 Rue d’Avron
75020 Paris
tel: 01.43.73.24.50
Metro: Maraîchers

Tu-Sat: 7.30am-7.30pm
Sun: 7.30am-7pm
Closed on Monday

Le Triomphe 12th arrondissement
23 Rue du Rendez-Vous
75012 Paris
tel: 01.40.02.08.79
Metro: Picpus

Tu-F: 8am-2pm / 4pm-7.30pm
Sat: 8am-7.30pm
Sun: 8am-2pm
Closed on Monday

Le Triomphe Vincennes
117 Avenue de Paris
94160 Saint Mande
tel: 01.43.28.03.16
Metro: Saint-Mandé

Tu-Th: 9am-2pm / 4pm-8pm
F, Sat: 9am-8pm
Sun: 9am-1pm
Closed on Monday

La Petite Rose in Paris: Fine chocolates and pastries near the Parc Monceau.

admin — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 17:26:31 +0000

La Petite Rose in Paris is a great place to get some high quality pastries and chocolates. The chef Miyuki Watanabe worked with renown pastry chef and chocolatier Gérard Mulot before opening her own shop a few blocs from the Parc Monceau and the Nissim de Camondo museum. La Petite Rose has a few tables in lieu of a tea salon, facing a small counter of delicious pastries and a much bigger counter of excellent chocolates. I particularly enjoy the mendiants - a small crisp chocolate disk covered with caramelized almonds, hazelnuts, pistachios and a fine slice of candied orange. For Christmas La Petite Rose offers a wide selection of Bûches de Noël (traditionally a génoise cake filled with chocolate buttercream in the shape of a yule log) such as: Bûche Valentin (chocolate and raspberry crème brulée), Bûche Marius (chestnut and chocolate), Bûche Earl Grey (chocolate and earl grey), Bûche Thé Vert Matcha (green tea and red bean), Bûche Fruits Rouges (vanilla and red fruit), Bûche Pomme Caramel (caramel, caramelized apples and bittersweet chocolate), Bûche Tropicale (passion fruit and coconut). Count about €4 for a pastry. Chocolates are 6,40€/100g.

La Petite Rose
11 Boulevard de Courcelles
75008 Paris
tel: 01.45.22.07.27
Metro: Villiers

Th-Tues: 10am-7.30pm
Closed on Wednesday

Goût, Thé et… Chocolat: A fine selection of award winning artisans’ chocolates on Rue d’Aligre.

admin — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 23:51:50 +0000

At Goût, Thé et… Chocolat on rue d’Aligre you’ll find a careful selection of chocolates, dark and milk pralinés or ganache made by France’s finest artisans. The chocolates that are for sale in this tiny shop are by a select few such as Rémi Henry, Hubert Masse or Fabrice Gillotte who won the Meilleur Ouvrier de France (MOF) title, which is the highest title given to an artisan for the quality of his work in his trade. Do not leave Goût, Thé et… Chocolat without a box of Fabrice Gillotte’s new creation (Fall 2009): Aquacao—a selection of dark ganache squares each made with cacao from four different origins (Venezuela, Peru, Colombia and Ecuador) and filled with a cocoa-bean-infused jelly. And while you are at it, grab one of Fabrice Gillotte’s Christmas creations: a dark or milk chocolate praliné Christmas tree. It doesn’t look like anything, aesthetically speaking, but I guess the energy that didn’t go into making it look pretty went into making it taste divine.
There are also other sweet things such as artisanal ice-creams and sorbets by Mr Phoenix who only sells to reputable restaurants, macarons, tuiles au chocolat, dragées, cheesecake… If they are selling the dark chocolate-covered hazelnuts with cocoa powder on top when you stop by, try them!
If you are looking for high end chocolates in the 12th arrondissement, this is the place to go to.

In the same neighborhood, check out Les Crus du Soleil for great wines at an unbeatable price, Sur Les Quais for some delectable tapenades or La Graineterie du Marché for a one-of-a-kind picturesque dry goods store.

Goût, Thé et… Chocolat
13 Rue d’Aligre
75012 Paris
tel: 01.43.40.34.45
Metro: Ledru-Rollin, Faidherbe-Chaligny

Tu-F: 9.30am-1.30pm / 3pm-8pm (4pm-7.30pm in August)
Sat: 9am-8pm
Sun: 9am-2pm
Closed on Monday