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Monday, July 09, 2007

Visiting Cafés Richard Factory

I've always loved the smell of coffee. When I lived on 13th street, my next door neighbor's morning coffee would waft through the wall and wake me up like the best alarm clock.
And I've always loved coffee ice cream, even if it keeps me up till 3AM. But last Paris trip I learned to love coffee every which way. I tasted this "flight" of different expressos.

When I visited the coffee factory outside Paris. I got to experience every step of the coffee roasting process. These resident antique coffee mills are just for show.

Talk about heady coffee aromas. There is nothing like marching through a coffee roasting factory for a wake-up call. Roasting transforms the green beans into a product that can be brewed and unlocks at least 700 aromatic elements.

A wide range of carefully selected beans are blended just like wine or chocolate.

Freshly roasted coffee is sent out every morning to Paris' cafes and restaurants in these sweet little trucks... guess who's wearing the white coat and hat reflected in the truck.

And lands on your Paris cafe table ready to wake you up! Just enhale...YUM!
 
Have you had coffee at Les Deux Magots, Angelina, Cafe de Flore, Bhudda Bar, La Tour d'Argent, Le Dome, La Coupole, Le Jules Verne Tour Eiffel? You've been drinking Cafés Richard coffee.

15 comments:

  1. Anonymous9:00 AM

    Fantastic paintings of Cafe Richard's wares. Impressive set ups too. I think these are some of your best to date. Bravo!

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  2. I misplaced the CD of visit and didn't get to show the coffee bean handles on the front door of the factory :(

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  3. Carol, I bet the scent of coffee stayed with you after your tour. When I was a kid my dad worked for Melitta coffee. When he came home from work, my mom would make him change his clothes in the basement because they smelled so strongly of coffee. Now I'm married and my husband works at Crayola. I can tell when he's spent time in the factory because he comes home smelling of crayons!

    Your blog is great and makes me want to visit Paris and experience all the things you write about!

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  4. I just sat down with my own cup of coffee...and have my "Paris Breakfast"...and there before was my own Paris coffee! Wonderful pictures! I just love collecting all the different sugar packets...I still have some from my trip to Paris a few years back!

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  5. Just love that outfit but not as much as I love those paintings. Bravo PB

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  6. I just love how much you love Café Richard and their products, and your watercolors are lovely, as always...

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  7. Thanks a latte
    Sometimes you just have to expresso yourself!
    Blessings!

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  8. Fabulous paintings...they are truly amazing. Makes me want to go to Paris and drink cups and cups while sitting in a little cafe.Love the cherries, too. genius!
    :)
    Lidy

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  9. Anonymous3:40 AM

    I love coffee too! :) Lucky you to have visited Cafe Richard...I can just imagine the aromas...mmmm! I have had coffee at Les Deux Magots so maybe I was able to experience a little part of that :)

    Beautiful paintings!

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  10. Anonymous4:57 PM

    Wonderful! I roast my own coffee, so I know what fabulous smells you speak of. Is this a special tour you received, or is it open to public? I'd love to see it when we go to Paris next spring.
    That is neat to know that they deliver the beans to cafes fresh roasted, because vacuum packed or not, coffee older than a week roasted starts losing its freshness rapidly and compromises taste.

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  11. Anonymous6:43 AM

    I love reading your blog---I spend a couple of months a year in Paris---but Cafe Richard's cocoa dusted almonds are the best thing from the shop! I always try to bring enough home to last until the next trip, but it never works. They seem to be one of the last treasures from Paris that can't be bought over the Internet or in the US.
    Your watercolors are lovely, too. I especially enjoyed the chef series.
    Jeannie

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  12. JEANNE
    Be VERY glad that Cafe Richard's cocoa dusted almonds are not available in the US!!!
    I was given a box and I don't even want to go into what happened to them...
    Dangerous stuff!

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  13. Beautiful dreams, beautiful art, beautiful Paris. Glad I found your blog - I'll be feasting my eyes regularly.

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  14. Anonymous2:38 PM

    Last summer the Comptoir Richard store was on rue St. Dominique just across the street from our apartment. That's where we purchased all the coffee we drank in our 8 days!! It is absolutely wonderful. I, too, have the cup and saucer as a remembrance of the wonderful coffee we drank every morning! I can almost smell it on the blog!

    joy/luvparee

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  15. I'm interested in touring the coffee factory. How would I go about arranging a tour? I live in Paris and our tour group is always looking for new and interesting places to visit; this would be perfect!

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