Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Jours des Patrimoine, Jacques Genin, Street Food Temple, Jam

It was rainy and overcast Sunday in Paris.

But that didn't stop Parisians turning out early for the weekend of Jours des Patrimoines.

I went to nearby Hotel de Ville thanks to Jeannie's suggestion. She went last year and said it was terrific.

The entry line moved fast. Plus a jazzy Dixie land band serenaded us in the drizzle.

Hotel de Ville was a good choice to explore.

Very grand and you could visit all three floors.

You could also lounge and relax in the very fine tapestry chairs.

Or chat with the artisans who repair those chairs.

And check out all the innards.

Or chat with the ateliers caring for the parquet floors.

And the carers of the multitude of chandeliers.

Post visit to Hotel de Ville I headed up rue de turenne to the big Street Food fair...

The fair just happened to be a turnoff near patisserie Jacques Genin so. Impossible not to go in for a quick browse right? And finally after browsing for a good 4 years i decided it was time to taste his famed tarte au citron. No desserts were on display but what the heck. Two French guys were in front of me, trying to decide what they wanted, which was taking HOURS so I nodded to the vendeuse and asked if they had the tarte citron? She nodded yes they did and ran off to get me one (from I don't know where they are are hidden). When you get a dessert at Genin you also get to pick out a FREE chocolate of your choice! Yahoo.

Outside I stopped for one bite. 
I had to put my spoon down (never leave the house in Paris without a spoon by the way). Sheer astonishment. Not only was Genin's citron tarte the best I've tasted in Paris, it's up there in the Pantheon of best tastes in Paris. I kid you not. 

I even ate the crust - a record. It seemed criminal not to eat the tarte intact as it was meant to be eaten. This is an absolute Must-Do in Paris PBers!

On to the Street Food Temple with a somewhat dampened appetite.

My appetite was dampened further when I saw the LONG lines to purchase jetons to buy the food. Huh?

Even longer lines of jeton-holders waiting to buy food which was cooked to order I guess.

I was not the least bit enticed to get on the lines I gotta admit.

The interior of the Carreau du Temple IS spectacular and reminded me of the Victorian pavillion for  salon du chats.

Outside the halle you did not have to get on any lines to buy Real food straight from producteurs of the Ile de France.

At the annual Fall Manger Local held in the same space.

I bought champignon de Paris from the same mushroom lady as last year.

I made a big study of the jam people at Manger Local, since October's Paris Sketch Letter is going to be jam-oriented. Uh oh...

Have you ever tasted confiture abricot-Brugnon? You have not lived PBers. On the label it says the jam will keep until 23/07/2017. What a joke. Are they kidding?

25 comments:

  1. Great post! So glad you liked the HdV tour! The behind the scenes work was fascinating---like getting to see Underground Disney World. I never thought about how many light bulbs there are, and how often they need replacing! And yes, I'll take your advice and try the Tarte Citron. Hard to believe that it is the best taste (of anything!) in Paris, but I'm willing to take the challenge.

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  2. I went to this last year, and saw the Assemblée Nationale and the Police Stables on Boulevard Henri IV, which was so weird and cool. I used to walk past every day and I always wondered about the smell of stables (I grew up around horses) and the fact that there was this own little enclave with horses in the heart of the city.

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    1. What a good idea Robin!
      I walk by there all the time too and never thought to investigate on JDP weekend.
      Next year!

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  3. Where's the tarte au citron recipe?:) C'mon!!
    That looks so good..
    Love all the covered jam jars too.. trop cute.And the ceramic pots some jars sit in..
    Your sketches and your aquarelle.:)

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    1. Genin has a cookbook out on just the tarte au citron but the recipe is all over Google as well.
      Let your fingers do the walking Monique ;))

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  4. I wonna taste that tarte be sure I will do it !!

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  5. Oh my gosh, I gasped out loud when you ate the pastry! I can't believe that I've never made it to Jacques Genin, but I do plan on fixing that egregious error toute suite next visit to Paris. Those filled baguettes look pretty good to me too, I'm not sure I could have resisted the multiple queues. The visit to the Hotel de Ville looked fascinating.

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  6. Oh my ... More than 'a few of my favorite things' here - Bergere chairs, French parquet floors, chandeliers, lemon tarts - swooning...

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  7. Anonymous10:19 AM

    Suej
    Carol, thank you for the J. Genin report. Now I'm sorry we didn't go, but...a la prochaine.

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  8. Kathleen1:01 PM

    Mon Dieu! Mouth watering – the tarte citron…wow…and loved “never leave the house in Paris without a spoon by the way”

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  9. Bliss - as ever!
    save some citron tart for me!

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  10. High praise indeed for the lemon tart considering the source! Even the crust? That trarte has instantly moved to the top of my list! As for the lines, I'm not going to live long enough to spend my precious time in lines! Seriously. One must make the most of what time is left! That includes the ridiculous claim that the luscious apricot jam will last till 2017!

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  11. Love the admonition to always travel with a spoon in Paris. Must step up my game!!

    also the idea that the confiture will last until 2017. ha!

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  12. Love les jours des patrimoine.. it opens so many doors to be able to see inside. Looks like you had a very busy day.

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  13. I want to know where to get the pretty paper covering the jam jars! I still have a week left here in Paris...

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    1. Oh dear...
      They are printed specially.
      I'll give you mine if it isn't too sticky...

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  14. I love the floors in the hotel, but I love the food pics even more :)
    Beautiful sketches, too!
    Too bad about the long lines..........

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  15. Jacquelyn G11:15 PM

    how really good to see the insides of things being shown and the flooring...what an education for those only thinking these things only belonged to the very wealthy of kings, etc....

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  16. Merci, Mme C...for doing your thing! 3 cheers for Patrimone and for folks able to show the outside world that history can count today...;-)

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  17. Susan J11:23 PM

    Loved your post - I have shared your lovely jam pic on my FB page.
    Thank you for my little taste of Paris xx

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  18. The Hotel reminds me of the hall of mirrors at Versailles. I like your jam drawings!
    I have not been home from Paris an entire week, and I miss it terribly!

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  19. One year we were fortunate to be in Paris during Les Jours de Patrimoine and stumbled on to a tour of a hôtel particulier on your île! I think it must have been on Quai d'Anjou. Once we realized what a special weekend it was we raced over to the Luxembourg Palace and le Sénat. Quite a treat!

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  20. Kathleen11:35 PM

    Mon Dieu! Mouth watering – the tarte citron…wow…and loved “never leave the house in Paris without a spoon by the way”

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  21. Anonymous12:35 PM

    Mmmmmm.....I am going to Google "Tarte au Citron" right now. After chocolate there is nothing like
    citrus. Yum.

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  22. Missed this, but I sampled tarte au citrons from Nice to Paris. The best one was at Villa Rothchild on Cap-Ferrat. Oh, how I long for a tarte au citron this evening.

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