Sunday, August 11, 2013

Beillevaire


  • Fromage from Beillevaire  

    140 rue de Belleville 75019 Metro Jourdain

    If you see milking cans in a cheese shop you're in good hands. 
    Only kidding.
    I LOVE cheese.
    I love Cheddar, Swiss, grilled cheese sandwiches and as a former Philadelphian, Texas Tommie's (a hot dog on a bun with melted Cheddar plus bacon).
    Since moving to France I now realize none of this is cheese. It's some other material. It just isn't cheese.
  • THIS is French cheese and I'm learning to love it. There's no better place to get educated than Pascal Beillevaire and its a short walk from my new place.
    Plus they couldn't be nicer. I told the serveur right off the bat,
    "This is my first time here (so expect some idiotic questions) and that I'd like to get cheese that was in season for summer". 
    She led me straight to the chèvre and the 'special of the week'.
    By the way I boned up on Beillevaire by reading David Leibovitz' post and I pretty much got what he got. I told them I was a reader/lecteur of Dav-veed's and asked if I could take some pictures.
    No problem. 
    When other shoppers came in, I let them go ahead.
    After all they knew what they were doing/wanted.
    I got what David L was having - beurre with chunks of sel/salt, the rice pudding with caramel on the bottom(too sweet for me), the pain d'epice (which tasted way better than any I'd had in Dijon), and the pistachio cream the A Strong Belief in Wicker kept raving about and of course some chèvre, though not the one shaped like the map of France.
    You can see there are a plethora of choices here.
    And why not, while the patisseries are shut up tight, find a new hangout?
    Again, thoughtfully, there are posters everywhere for your edification like why there are holes. Roquefort, which by the way, she told me I should buy in April. Who knew?
    Here's my haul. The cherry preserves are from the indoor marché at d'Aligre, Beauvau. Fromageries will tell you dark cherry preserves go with cheese. I can't complain about that. It may take me a year to get through this hunk of butter. Come September they will again have little plates of 4 different butters - a tasting tray perfect for my education but I'll have to wait.
    I have one bone of contention with wonderful Beillevaire. Their wrapping paper could be more cheesey?

    What do you think? I'd prefer to see a few cows and goats. Look at this crazy milk can covered in cow hide! At least they have a sense of humor unlike some of the deadly serious temples of pastry ahem...
    Please visit me on FACEBOOK!

    36 comments:

    1. Anonymous2:55 PM

      do they also have lait cru there. raw milk? am on a search for raw milk in paris!and at a shop if possible in case miss a farmers market/ i love your wonderful blog so much!

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    2. They probably do, but check their website link in the post. They had tons of milky stuff, panna cottas, puddings you name it.
      Thanks! Blogging while living in Paris is SO different. I don't have to make up stuff.
      It's all here to taste, sample and grow fat!
      What's not to love?

      ReplyDelete
      Replies
      1. Glad you liked the fromagerie - and yes, they're super nice in there. They do carry raw milk and cream; they're one of the few places in Paris that does.

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      2. Thank you Dav-veed,
        for being a gold mine of excellent information.
        Mentioning your name always brings smiles to merchant's faces

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      3. Anonymous6:29 PM

        thank you carol and david am so happy to find a store that sells real raw milk!!!! i got some from the organic farmers market a year or 2 ago but this trip i might not be able to get to it.

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    3. Clearly, they are in need of some Paris Breakfast goats and cows.. and maybe a milkmaid or two!!
      I am a huge fan of quince paste for manchego...so I imagine the cherry preserve would be wonderful!

      ReplyDelete
      Replies
      1. Oh I bought quince paste at another fromagerie yesterday...called 'coing' here.
        you made me run put some on a bit of chevre....the power of suggestion YUM

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    4. I'm not a cheese fan!
      Of course I've never had the real thing from Europe like you are sampling.
      The store looks great!

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    5. I like cheese almost as much as pastry. If you get back to the shop would you please taste comté for me? DL posted about a harrowing trip in the winter where turned over his vehicle to get some comté. I found some at TJs, but would like to hear what you have to say. It is like gruyere or emmental only better.

      ReplyDelete
      Replies
      1. Oh I love Comte...I really am a hard cheese person rather than creamy though the chèvre here is out of this world. Of course ill see what they have. The key is TO BUY WHAT'S IN SEASON and only that I think so I may have to wait. On verra bien(let's hope for the best).

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    6. J'aime beaucoup les fromages aussi.. encore plus que des desserts!
      Ton aquarelle ..fait battre mon coeur.

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    7. Carol, it's great to see some treasures nearby in your new neighborhood.

      French cheeses are definitely on another plane/t from those from other parts of the world.

      Please do keep sampling and showing us the beautiful objets of your admiration.

      Perhaps these shops and the boulangeries will keep you going until the patisserie bakers return from their holidays. Thank you for your email. I did have another ham and cheddar sandwich for lunch today.

      xo

      ReplyDelete
      Replies
      1. Now try that ham on a baguette say from Eric Kayser
        with JUST GOOD BUTTER.
        Your jaw will drop to the floor. It's an eye-opener

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    8. Now I want a piece of cheese on a ham sandwich!

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    9. Anonymous9:58 PM

      That is some goodly grub on your table. You are making me hungry,
      Ali

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    10. We love cheese. not the Velveeta kind either. When I saw your haul a visual went thru my head..The movie French Kiss, Meg Ryan on the train eating all that cheese groaning the cheese the cheese and, well, you had to see it. :))

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    11. Carol, we are also hard cheese fans,especially Comte.YUM!
      Once you taste the real thing it's hard to remember savoring anything else.
      Thank you!

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    12. Carol,You are my bible on Paris and looking at the old posts for each month'm getting to know a different town from what I experienced and it is amazing, I have my moleskine full of addresses and things to see and to taste .
      and I want to thank You because in these days of leisure summer, my favorite is reading your blog .. I also downloaded a free Donna Leon (it org books) that soon I will start to read.
      About french cheeses ,bah...i love a lot got cheese ,but for my taste the best are others ,but I must admitt that every country,more or less, have something excellent.
      Waiting for a new amazing post,thank You!

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      Replies
      1. THANKS Coco!
        The best thing for me is to forget old preferences and be open-minded to new tastes.
        Much more fun than sticking with Cheddar and Swiss IMHO

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    13. C'est mon fromager !!!
      You've got plenty of great food shop in this area.
      You should try un Fontainebleau: a culinary specialty of the town of Fontainebleau made ​​with fresh cheese and whipped cream, the one they make is delicious.

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    14. Just discovered your blog. Your art is absolutely beautiful. Your blog is a sumptuous banquet -- I am addicted. Thank you so much!

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    15. Anonymous10:18 AM

      When we returned from Provence in June, I was in love with two things: the "cheese-men" in the marches (wonderful pictures) and chevre drizzled with lavender honey. (To be honest, there were a whole lot of other things I was in love with, too.) This Saturday is our anniversary so how will we celebrate? We are signed up for a cheese making class at the Cheese School in San Francisco. You know you have crossed a threshold when that is your romantic focus, eh, eh!

      ReplyDelete
      Replies
      1. You just made me try some honey on my chèvre...
        OMG

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      2. cyndi from sd11:25 AM

        Try the lavendar honey on a good French bleu,it is to die for.
        I had it on Sat night at a San Diego Style " Le Diner en Blanc".The night was glorious. We dined with 1400 of our new best friends.
        LOVE your blog
        Cyndi

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      3. Miel de Sapin or pine honey is what I have and rare and divine too

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    16. Moaning with vicarious pleasure...

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    17. Oh, God, I loooove all kinds of good cheeses. And the cherries with sound perfect. I love them in a salad of greens with pear slices, dried cranberries and almond slivers and a good raspberry vinaigrette or just a good olive oil and balsamic vinegar mix with herbs. Enjoy!

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    18. Anonymous12:41 PM

      Be sure to eat some Mimolette while you are there since we can't buy it in the US anymore. If you like aged cheese, it is wonderful. Not sure what season is right for it though....

      joel

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    19. I love French cheese (Italian too) and often have a dinner of baguette, cheese, wine & fruit when in France. Really like trying new ones - love Tomme, though I haven't tried all the varieties.

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    20. Hi Carol!
      How are you?????????? I have been trying to keep up with reading everyone's posts , but we have been busy in the shop..Peter's health isn't the best...... So my apologie over, I am salivating.... and your blog looks fabulous as usual.......I Crave cheese, cheese and mre cheese especialy how deliciously you present it.......... Thanks for letting us peek at what we can't get here!!!!!!!!!Maryanne xo

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    21. Anonymous9:50 PM

      I've been following Paris Breakfasts for a long time and always begin my day with it because I enjoy it so much. At the moment you've been featuring French cheeses and the sublime way the French make their jambon baguette sandwiches. (Consider the French ham sandwich and the American ham sandwich and the respective national waistlines!)
      Dana

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    22. Just lock me in the shop on Friday night and don't come back until Monday morning.....and bring a stretcher! Slowly, slowly, Australians are also learning to appreciate chesses that aren't 'plastic', pre-sliced, individually wrapped, but that actually have flavour and texture...and smell!

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    23. Cheese was my downfall in Paris. More than pastries (but that's because generally I was with Rick and I felt guiltier eating pastries than cheese, though truth be told, it's probably a wash! Probably a good thing I didn't find this one!

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      Replies
      1. One thing...cheese is harder to eat in the street than pastry
        A slight advantage no?

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    24. Can smell this shop from here. Seriously, I'm like you. Love cheese. When I was living in Scotland, the thought of chèvre made me cringe. Now after 20 yrs in France, the thought of not getting my hands on chèvre cheese makes me panic. I adore the stuff! And the others of course. Cute cheese in the shape of France. The skin is so good for you!

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    25. you have such an interesting approach to blogging and your art. I like the way you include elements of art and your life. wonderful

      http://saundersartistblog.blogspot.co.uk/

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    Love hearing from you