I dropped and broke my camera last week, so my "eye" is temporarily out of order for the next two weeks until my camera is fixed. If you Eye Prefer Paris addicts have withdrawal problems, I am sorry to say there are no 12-step programs to help you, but you can always email me if you can't make it one Paris day at a time. I am posting The Best of Eye Prefer Paris with some of yours and my favorite posts to help you get through the next few weeks. As much as Angleina's is touted as the best hot chocolate in Paris, it is a touristy place that everybody knows about. I have been looking for an alternative best /anti,fancy-shcmancy Angelina's hot chocolate for years. I believe I found it.
I was leading a Marais tour a few weeks ago and in the Village St. Paul, a maze of flower and plant filled courtyards off the rue St. Paul filled with antique and craft shops, I came across a charming outdoor cafe I had not seen before. I noticed a woman pouring hot chocolate out of a white pitcher into her cup.I stared at her for a moment while she savored it and she looked straight at me and asked me if I would like to try some. Never shy to sample any kind of food, especially chocolate, I said yes, if she didn't mind. She took a spoon and dipped it in the forbidden liquid for me to taste. It was sensational and I knew I had to come back ASAP for a full cup of this magical stuff.
I decided this immediately had to be a new mandatory stop on my Marais tours and took my next client there.We sat in the glorious sunshine and the owner Cathy brought out a large white ceramic pitcher with the steaming hot chocolate and two rectangular saucers with white cups perched on them plus two glasses of water. I knew we were in for a serious treat. So anxious was I to taste it, I burned the roof of my mouth as I quickly drank. The velvety, rich brown chocolate was so delicious and such a heavenly treat to my longtime neglected chocolate taste buds (I've dramatically curtailed my chocolate intake recently), the burn from the roof of my mouth magically disappeared. The consistency was just right- not too thin and not too thick like chocolate pudding. I am one of those rare people who enjoys dark chocolate and milk chocolate equally, and the taste was a perfect balance of both with just enough sweetness.
Needless to say I have been back a number of times and each time is as good as the first. Because I am so fixated on the hot chocolate, I never noticed the rest of the menu at the cafe. They serve light lunch and desserts, but frankly who needs desserts or lunch, when you serve the best hot chocolate in Paris.
Comme å la Maison
Village St. Paul/ Court Vert
9 rue St. Paul, 4th arr.
Metro: St. Paul
Tel. 06 89 32 00 10
Open 12PM to 6PM, Tuesday to Sunday
Note: It's a little tricky to find. If you walk down Rue St. Paul from rue St. Antoine, look for the last open archway on the right side and walk through the courtyard to find it.
Coming soon: Eye Prefer New York Tours
I am happy to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes. Come take an ethnic culinary journey with me and chef and caterer Charlotte Puckette, co-author of the bestseller The Ethnic Paris Cookbook (with Olivia Kiang-Snaije). First we will shop at a Paris green-market for the freshest ingredients and then return to Charlotte’s professional kitchen near the Eiffel Tower to cook a three-course lunch. After, we will indulge in the delicious feast we prepared along with hand-selected wines.
Cost: 185 euros per person (about $240)
Time: 9:30AM- 2PM (approximately 4 1/2 hours)
Location: We will meet by a metro station close to the market
Class days: Tuesday,Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday
Minimum of 2 students, maximum 6 students.
Click here to sign up for the next class or for more info.
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.
Tours cost 195 euros for up to 3 people, and 65 euros for each additional person. 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
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