Clotilde Dusoulier adores food the way we adore Paris--so we invited her to share all her culinary favorites in the world's most delectable city.
Chez Jean 8 rue St-Lazare, 9th arr., 011-33/1-48-78-62-73, prix fixe $45
ShopIf the idea of purchasing professional-quality pots and pans sends your heart aflutter, an expedition to Les Halles is in order. It was historically Paris's main food market (before it was moved to the outskirts in 1969), and a few age-old stores remain, selling cooking gear at reasonable prices to professionals and amateurs alike. The renowned E. Dehillerin is a must, but so are A. Simon, a block away (the restaurant tableware is simple and affordable) and Mora, selling more baking tools than you and I will ever know how to use. Everyone needs a chocolate-dipping fork, no?
Once your kitchen is fully re-equipped, hop to the nearby G. Detou for supplies. The small shop, which my grandmother recommended to me, has shelves upon shelves of bargain-priced cooking ingredients in bulk (nuts, chocolate, spices-- some impossible to find anywhere else) and a number of gourmet items (jams, condiments, and did I mention chocolate?) that make great gifts for the foodies you love--including yourself.For more of these fine products (and a few more euros), the two temples for the fancy-food hunter are Lafayette Gourmet and La Grande Epicerie de Paris, which carry a dizzying array of the latest in fine- food fashions. If you prefer small stores with someone to advise you, check out the spices and exotic products at Izrael in the Marais and Le Comptoir Colonial in Montmartre.Tea lovers, rejoice: Le Palais des Thés is the place for a wide selection of quality blends from all over the world--including a selection of thés rares--as well as stylish accessories. Perched on top of the Butte-aux-Cailles, Les Abeilles is a tiny shop specializing in beekeeping gear and honey-based products. You'll find everything you need to please your inner bear, including a stupendous honey cake ($7.75 per pound).
Open-air markets are certainly the most uplifting and fun places for food shopping. Saturday mornings often find me walking happily around the organic Marché des Batignolles, filling my basket with lush and uncommon fruits and veggies, not to mention terrific cheeses. It's in the 17th arrondissement, on the Boulevard des Batignolles, outside the Métro Rome. Just one district to the east, but on the opposite end of the social spectrum, the super-crowded Marché de Barbès is held on Wednesday and Saturday mornings (on Boulevard de la Chapelle, outside the Métro Barbès). Elbow through the colorful throngs and buy produce for a steal. You can even haggle if you're so inclined. The roundup of my favorite food shops wouldn't be complete if I didn't mention chocolate. I'd need countless pages to cover this subject, but let me share three current favorites: Jadis et Gourmande, for the tresse, a specialty chocolate with nuts and candied orange peel ($7 for 22 ounces); Cacao et Chocolat, for the hot chocolate bar, pastries, and Impériale line of ganaches ($9.75 for 22 ounces); and L'Atelier du Chocolat de Bayonne, for the rippled sheets of chocolate sold in pretty bouquets ($14.50 for 7.75 ounces). Of course, once you've welcomed all those goodies into your home, you'll need the proper accessories to present them. Head to Habitat for classy and modern tableware, then to Sentou Galerie for a look at the latest trends and designer items. If you yearn for previously loved country-house plates and bowls instead, L'Objet qui Parle, a tiny attic of a shop on rue des Martyrs, will be just your thing. And for a change of pace, consider the beautiful African tableware at L'Arbre du Voyageur . The handmade dishes and cutlery, as well as a wealth of other decorative objects, jewelry, and food products, were purchased under fair trade conditions directly from the artisans.There's no such thing as too many cookbooks--just too little shelf space. Located on the up-and-coming rue Charlot, a gallery and bookstore called Food carries a smart selection of titles in French, English, and Japanese. Didn't think a whole recipe book could be written about vegetable peelings? Think again!What do you drink with all of this? Start at Lavinia, a three-floor wine emporium (3 bd de la Madeleine, 1st arr., 011-33/1-42-97-20-20). Rare bottles are in the basement; you may find yourself whispering out of respect. For an honest little wine, I turn to my no-frills neighborhood shop, La Cave des Abbesses (43 rue des Abbesses, 18th arr., 011-33/1-42-52-81-54).
E. Dehillerin 18 rue Coquillière, 1st arr., 011-33/1-42-36-53-13
Simon 48 rue Montmartre, 2nd arr., 011-33/1-42-33-71-65
Mora 13 rue Montmartre, 1st arr., 011-33/1-45-08-19-24
G. Detou 58 rue Tiquetonne, 2nd arr., 011-33/1-42-36-54-67
Lafayette Gourmet 48 bd Haussmann, 9th arr., 011-33/1-40-23-52-25
La Grande Epicerie 38 rue de Sèvres, 7th arr., 011-33/1-44-39-81-00
Izrael 30 rue François Miron, 4th arr., 011-33/1-42-72-66-23
Le Comptoir Colonial 22 rue Lepic, 18th arr., 011-33/1-42-58-44-84
Note: This story was accurate when it was published. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
