"It's not as good as in Paris . . ."
 

Does anyone find baked goods at home that are as good as you get in Paris?

Since my son and I returned from our trip, I have been trying to locate croissants, tartelettes, and yogurt that he will like as much as the ones he had every day when in Paris. I thought this should be easy as I live in a city with a zillion bakeries and restaurants with a huge ethnic variety.

Keep in mind my son is one to notice very small differences in food, and has been like that since infancy.

Croissants - I may have finally achieved this after several false starts. They are twice as expensive as in Paris and from a ritzy shop, but he says they are just about as good. However, my husband buys the 8 for $4.99 (Canadian) kind at Safeway, and so those will just have to do for everyday use (as opposed to a special treat) until he decides to pay for his own croissants.

Tartelettes - The ones he had in Paris were laden with fruit and quite substantial. Most here are anemic in comparison. And they just do not taste as good, according to him. Furthermore, he is terribly annoyed whenever a tartelette is ruined (according to him) by having a thin layer of chocolate at the bottom, which he said never happened in Paris.

Yogurt - have not found anything comparable. He liked the blackberry, raspberry and blueberry type that came in glass jars. I have an idea where to look next, but again it won't be cheap.

He asked me today whether he can expect baked goods of similar quality everywhere in France, or if such things are only available in Paris.

I live in Pompano Beach (just north of Ft. Lauderdale) and am lucky enough to have a genuine Frenchman own a bakery nearby which is named Croissant 'licious. My son, who lived several months in Paris, says the croissants there are as good as Paris croissants. But Paris doesn't have a stranglehold on great croissants and pastries. You can find wonderful bakeries all over France. Enjoy.

Yes, I found a little bakery store in a shopping centre, called Eli Waters, which is in Hervey Bay, Queensland. The lady who runs is french, and quite often you can hear here talking in the french language, to friends who often drop in for coffee and croissants.
Although my french is very limited, this lady "encourages" me to speak more & more french to her, each time I call in to collect some yummy cakes, tarts, etc.

I have long had the same complaint about the tartelettes being lined with chocolate in the U.S. There are a few people who don't like chocolate, believe it or not! Last summer we had our breakfasts at the Mercure Hotel in Beaulieu sur Mer. On a few mornings, I didn't ask why, they would put out the yogurt in the glass jars instead of the brand in plastic containers. It was delicious, peach, as I recall. Your son has good taste!

I really like Yoplait yogurt -- but I don't know how this compares with Paris yogurt, which I've not really had.

Sccramento is lucky enough to have Ettore's European Bakery and Restaurant. The bakery makes French-style croissants (real butter, not margarine blend, which is what results in the greasy ones most supermarkets turn out) and the only bearclaws my husband finds acceptable.

San Francisco has a number of French bakeries that make proper croissants. The sister of one of the bakers used to bring croissants and other goodies up to our local farmers' market, but she no longer does, unfortunately. They were terrific.

If you can find the Sara Lee frozen croissants, give them a try--pretty good.

WillTravel-

Funny you brought this up. I was in Paris last Sept, and my friends went there last Dec. During that time, a french Patisserie called "Miel" opened in Philadelphia, just a few blocks from where I was living. "Miel" is opened by Chef Robert Bennett, who was previously the pastry chef at Le Bec Fin in Philadelphia (a Mobil 5* restaurant).

Anyhow, we were all excited to go and get some croissants. And what a disappointment it was! Not only they were expensive (~$2/croissant, vs € 0,60 in Paris), we also found them too "dense" - unlike the Parisian ones which are light & fluffy.

No doubt many of you have an "other-worldly" experience with a croissant somewhere in France, most likely in a petite auberge, where the croissant arrived in front of you, no more than 2 minutes and 50 yards from the oven. I first recounted this 11 year old memory here nearly three years ago - - http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...mp;tid=1337555

For me, it was at http://www.queyras.org/lequipe (warning: website has music when you first open it) - - I don't doubt that there are places to get an equally good croissant elsewhere - - but a croissant like that is an ephemeral experience. And probably cannot be duplicated from any retail bakery, anywhere.

Bonne reverie... and...

Best wishes,

Rex

La Patisserie in Seattle is fun, but then I've never tasted in Paris.

Hi,
I did not eat the yogurt in Paris, but try and see if you can buy Total Greek yogurt. It comes regular and 2 percent. I put my own fruit in it, or drizzle on some honey. It is wonderful. If you live in NYC there is a fabulous Hungarian bakery across the street from St. John's cathedral on the upper west side. It has the best croissants and brioche in the USA. Plus great hot chocolate that is very dark and bitter. It comes with whipped cream that you add to sweeten the chocolate. The coffee is also great. When ever we go to NYC, it is a must to do.

I have never found anything here (Canada) like the yoghurt in France. Nothing we can buy in a grocery store comes close. Yoplait etc. taste totally inedible to me after being spoiled by the French stuff!
Greek yoghurt, or "Balkan Style" is very good (esp. with honey drizzled on it) but not like French yoghurt. The consistency is different - not as silky.

WillTravel - I have a trick that improves the grocery store croissants. Just put them on a cookie tray and heat in a warm overn until the outsides get crispy. Then serve 'em warm.... not too bad!

"Does anyone find baked goods at home that are as good as you get in Paris?"

Yes. But it is not the same as eating it in Paris.
((H))

yk, tell your friends to go to Le Petite Mitron in Narberth (accross from the train station). Incredible. The chef and his wife are French, import their water from France (who knew) and they make delicious chocolat. croissant, tarts, etc. We moved to Ct. two years ago but we still make a special trip there when we visit friends in Philly.

WillTravel, I'm not sure if your son is interested in cooking but perhaps you could get him a cookbook so he can try his hand at recreating some of those great tarts.

I share your son's concern(s).
This spring I resorted to making my own croissants from scratch. They tasted authentic, lasted about 10 days in the bread box, and one batch makes enough croissants to give to friends to share your new success.

There is a market near where I live (San Francisco Bay area) that sells a Swiss branded yogurt. It's extravagant - about $3.00 for a small container - but great as a special treat.

WillTravel, congratulations on having a child who appreciates good food. Unfortunately, in many years of croissant eating, I've never found any as good as those in France (and not only Paris, your son will be glad to learn). I suspect it's the different kinds of ingredients, i.e. French flour may be milled differently, butter is higher fat than American butter, etc. All the more reason to go back.

Yipper, I'm with you on the Total Greek yogurt. The full fat stuff is absolutely the best I've ever had outside of Greece and I've become addicted. Some of this stuff with fresh blueberries in the morning is what's getting me through the summer.

OK, I'm just AMAZED at all this "croissant chat"....is no one else in the country embroilled in the Atkins craze? :)

Melodie

I am embroiled in the croissant craze.

yipper, can you recall the name of the Hungarian bakery in NY? It sounds divine. Thanks!

So, the Bay Area has quite a few authentic patissieries. But I'm still saving room in the carryon for a box of Laduree pastries.:)

Hungarian Pastry Shop near Columbia?

The Hungarian Pastry Shop
1030 Amsterdam Avenue
(between West 110th and 111th streets)
New York, NY 10025
212-866-4230

The best pastries I had in France were while we toured Normandy. OH, MY GOD!! A religious experience!!:-D

Yipper- I was at that bakery last year when I visited St John's! And I agree!
All over Paris and France, I enjoyed batons, plain croissants or the almonds ones, not a big fan of the chocolate in the morning. The pastries near me are Italian or Portugues, and heavier. Yeah, and what is with the chocolate-lined tart shells for fruit?!
WillTravel-I learned to make yogurt from a friend from Turkey and a day's drive from the Russian border. Pretty simple. You mix live yogurt cultures as a starter (D*nn*n plain yogurt 1/2-1 6-oz container is enough) in a gallon of milk, heat in a big metal pot, cool it in a sink of cool water, heat it again, cool in water again, then cover it with a lid and a thick towel and let it sit in a cool, dry spot for 18 hours. I just use a corner of my kitchen. Very tasty I enjoy it plain, with fresh fruit or a little preserves. Try a batch, but don't forget the cultures like i did the first time! Iended up with a vat or warm sour milk!

usbeauty and judyrose, thanks for the info! I'm putting it in my NY file for the next visit.

I didn't know anyone else knew about the Hungarian Pastry Shop. It was my "school cafeteria" during my college days.

usbeauty, please email directly. We may be fellow alumna. :-)

Paris is the only city I've ever been in where I was sold a moldy croissant. Very disappointing. I bought it in the morning along with several other baked items to take back to the hotel for the family breakfast. Walked a couple of blocks and decided to sample it. Took a nice bite, and immediately noticed it was filled with mold. Turned around and walked back to the bakery--they insisted that I must have bought it several days before and that I must have left it sitting around the kitchen. What kitchen? This in spite of the fact that it had only been a few minutes since I purchased the stuff.

I want to thank all of you for the address and name of the Hungarian Pastry Shop in NYC. I memtioned it on this tread in the beginning of August and never looked back at this thread, until tonight. I am glad others had solid information to pass on.

hopingtotravel,

Sorry to say, but IMO La Patisserie doesn't come close to anything I had in France.

However, Grand Central Bakery makes a Como bread that is terrific--Pavarotti was quoted as saying it was the best bread he ever tasted (!) and their Yukon Gold is delicious too (and lasts longer).

But if anyone in Seattle knows of any croissants that can compare to the ones in France, please share.

Doesn't surprise me that you might find them in NYC!

usbeauty,
I'm very impressed that you make your own! (But no, I don't want to try it myself!)

At the risk of being a kill-joy, let me say that eating and drinking in an exciting faraway land usual engages more senses than just the taste buds.

Upon our return, its usually fruitless to try and "re-create" the experience.
However, it is fun to try.

I can't eat the yogurt when I am in the States. The US has a different philosophy on it. They see it as a diet food hence all the fat free/coconut cream flavours. Blech!

The closest I can come to real yogurt while in the US is at the health food stores. Stony Creek and Brown Cow perhaps? Try the full fat and just enjoy, but don't over indulge!
cheers,
Jan

Hi will,

As far as yogurt goes, making your own is the best thing to do.

You cannot get a croissant as good as they make them in France except, perhaps, in Quebec.

The flour is different, the butter is different, the water is different, the ovens are different.

BTW, French croissants today are not what they were when I first visited. In the 60's and 70's they were smaller and chewier.

<i>La Patisserie in Seattle is fun, but then I've never tasted in Paris.</i>

hopingtotravel, as a fellow Seattleite, here's hoping you get to have croissants in Paris sometime in the future.

Seattle may not have any croissants as good as those in Paris...but Paris doesn't have the majestic donuts you can get at Rainier Beach's King Donut!

I returned from my trip to Paris hoping to find Dannon Yogurt fruit on the bottom only to find that it is nothing like yogurt from Paris.The yogurt in Paris has REAL chunks of fruit and a silky smooth taste. I was wondering if you or anybody could help me find this yogurt- at this point money is not an option I must hbave this yogurt!

I like Yoplait yogurt a lot. Not sure how this compares to Parisian yogurt though as I don't have it very often.

One could have a croissant at a cafe on the Left Bank of Paris and find it to be the best one ever. If you had the money, you could then hire the woman baking them to come home with you, bringing her pans and all her ingredients from Paris with her. Once you got home, she could bake you those croissants, and guess what? They just wouldn't be as good. Why? Eating a croissant in your kitchen in Peoria is never going to be quite the same as eating one at a cafe in Paris. Simple as that!!

A local wine merchant tells me he has been driven crazy by people returning from France or Italy and asking if he can order a specific wine they found that was unbelievable. He often does manage to find that exact same wine. Invariably the people will come back to him and say &quot;there must be something different with the ones they export. It just isn't as good as we remember it&quot;. What isn't as good is that these people didn't just spend the day looking at Roman ruins, or D'Orsay impressionist paintings and sit down in a lovely cafe to try the wine.

Patrick, I couldn't agree with you more. Add to the list French caf&eacute;-au-lait ... when you get home, you can imitate it, but you can't replicate it.

I think that's the joy of travelling.

Anselm

It's true to some extent, but the food in the US frequently seems bland and has a certain &quot;processed&quot; quality to it. I've a feeling that that's because how the produce is treated differently in the US vs. Europe. In the US, bigger is always better, and taste suffers as a result.

And, no, I don't think that this is the travel effect, while I admit that there's that side of things.

Surely someone must agree with me?

Apart from the quality of produce, I'd be remiss in not pointing out that the whole attitude towards food is different:

See, for example,
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/06/bo...w/06REEDL.html

So, no I disagree it's just travel.

111op, I hope you weren't serious about how in the US it is &quot;always&quot; bigger is better. There are hundreds or thousands of places in the US that thrive in the midst of mass marketing with their small proudly run bakeries, produce markets, organic growers, you name it. If one goes to the supermarket at home and buys Wonder Bread and tries to compare it to the corner baker in Paris, or course that is insanity. But don't forget there are supermarkets in France selling some of that same &quot;crap&quot; also. There aren't many places any more in the states (at least in major population areas) where you can't seek out the individually owned an operated food market, bakery, butcher, or whatever.