Spring In Paris Part Two, June 11th

So you read all the pre-chatter about the spring jaunt to Paris on the blog this past Monday… but here are the fun details you’ve been waiting for that describe my memorable week.

Instead of taking the latest night flight possible like we do in the fall hoping to get some shuteye, we opted for the earlier flight as time on the ground was at a premium. And yes, I was not really expecting to sleep. I try but never do, so I didn’t care. I wanted to get there as soon as possible and jump right in. And Delta has this new thing where you preselect your onboard meal. So I chose the probably inedible Chipotle Chicken which looked promising in the picture. But wasn’t good in person. However, the mini lemon bar was great.

So after an overseas haul of too long to be comfortable since I was wired and too short to even sleep even though we were tired, we landed just before 10am local time at CDG exhausted and excited. It was great to be back!

After the quick taxi ride, we practically threw our luggage into the fancy hotel-ish VRBO rental that was ready three hours before our official check in time. And it was even better than the online pictures led us to believe. Finally. Booking dot yeah!

Having passed over the chicken like dish on the plane hours earlier, we were starving. So naturally our first stop was sustenance. And not surprisingly I strategically placed us in the 10th, mere steps away from Mamiche and Mamiche Traiteur— arguably the best takeout shops for swanky sandos, salads and pastries in the whole city. Yes, this was the homebase of the trip as we planned to hit up these two spots on the daily. When you know you know. (Hold your applause.)

After a hearty meal we decided to power through the afternoon to try to acclimate to local time. And what better way to do that then to start with a breezy walk through the bustling Marais? Ahhh, Paris in spring.

Our day included world famous mecca Merci for housewares, clothes and home goods, and a trek over to the gigantic cosmetics emporium Pharmacie du Forum Des Halles for emergency replacement Cica Biafine Crème Mains (hand cream), Phytovolume Shampoo in easy to pack plastic bottles, ISDIN sunblock, Avène healing ointment, and Fig Leaf Body Wash by Klorane. Haul completed we walked every street we could manage to peruse enjoying every second of the unseasonably warm and sunny weather.

Low on energy, we finally crash landed for an outdoor dinner of Salmon Tartar on a bed of dressed greens and fries at Carette and marveled at the gorgeous Place des Vosges in full bloom. For dessert we indulged with a Paris Carette puff pastry with hazelnut cream and shared a tall, sweet Chocolate Viennois which was like chilled glass of slurpy chocolate milk with a mountain of cool whipped cream floating on the top. What a day! But jet lag started to catch up with us so we slowly walked back to the room to finish unpacking and rest up after a great first day.

Friday was day two. The schedule was jam packed and started quite literally with a strawberry jam run to world famous chocolatier Jean-Paul Hévin for The Mothership who told me she was running low. So we buzzed by to refill her stock. It’s her favorite so I happily obliged.

After checking that box we hit up Union Boulangerie for a chunk of their incredibly popular rustic loaf and a gigantic homemade brownie with whole hazelnuts and then double timed it back to the room for a quickie breakfast. Trying our best to be civilized, we impatiently slathered an obscene amount of Échiré French butter on rough cut slabs of the bread and wanted to die of happiness from the very first bite. It was so fresh and we loved the flour dusted crust and chewy authentic flavor. But the brownie? Sleeper hit of the boulangerie. So incredible, fudgy and fabulously rich– a stunning achievement in baking.

We then hopped onto the Metro bound for a day on the Left Bank complete with walking nine miles, tons of picturesque photos, a pop into Prada, stops for taking in the views, a quick lookisee into every boutique we passed, and a fast run around department store Le Bon Marché. They were sporting a beach theme promo throughout complete with a fun SpongeBob “Bob Marché” collab.

We also did a grab and go looting of cookie and cracker favorites, replacement tubes of good mayo and a few new foodie items from Le Grand Épicerie. We had just enough time to jet over to make our lunch reservations at a tiny place I was dying to try.

Our destination was Bar Des Prés, the left bank Asian gem by restauranteur and pastry/chocolate chef Cyril Lignac. We shared the Yuzu Marinated Sea Bream Carpaccio with rocoto chili, the Marinated Salmon with yuzu pepper and ponzu jelly, and the ridiculously tender Miso Caramelized Green Asparagus with crunchy hazelnuts. To round out our meal we threw in a Crispy Prawn Roll with sobacha, tobiko, and Thai cream, a buttery soft Red Label Salmon Roll with avocado, jalapeño and siracha, and one perfectly plump Spicy Tuna Roll. The portions were just right for our small party of three and we loved each dish, every flavor profile and appreciated the delicate presentations.

You know I never sleep on dessert and it wasn’t hard to talk them into trying the super crunchy Gianduja Chocolate Tart with sobacha and chantilly cream and a gorgeous ripe platter of perfectly sweet Raspberries with a sidecar of vanilla chantilly. The whole meal was light and exceptional.

After even more walking, browsing, and yes, some buying we were hoping for a power nap back at the room but ran out of time before dinner. So we motored directly over to our reservation at Oobatz (packages in hand) for an incredible dinner of pizza and salad that was even more divine than I remembered. The seasonal Courgette (zucchini) Pie with mozzarella di bufala was fresh, light and crisp and the Salsiccia (Italian sausage but it was more like pepperoni) with sheep’s milk cacciocavallo and sauce tomate was salty, cheesy and a wow. We literally finished every single slice, and every bite including the delicious crusts!

Oobatz also featured a seasonal skillet dessert so we were alllll over that. Our Fraise Crumble was a homemade layered treat with sizzling strawberries below a crunchy warm crumb topper with just a hint of sea salt and a melty scoop of cheesecake ice cream sitting in a proud puddle on top. This disappeared immediately with three forks vying for attention. Yes, we walked home after this meal!

Saturday we really felt like we had our sea legs and started early with a brisk walk to to the Louvre Museum to queue for LOUVRE COUTURE, Art and Fashion: Statement Piece. What a marvel. The crowds were obnoxiously large and of course we had advance tickets so we wiggled through the gigantic exhibit and focused on the fashion.

After a pick me up Mixed Berry Smoothie at Starbucks (why don’t we have these delishy drinks in America??) we visited the new Merci 2 store near Palais Royale, and then hit Ritz Le Comptoir for some breakfasty snacks.

Armed with their long skinny classic Croissant, equally skinny Pain au Chocolate, and a marbled pastry cream layered slice called Entremets, we hit the Tuileries Garden for a little picnic in the park. What is not to love about Paris on a warm sunny day with fabulous eats?

We relished the brief respite but then it was up and back in action again. I ran into Sephora for their About That Shine glossy balm in numbers 16 and 19 because sadly Sephora US only stocks up to number 15. What’s the deal Sephy?? We need the higher numbers of sparkly shine please! We then hoofed it over to the packed mega store Galeries Lafayette which I do try to avoid on weekends, but this was not be helped considering our condensed time frame. We escalatored up to the fourth floor (women’s shoes!) to do a quick lap and then stood in line for a table at EL&N.

This made for Insta flowery hangout might look all frilly and girly, but underneath the pink and peonies and feathers they have very good food. Our table got a Shakshuka, an Eggs and Smoked Salmon Benny and two Caesar Salads with grilled chicken. And although we snacked at our park picnic, we inhaled lunch. Must have been all that walking that gave us hearty appetites?

More walking and browsing around the 1st Arrondissement led us to our Click and Collect appointment window at none other than famed pastry Instagram superstar Cedric Grolet. I pre-ordered a sharable Strawberry Tart, Vanilla Flower and a Strawberry Pavlova which they packed up fresh and gently boxed with lots of napkins and utensils for us to party on the rooftop of Galeries Lafayette while taking in the view of the Eiffel Tower and gorgeous Opera building. But since I’ve been to the roof before, my focus was on the best pastries I’ve ever had in my life. Light. Sweet. Fluffy. Delicate. Incredible. Artisanal. Cedric, you are truly the undisputed master.

We booked time at the Louis Vuitton Dream Exhibit because it was their last day and we didn’t want to miss it. Not convenient to where we were, we hit the metro and poof we ended up at the Seine right in front of the Dream. The River and Pont Neuf were teeming with people because it was Saturday and the weather was just gorgeous. After a disappointing culture blitz which looked like they already started to disassemble the exhibit, we did a mandatory promenade through the uber cool gift shop and chocolate store at the finale. Wowza. Definitely my favorite museum gift shop.

Dinner was a new name for me but supposedly Danny Meyer’s favorite place for roast chicken in the world. (Yes, THAT Danny Meyer of Union Square Café and Shake Shack fame and yes, the entire world.) The place he named was Aux Crus De Bourgogne and the menu did not disappoint. Hey, Dan. Can I call you Dan? We all four got The Famous Chicken with cream, yellow wine and morels you suggested and the Chocolate Mousse and Profiteroles to finish. Thanks for the rec. It was truly Chef’s kiss!

Sunday we knew many shops and restaurants would be closed, so we had to plan our time strategically. And the best way to start any Sunday in Paris is with a famous Charcoal Baguette from Utopie. Yum. Soft insides. Crisp outsides. Award winning of course, and not just by me.

This was really our only leisurely day, so without a formal agenda we browsed the amazing creations at chocolatier Patrick Roger, marveled at the various galleries, and photographed the iconic restaurants in the Marais with the welcoming floral buildingscapes. We shopped the vintage circuit, stumbled into tiny jewelry stores, and visited my favorite hat store, Headoniste. The crowds were thick but again the weather was sunny and perfect.

Dinner was at the exceptional La Renommée. Out of the four of us, I was the only returning guest so I couldn’t wait for everyone else to kvell over each and every bite. The savory bread basket and creamy French butter were divine. The Escargot was heavenly, garlicky and just begging for a little bread dip. And the Salade Vert et Crottin de Chavignol was perfectly composed with two rondells of tangy goat cheese and a wonderfully acidic lemon olive oil dressing.

For our mains, the off menu Double Cheeseburger was complete umami insanity and I had the best piece of ultra tender, wonderfully cooked Filet aux Poivres swimming in a green peppercorn cognac sauce. We also shared the texture rich Rabbit Pasta with a crispy fried sage coating and the falling off the bone lush, picture-worthy Half Chicken in roasting jus with a watercress salad.

On the side we had the lifechangingly immaculate Cream Spinach with garlic and the richest Potato Puree with nutmeg you could ever imagine. These are the most elite steakhouse sides of any restaurant I have ever visited or could ever visit. In my life. Yes, a bold declaration, but this was truly the best of the best.

After all the ooohing, aaahing and mmmms, we spooned down into the phenomenally rich Chocolate Mousse with thick curls of Valrhona dark chocolate spiking from the top and split the beautifully plated Pavlova with a sweet strawberry compote ring, nutty Berthillon pistachio ice cream center, fresh whipped cream and crunchy meringue accents. Yum! This was the perfect ending to a five star meal.

Monday was outlet day. It’s the best day to beat the crowds and trample through the good stores early before lines form. Thank goodness my conference didn’t start until that evening because we needed every possible minute to look in every shop and score some hard fought bargains. Remember this was a work trip? I might have forgotten, too.

Later after changing into more appropriate attire, we hit up some shops around Place Vendôme and Rue Saint-Honoré for some lovely Diptyque Body Lotion and a little Louis Vuitton souvenir in the form of a cool travel pouch. Love!

The conference kicked off with a cocktail party hosted by the France Chapter along with some lovely apps and bubbly to welcome both the overseas visitors and the European contingency. We walked back to enjoy a late night bite at Le Compas famous for their Salmon Tartar with fries and crashed back at our respective spots. Once back in the room, it was a quick pack for me since I knew the following day most of my time was already allocated. And I was thrilled to neatly fold and secure my bountiful scarf haul, fun grocery items, needed cosmetics, and outlet bargains. Definitely the result of some serious cardio shopping.

Tuesday was the last full day so I started my day pre-conference with a visit to Mamiche for a classic croissant. How they whip that dough into buttery submission is beyond me, but it was sublime. The conference hotel was located steps from the Eiffel with grand views and vistas and it was certainly a treat to visit the 7th, especially in the good weather.

And after networking through a break, and sitting through a panel on luxury retail, I was able to sneak away mid-afternoon with a friend for a curtailed visit to Le Bon Marché for some last minute trolling, a walk on Rue du Bac including Sezane, the Zara Home pop up called Bac 117 and a spectacular lunch at Le Petit Lutetia.

We sat outside at a coveted al fresco table and shared the Spicy Tuna Tartar, Gorgeous Burgundy Escargot and Lobster Spaghetti in a bisque broth with blistered cherry tomatoes, basil and lightly toasted pine nuts. The service was top notch and our food was incredible.

More walking ensued after lunch! The left bank is just chock full of fun surprises, treasures waiting to be discovered and sippable treats. We literally walked until we were spent then Ubered back to the Right Bank.

Not wanting to miss a minute of daylight, we dropped off our packages and walked back through the Marais for a last gasp of Paris visiting APM Monaco for some much needed bling, Kiko Milano for fun makeup and Anaim for unique clothes and accessories.

Our last meal was of course Carette. More salmon in the form of a Club Sandwich this time with well done fries on the side and a breathtakingly beautiful dessert of mixed berries with a huge side of whip. Exceptional.

The travel day home is always a mad scramble. But we of course had a few minutes to hit Mamiche one final time for a victory lap and packed up some scrumptious plane fare for the transatlantic flight before heading to the airport.

After the thankfully short line to claim our VAT tax, we checked bags, cleared security, and chilled in the lounge before boarding.

I might have also done a little damage at everyone’s favorite orange boxed retailer. Oops! I couldn’t resist. My bad. Another triumphant adventure in the books. Ahhhh. Paris!