AT PLAY

For the home enhancers, the foodies, the wanderers

Loving Parisian Passages…

Exploring the second layer of Paris requires the luxury of time and given I’ve done the touristy bits, am now on a mission to explore the Passages (see previous post ‘A second layer of Parisian finds). And you know what? Sometimes they just sneak up on you…

Passages Panoramas has numerous entrances and I just happened to find one as I popped out the other end of Passages Jouffroy and onto Boulevard Montmartre. Fortuitous indeed for this one is chock full of surprises. There are half a dozen philatelists’ shops but also several seriously hip wine bars: Les Racines for trendy vins naturels, Coinstot Vino for Italian vintages, and Le Diable Verre, a lounge bar where your feet will insist you wallow a while. Spent ages examining the fascinating collectables in Tombées du Camion, from curious plastic dolls to kitsch postcards, antique tin boxes and quirky door knobs.

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Satisfied, a smug smirk on my face now, two Passages in one day. Eight to go.

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A second layer of Parisian finds…

The town planners in Paris created a labyrinth of hidden passages across Paris in the late18th century and although many have fallen into disrepair or have been demolished over the years if you know where to look you can still, in the words of John Brunton ‘push back a doorway and walk into a fabulous belle époque arcade, a glittering art nouveau galerie or an ancient courtyard’. (The Guardian: 2012) Game on!

Found the Passages Jouffroy and felt like I’d literally been swept into the mid 19th century. Wandering through I came across a Paris version of Madame Tussauds (Grévin), fabulous old-fashioned toys in the Pain D’épices, antique walking sticks in Segas and at the end of the main passageway the petite entrance of the Hotel Chopin. Round the corner and into the second passage, a cutting-edge photography boutique called Photo Verdeau and the Librairie du Passage full of glorious art books. As well, lots of quaint restaurants and tea shops brimming with punters chowing down on their power meeting lunches.

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And then I discovered the Passages Panoramas...tomorrow’s post. Stay tuned!

Shhh! I have a secret!

But first, take this quiz:
A) Do you fight small anxiety attacks when choosing from a delectable dessert menu?
B) Do you enjoy scintillating your taste buds by throwing them regular surprise parties?
C) Do you find yourself wishing you could try just a mouthful of every dessert on that menu?
OR
D) None of the above, pass the cheese please

OK ‘D’s’ you can leave now. But as for the rest of you…I have a secret!

It’s a well known fact that I’m a girl with Champagne tastes on a lemonade budget. Lesser known that I’m a dessert piglet too (is there a three step program for this?). Enter the ‘Café Gourmand’.

A ‘Café’ is just a coffee right? Whereas a ‘Café Gourmand’ is a coffee accompanied by several petite dessert surprises. Slender shot glasses, mini ramekins, spoons brimming with creme brûlée, mousse, macerated fruits, home made ice cream and sorbet; generous slithers of flan, cubes of cake, macarons, mini tartlets, berries and twille – Chef’s choices artistically anchored on large plates with generous swirls of chocolate or berry coulis. And all for little more than the straight up coffee. Sweet! (pun intended). And fast – two birds with one stone, which is how the idea originated. A secret to us tourists unless we’ve been informed by a local or we ask.

So far I’ve spooned my way through enough ice-cream to deprive a two year old’s birthday party; cake and tart to hold my own at a London high tea; creamy concoctions and mousses to want to press all those gifted shot glasses into action and twilles to research how to perfect these paper thin, haughty crisps for future posterity. And in the interests of reporting, my ‘research’ will continue. You can thank me later.

Please Aussie restaurants, please add these to your repertoire? It can be our little secret just like here in France. Otherwise ordering a mere coffee will never be the same again.

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