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Post by saintgermain on Apr 13, 2013 9:07:27 GMT -5
When we're not able to go to Paris we enjoy a closer to home taste of Paris :-) I'm always searching out good croissants, and believe me, in the Midwest that's not always easy to do, but I've found 3 places we love in Chicago. The first one is run by a pastry chef and an instructor at the French Pastry School in Chicago. His cafe is La Fournette, in Lincoln Park, and reminds me of Pain Quotidien. Wonderful croissants, pain au chocolat, baguette sandwiches, and a wonderful sourdough rye boule reminiscent of Poilane Boulangerie in Paris. Another place for croissants, pain au chocolat, and crepes is La Boulangerie in Logan Square. It's a tiny place, but well worth the stop. We stay at a hotel out by O'Hare Airport, so we take the Blue Line into Chicago, and Logan Square is a stop on the line. The last place we go for excellent croissants is Hendrickx Belgian Bread Crafter, a little Belgian cafe just steps away from Water Tower Place.
Sandy
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Post by geordy on Apr 14, 2013 6:56:21 GMT -5
I'm luckier here in NYC these dAYS...THOUGH WE TEND TO GO IN CYCLES...every new thing that opens is Northern Italian or "rustic" Italian..then it swings back to French...at the moment we sort of having a "both ways"  Renaissance! And of course every other cuisine but , thankfully the two Kings ..or Queens..remain constant. A few blocks from home I have Eric Kayser whose breads, pastries, etc. are amazing...nod to Annette...the "basic" baguette is called Baguette de Monge in homage to the location of his first shop! Right across from him is F. Payard....a bit pricier IMO... but "innovative interpretations" of pastries and macarons...and both have server cafes! And let us not forget Maison de Chocolat with a few locations and Lauderee! A well heralded spot on W. 4th (187) in Village , Pastisserie Claude has wonderful pastries, the croissants are divine. Other such places are dotting the town but since most of these wonders are best devoured immediately or at least the same day my schedule has kept me from sampling all. But if anyone is heading this way and needs a taste report for someplace they plan on visiting/will be staying near...I'll see what I can do...   |
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Post by PariS on Apr 14, 2013 9:30:36 GMT -5
Can I have a baguette de Monge right now please ?  You ladies are killing me... |
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Post by geordy on Apr 14, 2013 9:51:35 GMT -5
Can I have a baguette de Monge right now please ? You ladies are killing me... My dear Annette....who actually HAS an apt. on Rue Monge...as my 6th grade originally Southern teacher used to say...My Heart Bleeds For You Darlin... Seriously..if you are heading here....we will meet and I'll hook you up! |
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Post by saintgermain on Apr 14, 2013 10:03:12 GMT -5
Hi Geordy,
We stayed in the 5th arrondissement a few years ago, and we were about a block away from Eric Kayser. We grabbed croissants for breakfast there most days. Love them! You are indeed blessed. I don't think Laduree was open in New York when we were there. We always headed for Le Pain Quotidien, one that was close to Central Park and not far from Carnegie's Deli. They had some smaller wooden tables, but we liked the big table. It reminded us of the one on the rue Mouffetard, which only had large, communal tables, as I recall.
Sandy
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Post by saintgermain on Apr 14, 2013 10:17:05 GMT -5
Hi Annette,
You have an apartment on the rue Monge? That's wonderful! I know it's not Eric Kayser, but if you're ever around LA, there are a couple of Le Pain Quotidiens.
Le Pain Quotidien
8607 Melrose Ave 90069
Tel: (310) 854-3700
Le Pain Quotidien
320 S Robertson Blvd 90048
Tel: (310) 858-7270
Sandy
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Post by PariS on Apr 14, 2013 10:54:27 GMT -5
Thanks Sandy, I didn't know there were any in CA. I live in the middle of an area that has got to be the least francophile place in the country. The nearest French restaurant is 30 miles away and the best croissants around are from Costco. LOL There is a little tea room in a city east of us that makes "macarons", but I have a hard time with their flavors--last visit it was Birthday Cake and Jalepeno! It's hard to pretend when there are multi-colored sprinkles on top of your macaron! Yes, our apartment is on rue Monge--about 2 blocks from Eric Kayser. October is not coming fast enough... Geordy...I know, I know |
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Post by Jody on Apr 14, 2013 11:29:46 GMT -5
We had a wonderful Bocuse trained French baker here in town but he was set up in business in LA bt some visiting celebrity!!We have 2 other French men running bakeries with in a block of each other They are pretty good but not great as bruno was!Costco and Publix make pretty good croissants but they have to be popped intothe freezer first and then reheated at 400 before you eat them to get them Flaky!!Publix makes a mini version that is great for hot dogs or sausages!!I always stop,at Eric Kayser when I'm doing laundry on Pl St Victor!!
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Post by PariS on Apr 14, 2013 15:56:19 GMT -5
Jody, thanks for the tip on freezing/reheating the croissants. I will give that a whirl next time they're in the house.
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Post by saintgermain on Apr 15, 2013 10:38:37 GMT -5
Hi Annette,
You're very welcome :-) I know what you mean about the sprinkles on macarons. I feel the same way about chocolate frosting drizzled on pain au chocolat. It's hard to find good croissants where we live too, though I have bought them from Sam's Club. Worth it for us to drive 3 hours to Chicago or take the train for the week-end to get good croissants, though I don't bring them home. By the time I got to the rest area last time, they were starting to get dried out. We just go up there and have croissants for breakfast, a baguette sandwich for lunch, and take home a boule when we leave. That keeps better and makes great tartines. I like to toast it and have it on a salad with goat cheese rounds I've warmed in the microwave. We eat it all week with goat cheese.
Sandy
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Post by mez on Apr 15, 2013 23:54:57 GMT -5
Thanks Sandy, I didn't know there were any in CA. I live in the middle of an area that has got to be the least francophile place in the country. The nearest French restaurant is 30 miles away and the best croissants around are from Costco. LOL There is a little tea room in a city east of us that makes "macarons", but I have a hard time with their flavors-- last visit it was Birthday Cake and Jalepeno! It's hard to pretend when there are multi-colored sprinkles on top of your macaron! Yes, our apartment is on rue Monge--about 2 blocks from Eric Kayser. October is not coming fast enough... Geordy...I know, I know Well, the Jalapeno had my eyebrows rising, but Birthday Cake? That's a flavour? |
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Post by PariS on Apr 16, 2013 1:19:11 GMT -5
Yes, it tastes like a boxed cake mix, seriously.
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Post by saintgermain on Apr 17, 2013 18:52:22 GMT -5
October should be beautiful in Paris:-) I've always wanted to go in the Fall. I'd like to see Paris when the leaves are changing.
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Post by saintgermain on Apr 17, 2013 18:54:05 GMT -5
Annette, I would be at Eric Kayser everyday!!
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Post by PariS on Apr 17, 2013 22:05:09 GMT -5
LOL! The trouble is there are several really, really good boulangeries between our place and Eric Kayser, so I hardly ever walk down that far! We can see the pastry cases of the one across the street from our front windows. Paris is pretty in the fall, for sure--you should shoot for a visit then sometime! I'm hoping since they had such a long, dreary winter this year that summer extends a bit and we have no rain in October.
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Post by cherryadairr on May 23, 2013 5:44:30 GMT -5
Not only will you find a barrage of Paris fine dining restaurants that will ... Paris is pastry heaven, thus the most sought after croissants can be ... Plan your trip to Paris by checking out the best Paris travel deals
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Post by cigalechanta on May 26, 2013 17:21:52 GMT -5
I can't find any great ones here so order mine from William Sonoma
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Post by cigalechanta on May 26, 2013 17:22:12 GMT -5
I can't find any great ones here so order mine from William Sonoma
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Post by Enrique Hank on Jun 10, 2013 5:12:53 GMT -5
Round the world trip blog ... We go crazy to find new places where to find the best croissants or those boulangeries that have ... Yhuel boulangerie on Rue Jean Lantier 11, halfway between the Louvre and the Hotel de Ville.
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Post by lindbergstanley on Jun 11, 2013 6:01:09 GMT -5
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Renaissance! And of course every other cuisine but , thankfully the two Kings ..or Queens..remain constant.
You ladies are killing me...
hahahha