0 Ines de la Fressange on rue du Bac

For her December shopping diary Ines de la Fressange of Parisian Chic walks down rue du Bac 75007... I too walked down rue du Bac my last evening in Paris...
It's full of wonderful Frenchie facades...

Loaded with potential leche-vitrine/window gazing...

This tiny print shop, Olivier de Sercey has extremement fine stamps at 220 euros(!)..

Ines adores the handmade Italian home goodies at La Paresse en Douce at 97 rue du Bac...

Moi aussi, especialment these made-to-order cashmere slippers...

You'll never go hungry browsing on rue du Bac. Why not grab an 'animal cracker' style box of macarons at Dalloyau - 63, rue du Grenelle round the corner?

Chocolat Chapon is well worth immersing yourself in chocolate at 69, rue du Bac...

Plus their adorable crockery can serve up your tea or chocolat chaud...

Mais la creme de la creme on 93, rue du Bac is Patisserie des Reves bien sur!

It's a child's playland of pastry for grownups...

I bought this irresitable tarte douce a l'orange...

Plus the 'Limonada', a creamy, lemony ball. The pastries are perfectly packed to withstand the Metro crush. Not that they made it further than 10 steps away...miam miam

Exactly nextdoor this little dog kept watch on the comings and goings on rue du Bac...

Ines can't resist saying bonjour.

Don't miss Ines' video here!

0 Le Boulanger des Invalides Jocteur

Two members of the Clean Plate Club (CPC) met yesterday. At Le Boulanger des Invalides Jocteur.
14 Avenue Villars, 75007
Metro - Saint Francois-Xavier
Bus 87
Glorious pink walls.

Ciel bleu/blue skies overhead.

A golden French chicken gazes out the window. The perfect setting to taste pastries from Lyon.Paris CPC member, Louise Chauchard of Raids-Patisserie chooses the menu.

And explains the order we'll taste.

1. The blueberry cake

2. The pistache/abricot slice

3. Last Jocteur's specialty - a sablee cookie with a praline topping, because it's the sweetest.

First we shoot our food bien sur!

Louise divides up the pastries...

 The only way to really taste these is by using our hands like a child. Forks & spoons are NOT permitted. Contrasting textures and flavors are missed when a spoon is used.

There's a fun exhibit at Musee de la Poupee on just this subject, displaying vintage ads of children eating at Impasse Berthaud 75003 near rue Rambuteau. Did I mention everything was out of this world delicious at Jocteur - perhaps the best tastes of my trip.

Louise sends me off to discover patisserie Sebastien Degardin, 29, boulevarde de Rueilly 75012. One must support new pastry shops non? More to come on Degardin.

End of day I visit Patisserie des Reves on rue du Bac to view their latest - just research after all.

I'm heading back to New York this afternoon - a Swiss Sleep cure awaits.

And serious exercise with no desserts on the menu.

Stop by pastry expert Louise at Raids.

0 La Patisserie des Reves Petit Dejeuner

Petit dejeuner again This time at La Patisserie des Reves' new salon de the
111, rue de Longchamps 75016
There should be tinkling music playing...
It's that magical...
Like a peek inside a pastry chef's dream laboratoire...
Except everything is real.
Including the BEST Paris-Brest in Paris according to Le Figaro.

Miam-miam!

Now for that petit dejeuner.

The brioche by the way is Reves pink logo.

The pink salon is in the back facing a petit jardin...

Everything is pink pink pink including the menu and everything is designed within an inch/centimeter of its life.

I kill time browsing pastry chef Pierre Conticini's cookbook, Sensations...

Major miam!

Why does a macaron never look like this when I cut/bite into it?

et voila! La brioche

BEAR is on hand to assist with petit dej since Jeanette cannot make it...

One does not leave La Patisserie des Reves empty handed...

Look how pretty the tarte au citron is secured so it doesn't move an inch until it hits your bouche/mouth!

BONJOUR Patisserie des Reves Petit Dejeuner!