David Lebovitz's Paris

"We'll always have Paris."

Who hasn't heard or felt that sentiment at one point? Our family went to Paris when I was 10, where we stayed in a teacup-sized hotel off the Champs Elysees. I knew very little about Paris itself, but I found I was tired...tired of eating french fries in a baguette (vegetarian options being non-existent), tired of 3+ hours in the Louvre, tired of the summer heat. In years to come I did a fully 180 and became a die-hard Francophile, but the first impression was bleak. :)

One realization I've had, by virtue of visiting Paris multiple times and having known both locals and expats is that I don't actually want to live there full-time. Yes, it's truly beautiful and cosmopolitan, and I want to buy everything I see, but it's also incredibly bureaucratic and challenging, notwithstanding infinite patience and connections. This is why you'll find a spate of books that lampoon the traditional "I ♥ Paris" ideology, whilst still attesting to the city's charms. It's similar to New York...people tolerate its shortcomings because they have moments of awe and emotion that are inextricably bound up with the city itself--feelings that couldn't be evoked elsewhere. 

Source: davidlebovitz.com

David Lebovitz, of food-writer fame, is that elusive creature: an American who moved to and actually integrated into Paris. His book, The Sweet Life in Paris, is a mocking but loving tribute to Paris and its quirks. What gives him an edge over the rest of us is that he is by trade a chef and a writer--pursuits that are still valorized by the French (unlike the rest of the Western world, apparently!).

Food is the ultimate language of communication in Lebovitz's Paris, where his appetite for madeleines and Muscadet triumph over his bewilderment at the near-constant strikes, shoving from strangers, and undrinkable coffee. He has a witty, conversational tone that is easy to digest, if a little heavy on the Frenchisms--why "qualité exceptionnelle" can't be written as "exceptional quality" is beyond me. But what I really appreciate is that he details a lot of good Parisian merchants for buying hard-to-find food and kitchen wares. What a resource! This was easily my favorite part of the book, and what I'd really love is to put all of his recommended vendors on my itinerary the next time I go a-visiting... 

To conclude at my end, I've pulled out a few places of particular interest to share with you. Everyone has cafe recommendations, so these are foodie or kitchen goods stores, which are harder to discover. 

Source: proparis.fr

BHV 
Note: this one is a given -- it's the great department store of Paris. Sort of like Bloomingdale's, but it has an amazing hardware section to which I can personally attest. It's also very central. 
www.bhv.fr

Source: Le Petit Paris Tours

E. Dehillerin
Note: specializes in copper cookware. "Hang onto your credit card!"
www.e-dehillerin.fr

Source: Foursquare

G. Detou
Note: "Chocolate, nuts, pearl sugar, and tons of other products for professionals and serious cooks, with a special emphasis on baking ingredients."

Source: Maison Rigau

Huilerie J. Leblanc
Note: Specialist in cooking oils and mustards. "Ask for a sniff of each; the aromas will knock your socks off."
www.huile-leblanc.com

Source: Fleur du Poirier

MORA
Note: All kinds of pastry molds and supplies. 
www.mora.fr

For more recommendations, check out David Lebovitz's site. And in the meantime, let me know when you want to join me in jaunting off to Paris to explore these stores!!