New Monthly Feature: My Private Eye

I am pleased to announce a new monthly feature, My Private Eye.

I belong to The Paris Writers Group, a collection of mostly American writers living in Paris and we meet once a month to discuss our writing projects and upcoming books. It's a very talented and accomplished group, many who are well known published authors. I asked them if they would each write a piece for me once a month about their favorite person, place, or thing in their Paris neighborhood.

The first piece about a most unusual boulanger on the Ile St. Louis is by Lynn Jefress. I want to also thank Lynn for thinking of the clever name for the series: My Private Eye.

The Art of Buying Croissants Ile Saint Louis Style
(excerpt from “Island Portraits,” an article about the Ile Saint Louis)

"No soup for you! Come back one year!"  Who can forget the Seinfeld Soup Nazi? Certainly not I, living here on Ile Saint Louis, where, believe it or not, there's a French version, the Croissant Nazi:  Hédi Habhab. Master patissier-boulanger. Ssh!  Don't say maître -- he hates the word. Too pretentious. Call him a “trainer.” He spent ten years teaching others how to make the best croissants and baguette anywhere, instructing, as well, members of his own extended family who now own twelve boulangeries in Paris.

Seven years ago, when he “hungered” to get back into the business, he bought the shop at 78, rue Saint Louis en l’Ile where he works six days, a week thirteen hours a day, along with five other bakers. His wife runs their second boulangerie at Place d'Italie.

The Tunisian born, French-raised Hédi, 48, is a proud, self-respecting artisan who, above all, despises arrogance such as that sometimes displayed, he says, by the nouveaux riches. First order of business when entering his boulangerie (that’s Hedi in the white visor cap like American house painters wear) say "Bonjour."  Second order: Do not point your finger and curtly demand this, and this, and that.  And, finally, do not have the audacity to ask if the croissants are fresh. This will surely call forth the dreaded words: "No croissants for you! Casse-toi!" 

Amazingly, in a country where you are not allowed to refuse service to a customer, he has had only one complaint filed against him.  The police came. He described how arrogant the customer was and they dropped the case.  Stubbornly, laws be damned, he continues to banish the snobbish and impolite, wretched pariahs who are forced to wait across the street shame faced while a cousin or friend is sent inside to buy the famous forbidden fruit.

And famous it is. When Camilla and Prince Charles (not arrogant people) were in last summer, Camilla told Hédi his croissants were the best in France. Hédi has a cell phone picture of himself with the royal couple, which he clicks open and holds up to show me.  A reserved Bill Clinton also happened by recently, just himself, no body guards.  But not so Sharon Stone, a woman dangerously close to arrogance, who entered the shop with lots of garde de corps, pointed to what she wanted and left without paying. Hédi was bouche bée, not sure what to think. Then back lumbered one of the body guards with a sack of gold to pay the bill. All was well. Just as it was with Clint Eastwood a customer Hédi truly admires. “He comes in alone, a modest man, asks politely for what he wants and leaves alone.”

Hédi is self-made. Every boulangerie he’s owned he started from scratch. He’s proud of this. And the word “boulangerie” over the shop door.  He points out that according to French law you can only advertise your bakery as a “boulangerie” if all the baking is done at the bakery itself. 

Before bakeries, Hédi worked in fashion, designing clothes, then owning retail stores. In the late 80s the industry changed and Hédi, restless, looked to his roots: his family had always been bakers. Back he went and loved it.  But he doesn’t insist on baking as a way of life; his sons are going in entirely different directions.  And Hédi says the secret of his long running baking passion is the one day he takes off each week. Not a word about work. He jogs, spends time with his sons, does a hundred other things and the bakery is forgotten for 24 hours.

Wednesday morning at 5 a.m. he’s ready for the onslaught again, which can mean as many as four or more bakings a day (your odds of finding warm croissants and the amazing Tradition baguette are great). And, of course, there’s the glory. Tell Hédi his croissants are the best you’ve ever tasted and watch the Croissant Nazi smile, really smile.  You are talking about his work and he is very proud of what he does.  He is exactly, I think, what the best of France is all about.

78, rue Saint Louis en l'Ile, 4th arr.
Metro: Pont Marie, St. Paul

Lynn Jeffress
Writer, teacher living in Paris
Forthcoming book: The Dali Code, and Other Paris Stories
Founder: The Buzz Shop Marketing Co-op – (a group which exists to help writers work together to market each other’s work).

 

IMPORTANT NOTE: I apologize for ending the contest a day early. I got my dates confused and the contest winners were supposed to be announced today instead of yesterday. It did not effect my choice of the winners.

Click here read the wonderful review of my tours on the very hip blog www.hipparis.com

I am pleased as punch to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I will personally be leading. The Eye Prefer Paris Tour includes many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes & food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks, and much more.

I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris.
Check it out at www.eyepreferparistours.com

Comments

[Francelle]

Well, you can imagine that we're pretty pleased that the opening piece in My Private Eye (nice touch, Lynn) is by our very own tenant! But it's hard to read about one of our favorite boulangeries and only look at photos of all those impossibly delectable offerings. Aie, aie, aie!

[Laurence]

Love this entry and the new addition.

[Linda]

Omg. Book a ticket for me. This place is crazy!!!!

[Joe]

I have to tell you how much I like your blog and why I have subscribed.
I am not an American but Scottish. I went to Paris in June last year ( My first trip abroad ) for three days and it left a great impression on me . Why that is I dont know. You have a freindly ,informative, entertaining and warm hearted approach in your blog and I find it a very absorbing. When I was in Paris I noticed there was a lot of Americans. Why is this ?
In reading your blog ( backwards ! ) some comments have rung true: ' I feel more Parissien than the Parissiens' ' You will get the famous Paris withdrawal blues when you leave '. 'You can taste and feel the spirit and history of Paris in the 4th'.
It is almost a year since I have been there, yet in a way I am obsessed by it and your blog helps to satisfy my curiosity.
Thanks and keep up the good work.

[Sandra]

This `particular newsletter made me so happy, it brought tears to my eyes, both because of your Private Eye view of Hédi Habhab and his superlative croissants and about the heart-warming writing groups you mentioned. I am at last on my way back to Paris, (fingers doubly crossed) and was delighted to learn about both.

[Peter]

Very good idea and very interesting article!

I added your "tours" on a list on my blog "This may interest you".

[Adrian]

I am addicted to your blogs………….everyday there is something wonderful, interesting and beautiful.

[Keith]

This is my first time visiting your blog. I love it. This is a really wonderful post. Great pictures. The food looks so delicious.