39Vaugirard

We’ve also had a very good meal at the Maison du Jardin. This is an adult neighborhood restaurant, which is really a bit too quiet to take kids, which we did. The staff though, was very friendly and the food very good.

This lovely little restaurant is a gem in Paris. It has delicious food, not a thing we ordered was anything worse than outstanding. Our hotel recommended this restaurant after the concierge had personally eaten there. He was not wrong. Very nice wine list, even if it is rather limited. The duck was amazing, but so was the “plat du jour” venison. The pumpkin soup was divine. The rabbit terrine was superb. The cheeses are sourced form a local shop called Rouge Creme and were all delicious. The service is impeccable. All in all, a real delight and highly recommended.

[From What a joy! - Review of La Maison du Jardin, Paris, France - TripAdvisor]

And here are a few other topographical and geographical high and lowlights:

The longest street: Rue de Vaugirard (6th and 15th arrondissements): 4.36 km.
The shortest street: Rue Degrés (2nd arrondissement): 5.75 m.
The narrowest street: Rue du Chat-qui-Pêche (5th arrondissement): 1.80 m.
The broadest street: Avenue Foch (16th arrondissement): 120 m.
The steepest: Rue Gasnier-Guy (20th arrondissement): 17.4%.
Lowest point on a public street: 30.5 m (corner of the Rue Leblanc and Rue Saint-Charles, 15th arrondissement).
Highest point: 148.45 m (40, Rue du Télégraphe, 20th arrondissement).

[From Did you know this about Paris? | Europe Forum | Fodor's Travel Talk Forums]

The only other one I’ve seen, at least knowingly, is the rue Chat-qui-Peche. How could you miss that?

I love the title of this blog entry!

Once upon a time, a macaron was a novelty and you had to get your fill while in Paris. Now, what appears to be an impossible to make confection is found all over. They are still impossibly expensive so perhaps still special, like a bottle of Veuve Cliquot Grande Dame, but still easily accessible.

Again the Patisserie AOKI below our apartment gets the highest marks:

Patisserie Sadaharu AOKI
35 rue de Vaugirard
75006 PARIS.
€16 for 12 macarons
approx AUD$2.60 each.

By far the prettiest and best packaged macarons. All were a standard shape and size (small) with beautiful strong packaging designed to product the little darlings. The flavours were very restrained and subtle, with the wasabi and the licorice being favourites. They were a bit too crispy on the day we bought them, but by the time they travelled home to Australia – they were pretty perfect texture-wise. Second Favourite. I tried 3 times to buy from Aoki’s shop. It’s around the corner from Pierre Hermé so we went there at about 10:30, but all I got was a photo of the outside of the shop. We went and had a coffee down the street, and went back, still not open! Oh well, off we went to Le Grand Epicerie, giving up on the Japanese wunderkid! Luckily, we ended up back in the 6th later on in the day and I was able to pop in for my fix. I was told off for trying to take photographs in the shop though so you’ll have to trust me when I say that it was full of beautiful chocolates and dainties.

[From essjayeats » Blog Archive » Travel: The macarons of Europe]

LOUIS COMFORT TIFFANY

COLORS AND LIGHT

September 16, 2009 – January 17, 2010

The Luxembourg Museum presents the first monographic exhibition of the famous American creator Louis Comfort Tiffany in Europe

(1848-1933).

Louis Comfort Tiffany (1848-1933), son of Charles Lewis Tiffany, founder of the famous house Tiffany & Co. in New York, is undeniably one of the most talented creators. His look as a painter in terms of color and composition, his passion for exoticism and his innovations in the glass field make him, from1900, becoming a leader of the American design whose reputation goes until the great European capitals: he will compete with the great European glass makers of the end of the 19th century.

The splendid ornamentation, the careful work, the spectacular effects and original in their lights and colors which are the main characteristics of his glass production (blown glass vases, stained glass windows, lamps and items) put him in the heart of numerous artistic movements of his time, from the Arts & Crafts and the American Aesthetic Movement to New Art and Symbolism. The exhibition will gather about 160 works (stained-glass windows, vases, lamps, items, jewels and mosaics, drawings, watercolors and photos of the time) which reveal the noteworthy contribution of this creator to the glass industry such as the whole of the decorative arts.

Visitors will admire an exceptional whole of stained-glass windows of Tiffany which has been dismantled, studied, restored and carried on the occasion of this exhibition. The presentation of these stained-glass windows in Paris is a true technical and logistical feat.

[From MUseeDuLuxembourg.com]

I just learned of the provenance of the fabled street, rue Madame, that crosses rue de Vaugirard, where our apartment is located. It was named after Marie-Joseph-Louise, “Madame” de Savoie, the wife of Xavier-Stanilas “Monsieur” de Bourbon, Count of Provence and the future Louis XVIII. In 1790, “Monsieur,” the current owner of the Luxembourg Palace, honoured “Madame” by naming the new path near the Palace. Well, a smart hotel has opened up down the street and it looks trés sympa. Hotel Villa Madame, 44 rue Madame, 75006.

This dressing your age thing is tricky, for myself and for my daughter.

My daughter, who is nine, has grown too old for the ‘kids’ clothes at Du Pareil au Meme, Jacadi, or BonPoint, but still too young to wear truly teen age fashion. One thing is for sure, her feet has grown so much that she must wear Women’s size shoes, and she will soon surpass even my shoe size, much to her chagrin. We have found few solutions. Zara Kids have great selection of clothes for kids, 5-14 age. There is one in the Marché St. Germain. Great sweaters, tops, dresses, tout au courant. There is even a ‘fur’ gilet that looked great on her, but she demurely declined. There is a great collection for boys as well, though it’s a little too rock and roll for our 5 year old son. Another find is Zef on rue des Saint Péres, 6éme. Their style is very French, vs Zara which seems more Barcelona/Spanish, reflecting their provenance. And bien sur, there is always GapKids for my daughter’s collection of jeans, flare, boot cut, skinny legs, et cetra.

Then, there is me, une autre femme d’un certain age. My girlfriends and I bemoan finding clothes and wearable pieces that are still youthful in style but accommodates our changing bodies and need for well made fabrication. Every time I do come to Paris, I do visit these few boutiques in the neighborhood, where I manage to find one great new piece that I love and that adds to my wardrobe. I long learned that it’s better to get that one unusual deep blue velvet tuxedo jacket to wear over my jeans then more basic stuff. I highly recommend Samantha, on Rue de Rennes. It’s a small boutique but highly curated. Another one is Suite 114 rue du Bac, where you feel like you’re entering someone’s private loft, filled with artsy photo, beautiful interior and a stunning collection of local Parisian designers.

Another one that I would recommend is Tara Jarmon. A Canadian-French designer who now has stores in most cities. Nice pants and jackets for work and interesting dresses for night out. She has stores in 6éme and on the Champs Élysées.

Hemingway’s descriptions of Paris in A Moveable Feast are as true today as they were then. I’m glad though that I’m no longer trying to decide between a pack of cigarettes and a croissant.

You got very hungry when you did not eat enough in Paris because all the baker shops had such good things in the windows and people ate outside at tables on the sidewalk so that you saw and smelled the food. When you were skipping meals at a time when you had given up journalism and were writing nothing that anyone in America would buy, explaining at home that you were lunching out with someone, the best place to do it was the Luxembourg gardens where you saw and smelled nothing to eat all the way from the Place de l’Observatoire to the rue de Vaugirard. There you could always go into the Luxembourg museum and all the paintings were heightened and clearer and more beautiful if you were belly-empty, hollow-hungry. I learned to understand Cézanne much better and to see truly how he made landscapes when I was hungry.

From A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway

Much of this period in his life takes place in the 6th around our apartment and over to the 5th. The Musée de Luxembourg at the time housed the Impressionism collection that would move after that to the Jeu de Paume, and then on to the Musée d’Orsay. Unfortunately, no where does Ernest mention staying at our apartment at 39 Vaugirard.

I’ve always disagreed with Hemingway on the whole “moveable feast” thing. It’s a great image, but I was lucky enough to live in Paris as a young man, and I never feel like it’s a moveable feast. I certainly have memories of it, and things I crave when I’m away, but, justement, I keep coming back to Paris because I can’t replicate the feelings I have when we’re here.

By the way, in the recent controversy over the new or old versions of A Moveable Feast, I hold with the original, which may be a bit harder to find right now.

We always see our friend/proprietor Sophie Clavié and her gracious husband Philippe when we’re in Paris. Her neighborhood bistro is Closerie des Lilas, the world famous magnet for the avant-garde for generations. Their book shows all those who have passed through the place, from Bernard Kouchner, Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas, Ingres, Henry James, and even Sarah Jessica Parker! I often think how can a restaurant that has been around since the 1850′s still live up to its reputation? That’s what is amazing about France. We sat outdoors in the ‘garden of the lilies’ and had a perfect lunch in the late August cooling sunlight. There was this entrée, Tarte du Soleil. It was a summer tart, with puréed artichoke spread on top with three pieces of perfectly grilled Sardines, on a thin line of balsamic vinegar. It was the perfect summer meal. La Closerie des Lilas, 171 Bld du Montparnasses 75006 +33 1 40 51 34 50/

Two more chocolatiers opened in the neighborhood, giving competition to Pierre Hérme. Patrick Roger, voted the best chocolatier in 2000, seems to be guided by the seasons and his whimsies, as my daughter Hadley and I saw the largest 6′ chocolate pencils to commemorate the start of the school. Down the street, on rue de Rennes, is another contender, L’Atelier du Chocolat, which looks more homey and provincial, with nuts and praline as well as patisseries. Pierre Hérme, 72, rue Bonaparte, 75006. Patrick Roger, 91 rue de Rennes, 75006. L’Atelier du Chocolat, 89 rue de Rennes.

Friends are just back from Paris and here are their quick recommendations and (very) short comments:

• Lots of Amarino ice cream (they keep opening new locations beyond Rue du Buci)

• Au Gourmand for dinner — 17 rue Moliere (1st) — this was our favorite of the trip

• Ginger for dinner (Vietnamese) (8th) — loved it but you won’t likely want to go to the 8th

• Les Editeurs for lunch (6th) — very good lunch across from Le Comptoir (which is also very good)

• La Petite Cour for dinner (8, rue Mabillon 6th) — we really like this one too

We, including and especially the kids, LOVE Amarino ice cream, but eschew the rue de Buci location for other less touristy spots because the lines go down the block. Our kids know they can eat one ice cream or one street crepe every day while in France, so like to strategize on routes home so they can get their preference.
Les Editeurs has long been a favorite. We love the decor, which allows us to bask in a fantasy that we are a truly bilingual French-American editor at Gallimard having yet another intellectual tête-a-tête with the real denizens of the 6th.