Food Shopping in Paris

We celebrated Bill’s birthday (a Valentine’s baby, but we did it on the 16th) with his family by hosting a dinner at our apartment on rue de Seine. We always love food shopping around our Left Bank neighborhood (in the 6th arrondissement), and beyond, so this—a celebration and visitors from New York--was a terrific excuse to indulge.

We started out on Saturday morning going to the Place Maubert outdoor market on Boulevard St. Germain in the 5th. Here we picked up seasonally fresh and beautiful watercress and endive for a salad (to be dressed with walnut oil from nearby LeBlanc on rue Jacob). Then some Ratte potatoes and haricot verts to be served with the main course. And we couldn’t leave without scooping up some meaty olives from the family that comes up every week from Provence. Unlike the New York greenmarkets in the dead of winter, the array of produce at the Parisian markets is much more varied and bright this time of year.

From there, we hopped on the metro to go to the 14th, to see our butcher, Hugo Desnoyer. And while he is always extremely busy running this shop and taking orders from many of the very best restaurants in Paris, “Butcher Hugo” is always happy to stop what he is doing and come out from behind the counter to greet and chat with the crazy Americans (us!). We left with a fabulous looking piece of beef to roast, something similar to, but not exactly like a shell steak here. We also took a small slab of absolutely delicious pork rillettes, which we knew would be nice to spread on some Mulot bread and eat with the provençal olives while sipping our champagne aperitif.

Now, over to the 7th, and to the holy grail of cheese, Barthélémy. A perfectly aged Époisses made in Burgundy from raw milk, and a dry goat from the Loire were carefully selected for the cheese course, and we added in a wedge of an outstanding Roquefort to go with the aforementioned salad.

Returning closer to home, we stopped in the Marche St. Germain, a covered market, to check in with one of neighborhood wine merchants. The owner of Bacchus et Ariane is always glad to make recommendations, and this time he led us to a lovely champagne and a fine premier cru Chablis, both good values from small productions. The main course red Burgundy, Clos du Tart, came up from Bill’s personal collection in the cave. Dessert, picked up at Gérard Mulot, was one of the shop's signature creations, the Amaryllis, which is like a giant macaroon filled with pastry cream and studded with raspberries around the sides. (The photo above is Mulot's Valentine's display.)

After all of this shopping, the preparation and cooking seemed minimal. And the end result was a meal that the entire family savored from beginning to end, acknowledging that the cross-Atlantic voyage wasn't so bad after all.

Returning Monday to a NY state of mind.

Back from Paris: Restaurants & The Exchange Rate

Forgive this delay, but we are simultaneously recovering from jetlag and the aftermath of the dismal dollar. After our plane landed at CDG on Valentine’s Day, we headed straight to our apartment in the sixth arrondissement, dropped off our bags and went down the block to the local café. Two coffees and a hot chocolate set us back more than $20. From that point on, in order to enjoy ourselves, we simply refused to convert prices in our heads, although it would have been easy enough to multiply everything by 1.5!

We had a terrific lunch at L’Ami Louis on the following Sunday afternoon. We always call this place the Peter Luger’s of Paris—high prices, gruff service in a dark, masculine room. But the chicken, like Luger’s steak, can’t be beat. We’ve been here several times, and it always seems that the room is at least half filled with Americans. This time, we were the only ones.

Dinner the following night at Taillevent was incredible. Never has the food been better, and maitre d'hôtel, Jean-Marie Ancher has taken over the dining room with incredible aplomb. He is at once attentive, charming and humorous. If you’re traveling that way, keep in mind that they do have a 70-euro lunch, which helps ease the currency pain.

A few more Paris food highlights tomorrow before we return to our New York roots.

Going to Paris

We're leaving in a few hours for Paris. If Noos, our French internet provider, is cooperating, we'll post from there. Otherwise, we'll see you when we return on February 25.

Wine Shop: Italian Wine Merchants

108 E 16th Street (bet. Park Avenue and Irving Place)
212-473-2323
http://www.italianwinemerchant.com/

For some time now, we wanted to visit the Italian Wine Merchants. Two of the owners are famous restaurant people. Chef Mario Batali and Joseph Bastianich own Del Posto (among numerous other places) where last month, we sampled two interesting Italian wines. Since they were being offered on the restaurant week menu, we knew they were reasonably priced. Then when the waiter told us we could buy them at IWM, we were practically on our way.

The store only stocks Italian wine and is spacious because with everything sold, there is only one bottle on display. One of the managers, Debbie, explained how all the wine is properly stored downstairs. After you make your selections they are sent up on a dumbwaiter while you pay. Another unique thing is that the shelves are arranged from lower to higher priced wines.

So right by the front door, was the Tuscan red we enjoyed called, Lo Mozza Morellino di Scansano I Perazzi 2005 ($16.50). It turns our Chef Mario, partner Joseph and his mother Chef Lidia Bastianich own Lo Mozza. The white was a Bastianich Tocai Friulano 2006 from the other Bastianich-owned winery in the Friuli region of Italy ($15.95).

The shop gives an 8% case discount and free shipping in Manhattan. On the website there is loads of information. This is another case of wine becoming a passion more than a business. Now on our Saturday trips to the Union Square Greenmarket, we will need to make a detour over to the IWM and see what is going on.

Manhattan Fruitier for Burdick Chocolates

105 E. 29th Street (bet. Park and Lexington Avenues)
800-841-5718
http://www.manhattanfruitier.com/

Manhattan Fruitier is a little known retail source for terrific Burdick Chocolates (http://www.burdickchocolate.com/). More of a warehouse, this spot on E. 29th Street is in the business of assembling and delivering some of the best looking fruit baskets around. But they get frequent shipments of Burdick Chocolate (based in New Hampshire). You can walk in during business hours on Monday through Friday, ask at the front desk, and buy the assorted chocolates that come in handsome wooden boxes in a few different sizes. An ideal gift, perhaps for that special man in your life on the 14th?

Six Stops on the Way to Valentine’s Day

With Cupid just around the corner, we think you can’t go wrong with a gift from any of these NY chocolate shops.

The packaging is the simplest at Kee’s Chocolates in Soho, but perhaps the flavors are the most complex. A sure-fire hit for your serious chocolate lover. Do go to La Maison du Chocolat in Rockefeller Center or on the UES if your sweetheart is a Francophile. These exquisite chocolates are flown in from Paris and epitomize the best of sophisticated French chocolate making.

Downtown in the Financial District, Christopher Norman has been busy not only making the chocolates but creating special packaging for their Valentine’s treats. This year, the signature ballotins are wrapped in pretty pink and silver paper with a jewelry-like garland on top. If you can’t get down there, we’ve seen them at Dean & DeLuca. A gift from Jacques Torres Chocolates, with locations in Brooklyn, Soho and the UWS, is always a treat. For something different, they have packaged their hot fudge sauce as “Love Tonic” and caramel sauce as “Body Butter” in jars with hearts on the labels. Well, just use your imagination…

Vosges Haut Chocolate, with locations in Soho and the UES, is selling a “love tower,” two stacked purple heart boxes, the larger one with exotic truffles and the smaller with yummy caramel toffee. MarieBelle New York, also with two shops, in the same neighborhoods, sells wonderful chocolates in beautiful packaging year round, but for Valentine’s Day, they have special edition ganaches in wild berry and champagne flavors. Try to visit downtown because the Soho shop may be the most romantic chocolate store in town.

http://www.keeschocolates.com/
www.lamaisonduchocolat.com/en/address/shops
http://www.christophernormanchocolates.com/
http://www.mrchocolate.com/ (Jacques Torres)
http://www.vosgeschocolate.com/
http://www.mariebelle.com/

Restaurant: Phoenix Garden

242 E. 40th St (bet. Second and Third Avenues)

212-983-6666
No Website

Today is the start of the Chinese New Year, the Year of the Rat. A great way to celebrate is to have lunch at Phoenix Garden. An ideal spot for anyone working in Midtown, it’s the kind of lunch place that moves you in and out quickly and does not take credit cards. It hardly matters because they offer a special two-course lunch menu for around $10.

All the special lunch portions we tried are not big (with the exception of the duck) and the food tastes very fresh. In the 2008 Zagat Guide, they were given a 24 food rating, which is near the top for NY Chinese restaurants. The Cantonese-style cooking is a bit reminiscent to the quality you would find at a good place in San Francisco’s Chinatown.

Beer and wine are not on the menu, so you can BYOB.

Food Shops: Chinatown

In anticipation of the Chinese New Year that begins tomorrow, we’re highlighting three of our favorite food shops in Chinatown.

Kam Man Food Products
200 Canal Street (bet. Mott and Mulberry Streets)
212 571-0300
This is one of the giants in the neighborhood. The first floor has a wide array of ingredients for Chinese cooking and the lower level has an enormous selection of serving dishes and cookware.

Tongin Mart (formerly Chinese American Trading Co.)
91 Mulberry Street (bet. Canal and Bayard Streets)
212-962-6622
This shop is always busy. They have a great selection of noodles, both fresh and dried. Their shelves are well stocked with an extensive selection of condiments and packaged ingredients.

Asia Food Market
71½ Mulberry Street (bet. Canal and Bayard Streets)
212-962-2020
We first found out about this shop from chef Gray Kunz back in 1993 and wrote about it in our newsletter, The NY Food Letter. We’ve returned over and over again throughout the years, and it’s as good as ever. Besides Chinese ingredients, this store carries Filipino, Thai, and Vietnamese and Indonesian food products. Outside they sell fresh vegetables and fruits.

Wine Shop: 67 Wine & Spirits

179 Columbus Avenue (at W. 68th Street)
212-724-6767
http://www.67wine.com/

Back when the Democrats were last in the White House, we lived on the West Side and 67 Wine & Spirits was our neighborhood wine shop. We remember the place before they expanded and moved the red wine to the second floor and kept the whites on the main floor with the spirits.

It is a big store and not much has changed, but they do have a lot of inventory and you need time to navigate through it. Take a look at the cases in the center of the main floor which are the promotional wines. It is best to shop earlier in the day when it is less crowded and the cashier people are not likely to be frazzled. We would try and stay away on the eve of big holidays.

On their website they have a category called wine toys. In their upstairs window there is a nice collection of flasks in all shapes and sizes. The flask with the two spouts would make a nice anniversary gift. The website also lists the sales people by wine specialty, and you can e-mail them with questions and your feedback. We e-mailed a question on a specific grand cru Burundy and got an answer back in a couple of hours which was impressive.

Teuscher Chocolates of Switzerland

620 Fifth Avenue (at Rockefeller Center)
212-246-4416
25 East 61st Street (bet. Madison and Park Avenues)
212-751-8482
http://www.teuscher-newyork.com

One could claim that Teuscher Chocolates of Switzerland was the birthplace of the ultra fancy truffle in New York. The Madison Avenue shop opened its doors in 1976, and two years later, a branch in Rockefeller Center appeared on the scene.

Teuscher carries at least a dozen varieties of truffles, but their famous champagne truffle outsells by far any one of the others. Ingredients include fresh cream and butter, and yes, real champagne is used in the filing of the house specialty—although the alcohol content is less than ½ percent. They are on the sweet side with a slight kick, and after all these years, they are justifiably still much loved by many NY chocolate aficionados.

Also good are orange slices dipped in dark chocolate and a new addition—chocolate-covered macadamia nuts. Freshness is key to enjoying these chocolates, and the shops receive shipments from Zürich once a week and more often during the December holiday season. If you buy them loose, and by all means, feel free to stop in and buy just one truffle, they are $75 per pound. The champagne truffles are also sold in simple gift boxes in various sizes, with an 8 oz. package (16 truffles) costing $39. Unique to Teuscher are the children’s “fantasy” figures from Switzerland –brightly colored animals and characters that come with tiny boxes attached to hold truffles.

The stores’ decorations, also made in Switzerland, are a big part of the Teuscher shopping experience. Colorful silk and paper flowers, which change with the seasons, are draped everywhere, giving these two little shops a very festive appearances. Buying chocolate at Teuscher is like visiting Santa’s chocolate workshop all year-round.

Classic Super Bowl Snacks

Snacks for Super Bowl Sunday are big business. This week, the supermarkets are filled with all kinds of promotions. We have two old favorites that we like to make. For the kickoff we have ready home made onion dip to go along with a bowl of potato chips. Then by halftime we bake up some “pigs in a blanket.”

The old-fashioned box of Lipton Onion Soup mix is now called, Lipton Recipe Secrets Onion Recipe Soup & Dip Mix. This was because the dip became more popular than the soup. We bought it at the Food Emporium http://www.thefoodemporium.com/ for $1.99. Mix it with a 16 oz. container of sour cream and you are done. Make sure the chips are thick cut or have ridges because regular potato chips can break in the dip

For the “pigs in a blanket” buy the Hebrew National Cocktail Beef Franks ($4.99) http://www.conagrafoods.com/consumer/brands/getBrand.do?page=hebrew_national
and they get individually wrapped in Pillsbury Crescent Original Dinner Rolls ($3.19) dough. http://www.pillsbury.com/AALL/default.aspx On the Pillsbury website they have the recipe and show how to cut and wrap the franks.

Keep a good eye on them while in the oven, and when they come out all you need is some Guldens Spicy Brown Mustard. http://www.conagrafoods.com/consumer/brands/getBrand.do?page=guldens And this year it is Go Giants!