La Parisienne Boulangerie

Weekly Special: Best Boulangerie in Paris

You can’t miss La Parisienne, with its bright purple paint, decorated windows and large signs boasting their runner-up status in the recent 2010 Best Baguette in Paris contest (Grand Prix de la Meilleure Baguette 2010).

I was quite excited to try La Parisienne’s baguette – a simple yet highly influential mixture of yeast, water and salt – even more so when I saw the bold window display, steady line, appealing fare and neat arrangements that awaited me.

As I was walking out of this dough workshop, I took one last glance at the lustrous view of stacked baguettes, yearning to rip into my own and polish it off before reaching my next destination.  Like Charlie Bucket as he searches for Willy Wonka’s last Golden Ticket, I felt a heightened sense of urgency and anticipation when breaking off my first piece.  I crave that particular interior style of a baguette which earns the seal of Certified Authenticity only found in Paris.  So imagine my disappointment as I tore off the end to find nothing but cotton-ball like fluff.  Where was the hot steam rushing out? Where were the gaping air holes tunneling through the dough? Where was the satisfying relief that all my expectations had been met?

Overall, there was nothing terribly wrong with the baguette; I have just had plenty exactly like it.  In terms of criteria for the competition, this baguette aced taste, appearance (which was quite tantalizing) size, length, and texture – just lacking the usual core consistency which prompts me to salivate. So I will attribute my sub-par experience to Mr. Daniel Pouphary not working that day.

I also had the chance to sample the petit pain au chocolat-pistache and the croissant aux pommes both of which were met with high rates of approval and contained just the right combination of sucré et salé (sugar and salt), as the French often categorize their palette.

Location:

28 rue Monge, 75005

Metro Cardinal-Lemoine

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