G's taste buds promenading through Paris.

One of the main attractions of Paris that sometimes gets considered as second priority what with the myriad of all things historical to see, is its food. Paris is rather delicious. This week, en fait, has been more delicious than usual.

Let’s start with Monday. Monday was incredibly sunny and beautiful, so I decided to take advantage of the warmth and meander about the Rue de Montorgeuil. The Rue de Montorgeuil is a little gem I’ve discovered upon wandering about the second arrondissement. It’s a street famous for its market-like atmosphere (well, given that it's next to Les Halles, the marketing center of Paris for centuries...) and its great fromageries, patisseries, and boulangeries. Although, the tourists have found it, it is not nearly as tourist-y as the first arrondissement. Anyway, Monday was still part of Easter weekend, so I decided to indulge in my ritual habit of weekend fromage-tasting. This time I bought a type of Chevre which I'm fairly certain was a specific type called Sauvage. For those who do not have an obsession with cheese, this type might be a bit a little on the disgusting side as it is completely black and moldy on the outside. But alas! This did not deter the cheese-connessoir-wannabe in me! And I devoured it. Chevre, or rather this chevre was very creamy and soft – it had a bit of a “tvarog” element in it (tvarog being this sort of dairy product of Russia, the name of which I just can’t think of in English!). Perhaps, almost yogurt-y? Anyway, it decidedly doesn’t make it on my top list of favorite cheeses, but nevertheless, my taste buds were thoroughly stimulated.

Tuesday, I continued my food extravaganza through the purchase of bread from Poîlane , thought to be the best boulangerie of Paris, and located in the sixth arrondissement on the Rue Cherche-Midi, conveniently near school. Unfortunately, the sophistication and artisanal atmosphere of this boulangerie prevented it from selling sandwiches or baguettes (strange, non?), so I bought a loaf of bread – as if that’s any reason to complain! It was only slightly more expensive than most other boulangeries, and was really quite delicious. Unlike the French baguettes, which are fluffy and white, this loaf had more of a rustic, earthy taste and was a bit difficult to bite into at first. Anyway my Tuesday-food-adventure next brought me to an outdoor market I spotted on the way to the Carnavalet. And what does a perfectly sunny day and a market mean to me? Strawberries, of course. So I bought half a kilogram of strawberries and ate them, unwashed unfortunately, but appetizing nonetheless. And what with my strawberry fetish, I finished off the day by wandering through the Ile-St-Louis and enjoying some strawberry gelato from Amorino’s (Berthillon was closed).

Wednesday, I decided I had to stop spending all my money on food, but that resolution only lasted until just after class when I spotted Jean-Charles Rouchoux’s chocolatierie. I confess, I gave into temptation. Six tiny cubes of perfect chocolate truffles. Only 3.50. I suppose expenditures such as this explain my constant lack of money. But hey, the monsieur gave me a free sample! Later that night, Madame-my-host-mother-Petillault made mouth watering Bretonne gallettes of jambon, fromage, and egg (possibly?). Followed by some Bleue d’Auvergne…mmmm.

Thursday, I had this sudden revelation that buying a beautifully created dessert from the local boulangerie/patisserie instead of the usual sandwich is not only cheaper, but also infinitely tastier! Who am I to refuse such a perfectly crafted cup of creamy deliciousness complete with raspberries, a finely ground layer of chocolate, and half a raspberry macaroon? Admittedly, this dejeuner hardly filled my rumbling stomach, but when you’ve got desperate taste buds like mine, sacrifices must be made!

Friday, I had absolutely no plans whatsoever to indulge in over-priced deliciousness. But clearly, that rarely works out with me. As I had an extra hour to get to school, I decided to get off a metro stop earlier and see what would happen. Well, what happened is that I randomly stumbled upon the Quatrehomme Fromagerie that David Lebovitz claims is quite possibly the best fromagerie in Paris. Remember, how I said I have a weekend cheese tasting ritual? Yeah, scratch that, I couldn’t even make it to Saturday. But hey, in my defense, this accidental discovery was clearly meant to be. Evidently, there is some other-worldly force that wanted me to find that fromagerie. Now that is an offer even my poor wallet can’t refuse. So, I bought some Fédou. It turned out to be slightly creamier than I prefer, but was a lovely experience I would gladly indulge in a second time around. And what with a baguette ? And some more lovely Amorino strawberry gelato finish up the day (twice in one week!)? Parfait.

Saturday, I wandered over to Monmartre and having stumbled upon the restaurant “Les Deux Moulins” used in Amelie, I just had to stop by. So of course, with my head phones blaring the frolicky accordion music of the Amelie soundtrack, I enjoyed a simple yet refreshing glass of red wine (most likely from the Rhone river valley I can’t quite remember now) literally within the setting of my favorite movie. And I finished up the week with a “souris de l’agneau” (look it up!) dinner near the Sorbonne – cheaper than it sounds!

A good week? I’d say so.