Interesting article, nanabee. I'm not a big fan of baguettes but they certainly are a part of Parisian life. I end up throwing away most of one when I do get it because they get hard very quickly.

I have a friend who is one of the judges for the annual baguette contest. She said that she has to taste 80 baguettes. She admitted that it's hard to differentiate after awhile but that there are a few that definitely stand out. Interestingly, she said the best ones generally come from Montmartre. Everyone speculates that it's the water on the hill. My favorites are at Gontran Cherrier who's first shop is on my street. I really like his squid ink baguettes.

Now I've heard everything--squid ink baguettes. I predict it will be two centuries before that delicacy reaches central Penna!

Steven Kaplan has been written about often, and each time I feel guilty that I never actually read his book. But I guess enough French people did that it brought about a difference in the bread law. Now you can tell from the boulangerie's sign whether bread is made in house from start to finish or whether the dough is trucked in and only baked on the premises.

I loved the part of this article that described how Steve Kaplan judges and tastes bread.

Belinda, is your friend who I think it is (Chez Loulou?) I enjoyed reading one of her blog posts about the contest.

Yes! She’s a lot of fun and knows everything about cheese. If you’re lucky to go to a potluck with her go! She brings the best cheese platters!

here is ma petite-fille last year in Paris with a squid ink baguette. https://instagram.com/p/BRjUXKtDNdT/

Adorable!--your granddaughter, not the baguette.

I have always heard it was the water that makes a big difference. King Arthur said to use their regular unbleached flour not their bread flour. I loved making pasta in Italy and would like to do a bread making class in Paris. How great to have a freind in Paris like that. 80 baguettes with no butter would not be a treat. I wanted to take home a loaf of walnut bread but we left so early that morning and forgot the evening before.

Nana, I love bread and would gladly drive 25 minutes to grab a loaf or two. Can you share the name of the bakery? Is it in Hillcrest on Washington St?

I am a bread cuckoo. Wherever we go I must sample the bread. We just visited Nimes and Avignon, and the breads at the markets were exceptional. Though I must admit I eschewed those labelled quinoa or bio. I am old school. We are travelling back to Madrid through Barcelona and I am happy to report the quality of bread has greatly improved over the years. There is a small chain in Madrid we can recommend called La Rollerie.

Once many years ago in Paris I got up early and took the Metro to Poilane. I see now others have surpassed him

I can tell by the color and texture of the crust, whether I will like a bread...

It is but one aspect if travel but one I always look forward to

I totally understand the bread-loving thing as I am the same way and have been since a small child. I have no problem driving to bakeries, that are not in my area, in order to get really good bread. I was just at La Brea Bakery weekend before last. But, I can also get regular, decent bread near where I live.

Back in the 80s, I used to basically bake my own bread every week and totally by hand and not with an electric mixer. A friend owned a very famous bakery in Santa Monica and I used to drive all the way out there each weekend to sit, chat and taste whatever bread and other bread-like items that he was baking and wanted me to taste and comment. He used to experiment a lot and at his home had over 500 cookbooks, collected over decades. I tasted his bread and bread items for well over a decade.

When I am anywhere overseas, I like to try to find a really good bread. The only time I usually can't find really good bread is when I'm in S.E. Asia although one of my hotels carries decent bread on the breakfast buffet. When in Paris, I like the large, round loaves at Poilane to name one of many bakeries that I have gone to for over 3 decades. Plus, I can either walk to it within 30 minutes or go one stop on the metro to get to it. I also used to buy bread near by hotel, but the small family bakeries were closed and then Paul's took over and I'm not fond of Paul's.

The types of breads that I prefer are the ones that I get in Denmark and other areas of Scandinavia and I have also had some really good bread at the home of my Flemish friends in Belgium.

Happy Travels!

Hi Tressa

Bread & Cie Bakery & Cafe
350 University Avenue
San Diego, CA 92103
(Hillcrest, between 3rd & 4th Avenue)
Tel: 619.683.9322
free parking in lot for one hour

https://www.breadandcie.com/contact-...ation-and-map/

Very few locations of Paul qualify as a bakery as per French law as the products are not baked on site. That is why you will not see the word boulangerie on the vast majority of them but instead their claim "pains rustiques et de fantaisie" and also "patisserie fine." Paul is just another fast food chain to the French.

Thanks so much, nanabee. Haven't been there for ages.

For me, the best one is the one we make at home!! :) a good bread, baked in a wood-fired oven… really the best one!

My husband is a pastry cook and he makes excellent bread.
We even thought to create a baker workshop for people who want to learn how make bread and share a Light meal and wine testing.
Whoever comes to Vence is welcome to experience the art of making one's own bread and share a moment with us!

Hi Belinda. Your granddaughter is so cute! I love following your experiences in Paris btw. Someone mentioned a blog by LouLou (?) and cheese (another gift from the gods). Can you post a link to her blog.

I hope Belinda won't mind me stepping in.

Facebook link first, then a link to Chez Loulou's blog, though she doesn't post much there anymore.

https://www.facebook.com/chezlouloufrance/

https://chezlouloufrance.blogspot.fr/

Thanks so much. I scrolled down and saw the cheese - that is worth the airfare alone!
Good crusty bread + cheese + wine = the holy trinity.

Nanabee, your holy trinity is almost our evening meal when we're in France. Substitute Chimay for wine and add a few pastries and maybe a pint of strawberries. There's so much variety in breads, pastries, and cheeses that it's never the same meal twice.

I'm just thinking how nice it is that we are in a country that worries about the quality of the various bread types rather than worrying about finding any bread at all... or other things to eat.

No bread - let them eat cake!