New Ladurée Chocolate Shop

Just when we thought master chocolatiers (Jean Paul Hévin, Jean Charles Rocheaux, Franck Kestener, Jacques Génin) had had the last words about fine chocolate in Paris, Ladurée has entered the fray.

The renowned pâtisserie, known for its macarons, has opened Les Marquis de Ladurée, near the Tuilerie Gardens, to complement their pastries and round out their chocolate offerings.

The shop is a study in opulence, with intricately moulded ceilings, a crystal chandelier, pressed tin walls and exquisite displays. Mirrored cases illuminate towers of chocolate macarons and eclairs sprinkled with gold leaf.

Elegant lamps define perfect stacks of exotic ganaches, precisely arranged rows of truffles, and subtly perfumed cameos that bear the marquis’ likeness.

Chestnut, verveine, rose, Manjari grand cru…these aromes are just the beginning. If you are a Ladurée fan, or interested in the delicate pleasures of fine chocolate, this boutique is for you.

14 rue de Castiglione, 1st, Métro: Tuileries

Boutique Alexandra Zeana

Antique dealer, interior designer, artist—Alexandra Zeana is all of these things, and her tiny shop in the 6th is a study in design savvy.

A vitrine displaying handsome jewelry—bold pendants, colorful rings, and unconventional silver bracelets, most made in France—caught my eye from the narrow, cobblestoned rue de l’Echaudé.

Entering the boutique, I found myself in an inspired French country house/marché des puces. More bijoux were complemented by scarves and assorted linens, a wire dressmaker’s model, plant stands, a lovely bird cage, small wooden cabinets, bibelots, sculptures, and objets.

The tasteful and eclectic arrangement layers color, texture and romance, and Mme Zeana can acquaint you with the history of each piece.

This is just the place to find an original accessory for your home or yourself, and to ponder the fabulous French art of presentation.

19, rue de l’Echaudé, 6th

 

Secret Sources to Share

Some say I have the dream job, but it isn’t always as divine as you might think. When I explore Paris, I make mistakes, get lost, eat bad food, pay too much, and wait in line, so my clients don’t have to.

To narrow my prospects, I do a lot of research on-line before I even set foot out the door. Here are a few fun sources:

David Lebovitz. American expat food blogger and pastry chef on dining, shopping, and more.

Easy Fashion. Portraits of fashionable people in the streets of Paris.

The Catacombes. An underground collection of bones that you can visit (don’t forget your flashlight).

Vingt Magazine. For and about artists and anyone interested in the arts – here, a great post on vintage clothing shops.

Paris Film. Everything you need to know to shoot your next film in Paris (or watch one).

Théâtre des Champs-Elysées. The second most impressive performance space in Paris.

Does any of these sites inspire you? Which ones? Do you have a favorite Paris source to share?

Designer Clothes for Less at La Pièce de Moli

To reach La Pièce de Moli, a new vintage resale boutique in the 12th, pass through one courtyard, follow a hallway to a second, and enter the pale blue doorway on the left. The shop is hidden—and you have to wonder how people find it.

But word travels fast, especially when new items arrive twice a week, the staff are smiling and helpful, and prices start at 9€.

The 9€ rack changes daily, so you’ll be smart to check back often. And while you’re there, browse designer goods (Balenciaga, Vanessa Bruno, Agnès B, Calvin Klein and more) on nearby racks: dresses and suits, casual skirts, pants, tops and vests, coats, all organized by color. And bien sûr, boots, shoes, bags, and jewelry to complete the outfit.

Open Wed – Sat, 11-7:30. Enter at 94, rue du Fbg Saint-Antoine; 85, ave Ledru-Rollin; or 20, rue Saint-Nicolas. M: Bastille or Ledru-Rollin.

Paris for Fashionistas – Rayure

More and more, Paris boutiques are reducing prices when they see fit, in addition to the traditional sale months, or soldes, of July and January. Imagine my surprise when I stopped in at Rayure recently, and everything in the store was 50% off!

Rayure specializes in synthetic blouses with great style – and no need to iron. These are similar to Anne Fontaine (coincidentally, just up the street,) but for much less money. From camisoles to zippered jackets, everything is white or black. Details—double zippers, puckered fabric, keyhole necklines, asymettrical cuts—keep basic colors interesting and the pieces versatile.

I have a textured white camisole with matching jacket that goes with jeans and suits, and which I have worn to a fare-thee-well.

The styles are on display at the back of the store, with additional sizes tucked away in drawers. (Don’t know your size? The vendeuses are experts at sizing you up.)

The recent sale put already reasonably priced clothing at unbeatable prices—so what if the selection was from summer? The pieces are classic enough to last, while still fun, feminine and easy to care for. Unexpected discounts are just another reason stop in from time to time.

8, rue des Francs Bourgeois, 3rd

Paris for Fashionistas – “Impressionisme et la Mode” at Musée d’Orsay

“Impressionisme et la Mode” at Musée d’Orsay is a multifaceted show, featuring paintings by Manet, Monet, Caillebotte and other Impressionist painters; beautifully conserved 19th century dresses from Musée Galliera; photographs and lithographs from Paris department stores; and, to fully recreate the fashion world of the late 1800s, chairs marked with names as if for a fashion show, and quotes from Zola and Baudelaire.

Seen in this context, paintings like Manet’s “La Dame à l’Eventail” and “Le Balcon” take on new life. Works by women artists Berthe Morisot, Camille Corot, Eva Gonzoles, and Mary Cassatt lend female perspectives to the period and the dress. Men’s fashions are treated, too, with works such as Caillebotte’s wonderful “Au Café” and Fantin Latour’s “Un Atelier aux Batignolles”.

The collection brings together custom, culture, fashion and art. It renders the world of the Impressionists not just visible, but sensorial, experiential.

Afterward, shop the excellent museum bookstore for books on fashion through time, mother-of-pearl buttons, and hats by contemporary milliner Marie Mercie. Until Jan 20, 2013.

A New Concept Store—Les Mauvaises Graines for Gardeners

The French are the masters of the concept store.

First came Colette and l’Eclaireur (curated fashion), followed by Merci (curated fashion w/ profits going to charity), and Un Dimanche à Paris (chocolate).

The latest addition is Les Mauvaises Graines, a concept store for urban gardeners. Equal parts gallery, nursery, and curiosity, the store displays original works by sculptors, visual artists, even taxidermists, alongside select annuals and perennials.

Plants are grown in Ile de France without chemical fertilizers or pesticides, and destined for city rooftop gardens, balconies, and patios.

The staff also designs and maintains custom gardens in private homes, and has undertaken care of a neglected plot of land near the shop, at 25, rue Custine, 18th.

A must-see for garden lovers and interior designers.

l’Interloque Galerie for Inspired Art and Gifts

Walking through one of my old neighborhoods – the Goutte D’or, in the 18th – I was amazed at how much it’s changed. Cheerless old buildings have been razed, and white-washed, modern immeubles erected in their place.

The whole quartier, which used to sag around one bright spot – Square Léon – has been energized. And the changes, it seems, aren’t just skin deep.

l’Interloque Galerie, 43, rue Myrha, is run by La Ressourcerie de l’association l’Interloque – which strives to reduce the amount of trash in the arrondissement by extending the life of household and commercial objects that would otherwise be thrown out.

The agency resells some items after cleaning or repair – but the gallery sells whimsical and durable decorative items, from jewelry to furniture, created from articles that can’t be resold.

I chuckled when I saw the tall lamps, formed from brushes, jar lids and the tops of municipal garbage cans. And I loved the animal sculptures that capture the essence of, say, an owl, from a surprising combination of wood, metal, glass and plastic – or a barking dog, from an ingenious folding of plastic bags.

My favorite artist, Ambroise Monod, gives new life to a variety of materials, and if I could have packed his sculptures into my carry-on, I would have.

A friend who saw value in repurposed CDs and DVDs bought lapel pins in lovely shades of blue, tangerine and silver – reasonably priced at 3 for 10 euros – as inspired gifts for friends at home.

43, rue Myrha, Métro: Château Rouge

What’s New in Bruges – Chocolate Line

©Terry J Allen

This week I’m in Bruges, looking at art and sampling the local chocolate. It seems there is a shop around every corner!

Chocolate Line, on the lovely shopping square, Simon Stevinplein, gets my vote for variety and innovation. Their selection of milk and dark filled chocolates (I’ve heard they have 60 flavors) runs from caramel to fleur de sel, sake to basil, and coffee to espellette pepper.

They invented a chocolate powder so fine it could be sniffed – a special project for the Rolling Stones.

The front windows display their most recent products – chocolate massage cream and lipstick – while the working chocolatiers are visible through at the back of the cozy store.

What’s your favorite Belgian chocolate?

Tomat’s Epicerie Fine

Off the beaten path doesn’t necessarily mean at the edge of town. I discovered Tomat’s Epicerie Fine (fine grocery) while strolling rue Jacob, in the heart of the city.

The store, which smells of olive oil and pepper, depending where you stand, is tucked into a tiny cobblestoned courtyard strung with white lights. My favorite discoveries were woven vines of bright red Espelette peppers, pots of chestnut honey, silver containers of finishing salts (including black and white truffle), chutney, juices and blue bottles of Azzurra mineral water from the Dolomites.

There are mustards, olive oils, crackers, too. The selection is large enough that you can outfit yourself with gifts for friends at home, aperitifs in your Paris apartment, and a hostess gift for a French friend.

Chatting with the owner, I learned that other gourmets had been there before me – Tomat’s is listed in two French guides, Les Meilleurs Commerces de Bouche de Paris, and Guide Champerand.

Where do you find gourmet groceries in Paris?