Posted by Robyn Lee, March 20, 2008 at 11:00 AM
If you're in Paris, today is the day to visit Pierre Hermé and grab some free macarons, along with help raise money to treat rare diseases. (And if you don't live in Paris, don't even try to find anything as good as Pierre's macarons; you will fail.)
To celebrate the third-annual Macaron Day, Pierre Hermé shops are offering three free macarons plus a special raspberry chocolate macaron to raise money for Fédération des Maladies Orphelines (an organization dedicated to treating rare diseases). To donate money to the organization, buy one or more red macarons. I recommend shooting for "more"—besides that it's for a charitable cause, any excuse to eat lots of macarons sounds good to me.
Previously
Introduction to French Macarons
Where to Find Macarons
How to Make Macarons
Interview with Macaron Specialist Dorie Greenspan
Posted by Robyn Lee, February 13, 2008 at 6:30 PM
Photograph from Sara Rosso on Flickr
Caramel macarons from Paris's Ladurée stand out from the rest because they're filled with pure, gooey caramel instead of the more widely used caramel cream. If you need any more reason to visit Paris, stare into the heart of the macaron's "money shot," taken by Sara Rosso.
Previously: Sara takes beautiful photos of pretty much everything, such as this sliced pear and Nutella. If you don't know what macarons are, be sure to read our introduction to French macarons.
Posted by Robyn Lee, November 1, 2007 at 7:00 PM
La Petite Americaine came across a shocking item at her local Parisian supermarket: pre-poached eggs. Because there just isn't enough time to leave an egg in a pot of simmering water for three minutes these days.
Of course, she couldn't get away with being in the presence of poached eggs-in-a-box without actually trying them. So she did, with questionable results.
Posted by Robyn Lee, October 9, 2007 at 10:00 AM
While living the high life on her extended vacation in Paris, Carol Gillot of Paris Breakfasts went on a tour of famed pâtisserie Gérard Mulot's kitchen. As the pâtisserie is known for its wide array of French macarons, it's no surprise that Gillot documented the macaron-making process. Now, where can I get a sextuple-nozzled macaron batter dispenser?
Posted by Robyn Lee, June 15, 2007 at 5:30 PM
Eric of Paris Daily Photo snapped a shot of this year's "flashmob in white" where more than 7,500 people gathered in front of the Arc de Triomphe for a three-hour dinner. France24 has more information:
Police arrived 10 minutes later but could do little but stand and watch as what organizers say was a crowd of 7,500 munched and sipped wine on what is usually one of the busiest traffic spots in Paris.
The venue of the yearly "dinner in white" is always kept secret until the last possible minute, with a second location ready in case police prevent diners from making it to the first.
I'll acquire a white outfit for next year if someone could tell me how to get invited to one of these things.
Posted by Lia Bulaong, March 28, 2007 at 3:30 PM
Fodor's introduces its Ten Commandments of Paris Dining by saying "the rituals of dining in Paris are far less complex than, say, in Japan, but observing these few principles will increase your chances of obtaining good service," but I think all except numbers two and ten apply to restaurants all over the planet, and for ten, you really only need to find the appropriate word to use.
My favorite is Commandment No. 7, "Thou shalt avoid awkward requests: Salad dressing on the side, omelettes without egg yolks, well-done steaks—when a chef takes pride in his work, these things make him bristle. Try to save this type of request for cafés."
From talking to people in the industry, I know that waiters will think less of you and so will the kitchen, and even in the best of restaurants in the world, you and your dining companions may receive lesser service and lesser food because of your fussiness, so just stop already. If you think about it, one of the most beautiful things about eating at a restaurant is that what arrives at your table is the result of someone's life's work, so if you can't do them the honor of letting them do what they do best, maybe you should be eating elsewhere instead. (Food allergies are of course the exception to the rule; any restaurant worth your time and money should and will bend over backwards to make sure you enjoy your meal!)
Posted by Lia Bulaong, March 20, 2007 at 10:30 AM
Serious Eats intern Robyn, a.k.a. The Girl Who Ate Everything, is finally back from Paris and brought delicious macarons into the office today—that I cannot eat because I'm working from home today. Alas. The opportunity for me to go in and get one has passed, but it's not too late for you to read about her recent adventures in France:
1) First Bites in Paris: "When one of my friends told me to eat a green macaron for her in Paris, she was probably referring to those of the pistachio flavored kind. Instead, the first green macaron I ate during my vacation was flavored with the fatty squeezings of olives and a hint of vanilla, borne from the incomparably distinctive kitchen of Pierre Hermé who I believe makes the best macarons in Paris."
2) Salads and Baguettes of Greatness: "They're known for making crazy salads in bowls the size of babies' bathtubs that defy convention by consisting of a mountain of thick, garlic-laden fried potato rounds on a bed of lettuce and other salad items that wouldn't taste nearly as awesome without potato suffocation. For those unrestricted by a vegetarian diet, the salad may also include fat-laden things of animal origins such as tuna, lardons, smoked duck or foie gras."
3) Sorbet and Gelato: Part of a Balanced Diet, Kind Of: "Although my soul usually writhes in horror at the idea of not getting a creamy, dairy-based flavor, my body screamed for something with fruit or at least a slight presence of beneficial nutritional value."
4) Falafel + Marshmallows = Lunch: "It may not be Lenny Kravitz approved (although how that become the gold standard for a great falafel I have no idea), but it's at least Robyn and Meg approved, which must count for something."
Posted by Robyn Lee, March 16, 2007 at 11:41 AM
By Robyn Lee | I don't know how L'as du Falafel can be considered the best falafel in Paris when Mi-Va-Mi sits right across the street. It may not be Lenny Kravitz approved (although how that become the gold standard for a great falafel I have no idea), but it's at least Robyn and Meg approved, which must count for something.
Mi-Va-Mi's falafel pita sandwich stuffs light, crispy deep fried balls of seasoned ground chickpea in a soft, fluffy, chewy pita along with melty eggplant chunks that are reminiscent of butter and what seems to be an entire head of chopped pickled red cabbage. It would be better with more falafel and eggplant magic and less crunchy cabbage action, but it's still really damn good and easily one of the tastiest falafels I've ever eaten.
After chowing down on falafels my friend and I went to the nearby Boulangerie Malineau. While my original plan was just to get a pain au chocolat, my stomach gurgled at the sight of the fluffy multicolored marshmallow sticks and my friend and I ended up sharing a pain au chocolat and a coconut marshmallow in the small square on rue du Bourg-Tibourg off rue de Rivoli. The pain au chocolat was alright, but the marshmallow left us craving more. The mildly coconut flavored marshmallow reminded us of some kind of coconut flavored Asian dessert, but you know...better because it's in the form of a marshmallow. And not one of those cube or cylindrical pillow-shaped things, but like five baby marshmallows congealed together in one long beautiful plank for a grand total of 70 centimes.
I went back to the bakery today and bought one of each flavor.
Mi-Va-Mi
27 rue des Ecouffes, 4ème
Boulangerie Malineau
18 rue Vieille du Temple, 4ème
Robyn Lee is interning at Serious Eats for the semester. Like what you've read here? See more at The Girl Who Ate Everything.
Posted by Robyn Lee, March 15, 2007 at 2:20 PM
By Robyn Lee | After a failed early afternoon trip to Gelati d’Alberto which didn't open until 3 PM, my friend Jessie and I went to Damman's Glacier for dessert after scarfing down some sadly sub-par gyros at Saint Michel. Although my soul usually writhes in horror at the idea of not getting a creamy, dairy-based flavor, my body screamed for something with fruit or at least a slight presence of beneficial nutritional value. Of course, strawberry basil sorbet isn't exactly recommended by doctors; it just seemed less doom-full than Jessie's orange chocolate ice cream. A hint of basil mixed with strawberry made for a refreshing dessert, but it would've been better if the "small" wasn't the size of a baby's fist.
Then again, if the portion hadn't been so small then sampling the goods at Delizefollie would've been more difficult for my bloated stomach. We tried a generously filled small cup of pistachio, which I use as the standard "IS THIS PLACE AWESOME?" flavor to judge a place on, and caramel, which the gelateria named "MOO". I could smell the roasted nutty flavor of the muted yellow-green pistachio before it even hit my mouth—it definitely passed the "awesome" test. The caramel flavor was subtle, but enhanced by small chunks of creamy caramel. I also sampled the mint which, as the odd sea-green color forewarned me, wasn't made with real mint. (I think a good rule to follow is "skip colors that are not naturally occurring".) I'd still pick Pozzetto over Deliziefoliie, but Deliziefollie is better if you want more flavor choices, larger portions, a view of the magically fluffy mountains of gelato, and a place to sit right outside the shop.
Damman's Glacier
1 rue des Grands Degrés, 5ème
Deliziefollie
7 rue Montorgueil, 1ème
Robyn Lee is interning at Serious Eats for the semester. Like what you've read here? See more at The Girl Who Ate Everything.
Posted by Robyn Lee, March 14, 2007 at 10:30 AM
By Robyn Lee | I returned to one of my favorite restaurants, Le Relais Gascon, upon the request for a place that served French food, was vegetarian friendly, didn't cost a bucketload, and could fit a group of six. They're known for making crazy salads in bowls the size of babies' bathtubs that defy convention by consisting of a mountain of thick, garlic-laden fried potato rounds on a bed of lettuce and other salad items that wouldn't taste nearly as awesome without potato suffocation. For those unrestricted by a vegetarian diet, the salad may also include fat-laden things of animal origins such as tuna, lardons, smoked duck or foie gras. Say hello to the most delicious and thus least healthy salad ever.
On Sunday morning I took a few friends to Gosselin, picked by Travel + Leisure as having the best baguettes in Paris. Being open on a Sunday when many other places were closed was also a draw that may have contributed to the long line outside its door aside from the award-winning baguettes. My friends and I dug into our carb-laden treasures while sitting on a bench in the inner courtyard of the nearby Louvre. While the baguette was delicious with its thick, crispy crust and soft, chewy innards, the members of the non-baguette family didn't fare as well. The croissant was disappointingly so-so for being too dense and missing the crucial light, explodingly flaky outer layer, and the pain aux raisins just tasted too dry. Definitely try a baguette, but it may be best to get your viennoiseries elsewhere.
Le Relais Gascon
6 Rue des Abbesses, 18ème
Gosselin
125 Rue St.-Honoré, 1ème
Robyn Lee is interning at Serious Eats for the semester. Like what you've read here? See more at The Girl Who Ate Everything.
Posted by Lia Bulaong, March 6, 2007 at 5:13 PM
Serious Eats intern extraordinaire Robyn, whom you probably know better as the Girl Who Ate Everything, spent last semester in Paris and is going back later this week on her spring break. It might not be comprehensive but her short guide to the City of Lights is certainly très charmant, and there is probably no one I trust more to tell me where the best macaron in all the arrondisements is. If you've got tasty foods and good restaurants to suggest for her upcoming trip (or an idea of the perfect souvenir for her to bring back for me!), please by all means leave a comment.
Posted by Ed Levine, February 9, 2007 at 9:00 AM
photo credit: iStockphoto.com
Other than New York, I probably get asked more for Paris restaurant recommendations than for any other city. I usually just send people to patriciawells.com and davidlebovitz.com, because I trust their judgment. They both live in Paris, and they both have steered me and many of my friends and family right many times. But when I go to Paris, I like to be armed with a few specific recommendations that I can act on. That's where a trusted pal comes in handy. My friend and sometime collaborator Kathryn Kellinger and her husband, Balthazar co-chef Lee Hansen, just returned from Paris and filed this report:
Continue reading »
Posted by Lia Bulaong, January 31, 2007 at 3:55 PM
David Lebovitz likes the 2007 edition of Time Out Paris: Eating and Drinking, and he lives there, so he should know! It's great to be able to find restaurants by cuisine or arrondisement, but my favorite parts of guidebooks are always the sidebars "directing you to gastronomic specialties around town; where to find cheese, ice cream, or where to take a wine tasting."
