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PRASLINES A PARIS


I hope your weekends are all off to a good start. The past 10 days have been pretty intense with work on my end, but finally things are starting to calm down. As I munch on some praslines for my sanity, I had the urge to share this adorable shop here on the blog.

I discovered the Praslines de Mazet from my in-laws. As they live in Montargis (at that really awesome country house) and my father-in-law grew up one town over, every special occasion involved a little pastel-colored box from the local shop, Praslines de Mazet. With coffee, as a gift.. there always seemed to be a box or bowl around the house. I go gaga for their pistachio praslines. The shop in the town of Montargis (about an hour and a half from Paris) is stunning: the dark wood with stained glass, shelves filled with treats and bowls to grab a taste… I always thought it was the most charming little shop and loved getting loved ones gifts from there. Not to mention the precious packaging… oh la la.

It’s safe to say that ever since they opened their second shop in the heart of the Marais with the same codes of the original shop, sporting the Paris-Montargis on their yellow storefront, I get my Mazet fix a lot more often.

Praslines de Mazet
37 Rue des Archives, 75004
Tél:
Métro: Rambuteau (11)

 

in PARIS

LADIES WHO BRUNCH AT PAMELA POPO

Sometimes the cherry on top to a weekend is a girly brunch with snazzy chicks. I had been meaning to try Pamela Popo for quite some time, and the day finally came when we set a date in stone and made our way to the city’s Marais neighborhood one morning for some girly giggles and grub. First of all, Pamela Popo takes reservations, which if you’re a Paris bruncher, you probably know is a rare find in the city where brunch actually just means food served on Sunday. They were already winning in my book.

Another brownie point for Pamela Popo was the bottomless bevvies with the brunch (yes, this means you can have a coffee, then a tea, then a hot cocoa, then another hot cocoa…). On the menu are a few choices for an entrée, plat and dessert. I went with the scrambled eggs (I find that in restaurants they’re always a million times better than when I make them at home), a bagel sandwich and carrot cake. It was just divine.

The deco has a chic homey feel – weirdly retro and modern at the same time – with seating on the terrace, main level and upstairs. Highly recommended for brunch with lovely ladies. Average price for brunching in Paris, and I quite liked the atmosphere. Paris is getting a bit too trendy though, my “to try” list just keeps getting longer and longer.

Pamela Popo
15 Rue François Miron, 75004
Métro: Saint Paul (1)

PARIS BEER STOP: LA MOUSTACHE BLANCHE

La Moustache Blanche is a beer haven right near Bastille. I knew when I walked up immediately what the shop before it was, a random not so great cupcake spot, so seeing a new beer shop was just divine. It was a Sunday afternoon, and let me tell you, I was thrilled it was open because most of the other beer shops are closed Sunday/Mondays. But don’t worry beer loving friends, Moustache Blanche is open on Sundays! It’s magic.

We were greeted by Guillaume (if my memory serves me well), the guy that runs the place, who was honestly just so nice and boy does he know his beer. Their American section has a few of my Colorado favorites (Left Hand Brewery and Blue Moon), amongst many well known American breweries. There is a wall for Belgian beers, a wall for French beers, with a table covered with European beers in between. There are stacked books and posters on the walls… You really feel like you’re in a beer wonderland when you walk in. Grab a beer from the fridge to drink immediately, or to take to Place de Vosges for a picnic in the sun.

The shop carries brands that have already take Paris’s beer scene by storm like Brooklyn Brewery, Mikkeller, Rogue and , as well as newbie or lesser known craft breweries like Deck & Donohue (Montreuil), Brasserie la Corrézienne and Brasserie de la Senne (Brussels). The selection of French beers was phenomenal, I wanted to take one of each. Guillaume explained the heightened interest in craft beer, and how France has more and more breweries opening up. Needless to say he was such a friendly fellow and I truly look forward to my next trip in to get a monthly stock of delicious beer.

16 Rue des Tournelles, 75004
Tél:
Métro: Bastille (8/5/1)

SUNDAY OF SWEETS


I like my weekends to involve wandering the streets, discovering and tasting new things. In a bustling city like Paris, where new places pop up left and right, my ‘to try’ list on Yelp gets longer and longer and longer and more often than not I am a bit late to give the fab trendy new places a whirl. One Sunday afternoon with two lovies, Faye and Ylenia, we decided to give L’Eclair de Génie a try. We hid from the rain under the arcades of Les Archives Nationales, where we gave our picturesque éclairs a tasteroo, and then ran in the rain to the cozy Loustic for a little warm-up and stellar chai tea latte. Winter has been a bit off this year, back and forth between rainy days with chills and Spring-like days with sun rays. Sweets are most perfect in both cases…






See Faye’s post on this lovely afternoon here.

Eclair de Génie
14 Rue Pavée, 75004
Tél:
Métro: Saint Paul (1)

PARIS BEER STOP: BAR DEMORY


For a double date with Sasha and her beau, we opted for the Bar Demory, a place that had been on my “to go to” list for quite some time, in the heart of the Beaubourg neighborhood.

As soon as I opened the door the minimalist, industrial feel and neons of the decor drew me in. The space is open, with a large bar in the front aside long wooden tables, with more seating in the back with foosball tables and such. The interior is modern with tasteful graphics and lettering, tiling and wood carvings. Geometric shapes and tessellations cover the bottoms of the walls, and tube lighting in the shapes of diamonds on the ceiling give off reds and whites. The stools and bar have an industrial feel, with mirrors making the space seem even bigger than it already is.

As for the beers, Demory had 5 of their own beers on tap: Astroblonde, Cosmoblonde, Roquette Blanche, Atomique and the Nova Noir. I kicked off the night with the Roquette Blanche (which I had often  tasted at Yelp Events) and finished with the Nova Noir which I really liked…malty and fruity notes with a sweetish but bitter aftertaste. On top of these delicious treasures, they also serve some of their friend brewery’s beers and beer-inspired cocktails.

On the Monday night that we went, only the front area had some people, but in general I’m sure on weekend nights this place gets pretty packed, especially with the heaps of events the bar throws (DJ sets to concerts to expos). De plus, the Demory Bar has a Happy Hour from 6-8pm with snacks on the house, which for us was a mini soup and savory cake. On top of our beers, we went with a hearty terrine plate, which was served with delicious breads and pickles. Their menu also features individual meals and delicious additions like hot dogs, just sayin’. If you’re there before 9pm and dig their brews, don’t forget to buy a 6-pack of their beers for 6 euros.

I am hoping my next excursion there will be for their brunch. Anyone wanna join?


62 rue Quincampoix, 75004
Tél:
Métro: Rambuteau (11), Etienne Marcel (4)

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