Best Lunch in Paris?: Croque Monsieur aux Courgettes from Gérard Mulot
Superstar intern Sarah Wolf just got back from a summer study in Paris, where she ate seriously, of course. This is the first of her snapshots from the City of Lights. —Adam
Gérard Mulot and their croque monsieur.
See that little fleck of green in this warm, crispy croque monsieur from renowned patisserie Gérard Mulot, peeking out from inside the ham, melted cheese and butter-drenched toast? Yes, in the midst of all the delicious fat, that is indeed a vegetable—zucchini, to be exact. Thanks to its added crunch and its ability to convince me that it was somehow counteracting the damage the other ingredients were doing to my arteries, the zucchini helped establish this as the best sandwich—if not necessarily the best lunch—I had in Paris. I devoured it in the Jardin du Luxembourg, the big beautiful garden a few blocks from the patisserie, while sitting on a lounge chair and looking out at the trees and the pond. Following it with one of Mulot's incredible lemon tarts didn't hurt the meal, either.
If you can't buy the genuine article in Paris, try to make your own!
Gérard Mulot
76 Rue de Seine, 75006, 6th Arrondissement, Paris, France (map)
01 43 26 85 77
gerard-mulot.com
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4 Comments:
I've got to go back to France and watch more carefully as they make these. I've never been able to make a croque monsieur half as good as the ones I had in France.
kaszeta at 1:51PM on 08/07/08
I look forward to more of these posts. I'm going to be in Paris in late September and am building a list of places I want to check out. Keep em coming!
simon at 1:56PM on 08/07/08
In that case, I have to recommend to you Le Relais de L'Entrecote (aka "Entrecote") on the rue Saint Benoit, just off Blvd. Saint Germain (very close to rue de Seine, so you could snack on the Croque Monsieur before eating your steak!) The best steak-frites in Paris. I always make it a point to stop in. The only thing on the menu is steak frites, and you simply tell them if you want it rare, medium, or well done. Then you get a green salad and baguette and two helpings of steak and perfect frites with their secret green sauce. Tourists and Parisians alike flock there, so get there before 7:30 to avoid the lines. Their house red and profiteroles are a good way to finish it all off!
And of course, you have to go to Laduree, on the rue Bonaparte. The best macarons in the city--I recommend the rose and pistachio very highly. The perfect place for a decadent tea. I'll be writing more about Laduree and macarons today in French Revolution if you want to read more about how to make (and eat!) macarons.
You could also buy a little picnic at Paul, at the corner of rue de Seine and rue de Buci, and be very Parisian and eat it sitting on the pont des arts. Or, you could visit the Champion supermarket next door, and make the Paul sandwiches yourself .
Bon voyage!
Kerry at 8:09AM on 08/08/08
I wish I would have know about Gerard Mulot before I traveled to Paris in December, I will make a note to visit this wonderful place on my next visit. Now, for macarons! The best macarons are at Laduree and I have heard that Laduree may be opening in the Plaza Hotel here in New York, has anyone heard about this???
Lann730 at 10:51AM on 08/11/08