Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Paris -- Holiday Food

December in Paris is all about food. I've been here nearly a week and have done less walking than usual due to bad weather, but I'm starting to get around and check out what's new.

On the Île Saint-Louis, the famed butcher Gardil has a window full of gorgeous, well-dressed and expensive (64 euros per kilo -- $35 per pound -- for Bresse capon) birds. This is where I plan to provision myself for our annual Christmas dinner with our Japanese friends in Paris. Jews and Buddhists celebrating Christmas: why not?

Poultry at Boucherie Gardil
And there's a bakery on Rue Saint-Antoine that sells a big variety of what the French call "cakes," generally not overly sweet cakes made in loaf pans. I have to try one soon.

Cakes at bakery on rue Saint-Antoine
I did get to the Madeleine. As usual, Hediard had nice windows,

Hediard's Christmas window
And the Maison de la Truffe had about a million dollars' worth of black truffles in its display.

Giant truffles at Maison de la Truffe -- a study in noir et blanc
 Caviar Kaspia had a cute display, with fake Russian dolls,

Caviar Kaspia window
And Fauchon had a beautiful new cake this year. (They always beautiful products even though Fauchon is no longer the best that Paris has to offer.)

Gorgeous cake at Fauchon
More to come in future posts.

Bobby Jay

1 comment:

Amanda said...

A feast for the eyes! I love to look at holiday "vitrines" when it is cold and grey in Paris (not that I have done that in a while). Happy Hanukkah!