Gourmet Shops of Paris: An Epicurean Tour (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Christian Sarramon (Photographer)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Warning: don't open this book if you're hungry. Its photographs of confections and chocolates, cakes, teas and coffees, breads, cheeses, caviar, truffles, wines and other gourmet treats are so mouth-watering that they're tempting even if you've just eaten. Rival, a food and wine writer for the fashion magazine Citizen K, and Sarramon, whose photographs have appeared in many European magazines, unveil images of gourmet Paris: sumptuous boutiques where confectioners compress chocolate eggs into cube shapes and pastry shops whose "spring 2004 collections" include pistachio sponges filled with bitter chocolate cream. Although there's a significant amount of text, the real draw is the photos, full-color tributes to the booty found in dozens of the city's gourmet temples. There are no street-side crepe booths, chestnut vendors or fruit stands featured here, but the authors do present a nice variety of famous places, like La Maison du Chocolat, Ladurée (which claims to have invented the macaroon) and Poilâne boulangerie (although, interestingly, there are no shots of superstores Hédiard and Fauchon). Lesser known treasures appear, too, such as Marie-Anne Cantin, a cheese shop where one can pick up a piece of Camembert that's been ripened by the proprietor herself. The icing on the cake is a pink "notebook" in the back of the book that lists the authors' favorite gourmet shops, their specialties and their locations.

Product Description

Paris, the food-lover's capital, is a city adept at satisfying the most discerning gourmand. Taking the reader on a gastronomic tour of the city, Parisian Food Shops offers a unique guide to the best addresses for savoring the flavors of Paris, where sampling reigns supreme. Beautiful shops and boutiques offer delectable pastry and tarts, chocolate and candy, wine, bread, and cheese, olive oil, tea, and soup: the finest products from France's many celebrated regions and across the globe.

The authors traversed the streets of the capital to bring together this mix of traditional and exoticflavors, organic and fusion trends that embody Parisian delicacies—both sweet and savory. Sarramon's photographs present a feast for both eyes and stomach: from the Cakes de Bertrand, served in a romantic old-world interior, to the Maison des 3 Thès, with its expensive teas and lavish décor. The shops, often created by a great chef or famous name in French gastronomy, may include a "take-out" counter of catered fare for a no-fuss feast at home.

From the most traditional establishments to the hottest new addresses, an indispensable address book completes the selection to provide the epicurean visitor with satisfaction in every quarter of the capital. Rich with ideas for eating well, Parisian Food Shops is the ultimate indulgence!

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Flammarion (March 29, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 2080304720
• ISBN-13: 978-2080304728
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 9.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #555,627 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

47 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A very moveable feast., May 17, 2005

By	B. Marold "Bruce W. Marold" (Bethlehem, PA United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase

`Gourmet Shops of Paris', translated from the French written by Pierre Rival and Christian Sarramon is a high end oversize book which is almost as sweet and luscious as the comestibles on which it dotes. This is a foodie's travel guide to Paris, with photos which are just rich enough to make you want to get on to your favorite ticket vendor and book a flight to Paris. It especially makes you wish your passport were up to date, if it has been collecting dust for more than 10 years.

The $40 American list price may be just a little pricy, raising the risk of landing the book on the discount table at Borders and Barnes and Noble, but if you do find it well priced by Amazon and you like food, I strongly recommend you acquire a copy. This is especially true if you happen to do high end entertaining, but more on that later. As far as I can see, the translation is transparent, offering no impediment to appreciating the book.

The book is divided into four main categories.

The first is `Sweet Paris', which is further divided into sections on `Confectionery and Chocolates', `Cakes Large and Small', and `Tea and Coffee'. The first of these three parts claims that while Paris is coming to the game late, behind major players such as Belgium, Switzerland, Italy, and Spain, it is becoming one of the world leaders in creativity in chocolate, plus a dealer or two who goes so far as to actually manufacture their own chocolate in house from the beans rather than depending on chocolate processed by the big dealers such as Vahlrona or Callibut. I give strong credence to this Paris boosting, as it agrees with Mort Rosenblum's assessment of French chocolatiers in his recent book, `Chocolate'.

The second is `Savory Paris', divided into `Bread and Cheese' and `Fine Food Stores'. Bread and cheese are easily products for which France can claim world primacy. And, some of the very best bread bakers are certainly in Paris. The most famous is Poilane, who has been featured in more than one Food Network show. Their flagship product is a giant 4.2 pound boule with their initial emblazoned in the crust. If all this were not enough to run to the Internet for plane tickets, there is the section on fine food stores. I confess none of them looks quite as fully stocked as Zabar's in Manhattan or the Harrah's food court in the London department store, but the cachet is impeccable (If the lure of the pictures is stronger than your pocketbook, you can get a fix of continental food by visiting De Palo's in Manhattan's Little Italy).

The third section is `Paris in a Glass', covering some of the leading wine merchants in the city. While I suspect that New York City may have specialist wine merchants, I doubt that you will find as great a variety of specialties anywhere in the world to surpass the variety in Paris. What is even better, Paris offers vendors who offer tastings of great wines so you can get a sip of an expensive vintage without breaking your bank account.

The fourth section, `Small Snacks' starts off with the fact that the first major restaurant item in Paris starting around 1765 was the serving of soups. This trend became `bouillons' or shops specializing in soups. This trend seems to be the French speciality paralleling the tapas of Spain and the Mezes of Greece. This reinforces the notion that if you want to learn soup making, concentrate on learning French culinary methods. Unlike almost all the other establishments pictured in other sections, many of the soup and snack outlets in this section have a hypermodern design.

One is almost surprised that the book stops at this point. Where are the brassieres? Where are the bistros? Where are the Michelin rated restaurants? There is a sense in the title of the book that this is about `walk-in' establishments, but you almost wish they would have gone one step more, but then, that is probably more than enough material for another book.

Any disappointment felt at not seeing the inside of a name brasserie disappears when you get to the last section, `The Gourmet's Notebook'. Hock the ticket you just ordered and get onto the Internet, because this section gives the Internet addresses of all the shops covered in the book, with the means of ordering from these shops. Just imagine the impression you can make at a party when you serve bread, petit fours, olive oil, and preserves from shops in Paris! It makes you think that someone could really make a go of a store featuring these items locally at a reasonable discount.

I think this book is absolutely essential if you are a foodie who has any plans to visit Paris in the next five years. Even if you are a stay at home foodie, this gives you lots of ideas of what to look for if you happen to go to New York, Atlanta, Chicago, New Orleans, Las Vegas, or San Francisco.

Personally, I think Air France should give this book away, but look for it at a good price and you will be rewarded. It is an especially good source for anyone interested in getting into food retailing.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Valuable guide, April 26, 2008

By	Totoro (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews

This is a beautiful book and has a valuable index of the best gourmet shops to go to.
What would be incredibly useful would be a map to put these places together.
Definitely a keeper!

4.0 out of 5 stars Gourmet Shops of Paris: An epicurean Tour, February 24, 2009

By	Marda E. Stoliar "school of Baking" (Bend Oregon) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

If you are planning on opening a gourmet shop or a bakery somewhere, this book is a good guide of the bakeries of Partis, I suggest you use it, go to Paris and eat your way through the book! Then Start your own!