Just in time for Valentime's Day! (Yep, it's that time again... Valentime's).

France/Belgium c.2011: Day Two

 

JAMBON & FROMAGE!

We sat on the steps of the Église de la Madeleine (St. Mary Magdalene Church) and ate jambon and fromage (ham and cheese) sandwiches purchased from the shop seen above. The shop was blocks from our hotel room and the smell of freshly baked bread was irresistible.

We walked past Fauchon and noticed their decorated cakes in the window. There was SO much hot pink involved with this store. We didn't sample anything as it was located in a tourist-y area and was very busy. We did, however, find Ladurée (which does not take kindly to photography - so I was able to sneak just a few before becoming the "Hey you! Don't take pictures!" example for the rest of the crowd inside.

 

 

So many macarons to try... So little time.

Their desserts and packaging are all extremely "boutique" in appearance - nothing without plenty of consideration of presentation. This must be the reason they want to guard their success. We heard that they opened a shop in New York after we returned home.

We walked past this thing peeking out of the trees while on our way to the Louvre.

Where else will you get a spoon wrapped in a napkin with a bow?

Ispahan from Ladurée

Saint-Honorés from Ladurée.

Pistachio, Soft Salted Caramel, and Orange Blossom macarons.

We approached the Louvre and after passing under an arch, noticed the glass pyramid (which appears as a predominant part of the conclusion to Dan Brown's Angels & Demons). It's a nice blend of the old and new coming together into one experience.

It's easy to imagine the Winged Victory statue sitting in it's natural setting - as the interior space makes you feel like you've been transported to an ancient place. Such a prominent piece of art history appropriately placed as a focal point.

The Winged Nike of Samothrace seen from below. (I had to walk around to the back to take a look because you never get to see the back in Art History textbooks.)

You can probably guess what this crowd was trying to view over each other's shoulders...

DaVinci's Mona Lisa behind some protective plexiglas.

Wendy is busy inspecting a spectrum seen at the bottom of the pyramid.

There's also a La Maison Du Chocolat amongst the shops of the Louvre. Essentially, we spotted this upon turning around from the pyramid.

 

Most chocolate sculptures we saw had playful themes to them - to the point of being cartoon-ish. So much fun. We obviously were there as Easter was approaching.

Another La Maison Du Chocolat we passed on the way to the Arch

Stacks and stacks of truffles on the counter. This is not the usual presentation of chocolates (in a refrigerated case) as typically seen in the states. This is the predominant style of presentation within European shops.

We had a tough time getting to the Arc de Triomphe as there's cars driving around it "round-a-bout" style. There's one underground tunnel over to it. We had walked the Champs-Elysees to make it to it before sundown. The terrific view from the top of the Arch (seen below) shows that it was well worth it to trudge all the way up that spiral staircase.

Our Trip to France/Belgium Revisited - In Pictures: Day One.

This was our first view of one of the Eiffel Tower, well not THE Eiffel Tower, but something akin to it. We landed in Paris, France after our flight from Atlanta and we wandered around the airport (too aware of the camo-wearing/assault rifle toting security guys around) and finally found the only pay-to-use wi-fi connection. Luckily, after a bit of frustration, we found a tourist friendly concierge-type hole-in-the-wall that helped us locate a hotel and train & museum passes. Our conclusion: wi-fi in Paris is not good at all.

 

After making it to the hotel and settling in, we crashed for a bit and then woke up in a panic - realizing that we had a dinner date with Wendy's cousin, Hannah. She had arranged for us all to dine at Hotel Le Bristol (a hotel with a three Michelin star gastronomic restaurant). This was something that we would've never experienced had Hannah not insisted that it was an experience not to be missed.

The following images are from our once-in-a-lifetime French dining experience.

STUFFED MACARONI
with black truffle, artichoke and duck foie gras,
gratinated with mature Parmesan cheese.*

MILK-FED SADDLE OF LAMB
nori crust roasted,
fresh herbs gnocchi, cabbage juice.*

Radish in a bed of greens atop a jelly fruit salad.

Honey ginger "spoonfuls" w/ gold leaf.

Arrangement/presentation of various appetizers: the raspberry looking macaron on a stick and a eggshell cup with duck foie gras foam. The green half-sphere seen on the end of the arrangement had a grassy/clean green/carrot gelatin texture/flavor. Hard to describe.

ICED VANILLA FROM MADAGASCAR
melted caramel with salted butter,
praline of peacan nuts and hazelnuts.*

CHOCOLATE “MANJARI”
in an origami shape, iced coconut milk
hot chocolate elixir.*

French macarons with a passion fruit caramel.

*These descriptions are taken directly from the restaurant's menu whereas, my descriptions are nowhere close to representing the subtle nuances of flavors brought out through masterful technique. This restaurant had the most structured/military-like waitstaff; reading labels as drinks were poured and presenting dishes as if part of a staged production. Highly recommended as an epitome of French dining.

Happy New Year!

HEY LAST MINUTE FOLKS!

Cherry Cordial! (Yes, we finally did this one.)

You know those boxes of cherry cordials you get at any big box store? Imagine a gourmet version of that with gourmet cherries soaked in brandy inside of our 55% dark chocolate. Just take our word for it. You'll want to slow down a bit with this one.

Bacon Cookies!

You can bring home the bacon and fry it in a pan. Then add it to a double-chocolate chip cookie and create one of the best combinations this side of that big river in Mississippi. We'll be open for Mainx24 today after the parade, offering up some of the best tasting hot chocolate (with our IN-HOUSE-MADE marshmallows!), gourmet desserts, and chocolates. So much of the good stuff that you'll want to smack somebody.