Stories Collected While Living in France

French la Vie

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Shopping for dinner on the Streets of Paris

Paris-by-night-cheese

Mari, a blog reader I met last September, is in France on a buying trip for her shop in Austin. Mari invited me to join her in Paris and tag along at the MAISON et OBJET show.

Last night after the show, we walked down Rue Clerc to buy a few things for dinner.

First stop cheese: Epoisses, Saint Felicien, Chevre, Roquefort…

Paris-shop

Rue Clerc is a small street next to the Eiffel Tower. It is full of quaint little market shops. If you walk down this street in the evening, you will see the locals buying last-minute supplies for dinner.

We pretended we were French and gathering bits for a family dinner.

 A La Mere de Famille (The Mother of the Family) is a small charming shop full of food delicacies and specialties of the region.

Paris-market-night

The French traiteur, or a stop in Heaven, has everything to make your mouth water, your tongue hang out, do the two steps, and make your hips shake with happiness.

They will even heat your purchases.

french cafe

Of course, we stopped for a drink.

Baguette-girl

And then a baguette.

Paris-by-night

She then carried it home.

The fairytale continues…..

Comments

40 responses to “Shopping for dinner on the Streets of Paris”

  1. Marie-Noëlle

    After your post from yesterday, you’re taking us to Paris….
    Now I’ve got 1 question :
    Did Mosquito and Sting fly you to Paris ? I wonder …
    x

    Reply
  2. Miss~Robyn

    “We pretended we were French”
    ~ Corey, after living in France for over 20yrs, I reckon you could be classed as french anyhow or at least 1/2 French….. no pretending 🙂

    Reply
  3. Jeanne

    Love you

    Reply
  4. Kathy

    Charming, delightful, and I so would love to be there. I was able to spend one day in Paris a few years ago. It haunts me still….
    Kathy

    Reply
  5. Christine Kalina

    I love that street! Favorite restaurant on Rue Cler- Cafe Roussillon, yummy!

    Reply
  6. Julie Ann

    For me this is the essence of French life, be it Paris or anywhere else in France. Shopping in small independent shops or markets daily. Giving food and family meals the reverence they deserve, hand picking and preparing fresh food. That reverence has been quite lost here in the UK and instead generations of Brits like Americans have learned to revere convenience foods. The consequences are wide reaching, social issues, children who have never sat around the table with the family enjoying different tastes and conversation, generations of children with no idea of even the most basic food preparation skills and thus forced to buy convenicnce food and junk through their parents poor example. All of this culminates of course in massive health issues, poor results in education and the massive obesity crisis we now face in adults and children alike.
    We have been a greedy nation placing importance on material goods and through that have lost the pleasure and soul in the basics. Children are playing computer games when they should be outside whilst the parents run around stressed all day and microwave a spaghetti bolognaise in 2.5 minutes for the children to eat alone, no vegetables, no salad, no soul.
    Phew what a rant ! Vive la France, I crave those little shops & markets. Here we have ludicrously priced farmers markets with produce of varying quality to attract the middle classes and chi chi delis which do the same job. The giants have forced out the independents, we have allowed it and now must pay the price by eating whatever poison they and our government care to serve. Jx

    Reply
  7. Jennifer

    Ohhhh my. fairytale indeed! thank you for sharing this! Someday…

    Reply
  8. Katiebell

    Brilliant rant Julie Ann! 🙂
    We can turn it around, growing your own, making it from scratch, sharing a meal… even community markets where our home-grown produce is shared are all very possible. In fact they are happening right here! I am eating my home grown tomatoes, visited community market and cooked a stir fry with fresh vegies with my 16yr old son tonight.
    Parents please cook meals with your children, light a candle at the table (it will keep their attention and hold the spirit there). Get out and nurture the earth, grow vegies and it will in turn nurture you! Anything, Make cakes, make jam! Made food with love…
    Ahhh, now I rant. And all I was going to comment was what a spunk (good looker) the Mademoiselle in the dress coat is!

    Reply
  9. Gina Johnson

    How fun! My family is moving to Paris on Wednesday for a couple of years with husbands french company. I am going to write down the street name and store and check it out. Thanks for all your tips and tidbits!
    I agree with the earlier post……..aren’t you french yet????

    Reply
  10. Debra P.

    If I had one wish, Corey, it would have been to spend that day with you and Mari . . .going to the home show and picking up dinner in Paris. . .how divine!
    Julie Ann . . .wow, your comment was right on!!!!

    Reply
  11. Cheryl at Casual Cottage Chic

    Lovely post…the pictures put us right there with you and Mari.

    Reply
  12. Milena

    Oh, so much fun! Paris, shops, baguettes, home show, friends, perfect weekend I think…

    Reply
  13. somepinkflowers

    ohohohohoh yes
    Rue Cler!
    my favorite!
    🙂
    you are most fortunate
    to be there ♥
    hoping you 2 have the Best Time…
    {{ PS–your video last week
    inspired me to video play myself–
    as i badly needed a diversion–
    and i DO credit you for inspiration.
    so thank you for that. }}

    Reply
  14. Lisa

    Oh my! I was so happy to see this post. When I was in Paris 3 1/2 years ago, my Dad and I stayed at a charming little hotel on Rue Cler. We were in heaven! From eating crepes on our first day at a little creperie, to buying wine at an adorable little wine shop, to having breakfast at the little cafe next to the Post Office, it was all so wonderful and I am dying to return someday in the not too distant future. I hope that trip will include meeting you.
    XO,
    Lisa

    Reply
  15. angela

    Ahhhhh….

    Reply
  16. Annie Grosvenor

    Memories, memories…
    I can actually FEEL the smells…
    annie

    Reply
  17. Penny

    Dang! It is 9:30 ish here in the midwest of USA and I am hungry thanks to your delicious pictures and words. The photographs are spectacular – and that last one could be a painting.
    Ahhh, we have months to go before our local Farmers’ Markets open. I don’t think I can wait.

    Reply
  18. isa

    What a perfect day – French trade show (lucky Mari!) walking the streets of Paris, picking up lovely foods and going home to cook it …Sounds and looks like heaven to me.
    xo Isa
    Preach on, sister Julie Ann! I totally with you on all points!

    Reply
  19. Kathie B.

    Julie Ann, your “rant” reminds me a lot of life in the Azores (only a couple American fast-food franchises on the largest island, and they can be easily avoided).
    In all fairness, though, the US has its own fresh food movement, with emphasis on locally-grown fresh foods; thank goodness for farmers’ markets, whose prices are comparable to supermarkets’ — but the quality is so much better!

    Reply
  20. Judy O

    Your post today brings back memories of our stay in Paris in September. We walked down Rue Clerc also and had a delightful
    dinner there. I LOVE PARIS!!!!!

    Reply
  21. Alena

    I am so looking forward visiting!
    As a matter of fact, cant wait!

    Reply
  22. anne

    Wow are you in Paris? Oh so lucky..:-) I loved seein the French shopping on the way home, thought it was so great to see the men with baguettes too!
    I agree with Miss-Robyn..why would you pretend to be French, you have lived there a long long time. 🙂

    Reply
  23. Marilyn

    After just finishing French by Heart by Rebecca Ramsey this morning, I would wonder if you could ever truly be French, but to dream. Your visit today reminds me of my first time to Paris and walking in this neighborhood. How delightful!

    Reply
  24. linda marcov

    missing you, wish I was there.. boy did Julie Ann hit the nail on the head! ditto ditto ditto from me with more ranting.. Love Linda

    Reply
  25. Jenny N

    Oh, THank you for this Corey. Two years ago we breakfasted on that very Rue and I loved all the local foot traffic and gorgeous shop windows bursting with Frenchie goodness. Thank you for this tour. Enjoy it for all of us.

    Reply
  26. Lorrie

    I love pretending I’m French – even here in Canada. We have some great markets and cottage industry cheeses and bakeries. But oh, to walk the streets of Paris – mon rêve!

    Reply
  27. Delores

    Ahh Corey,
    You kill me with your pictures of Paris shops and LIFE! I want to live in France in my next life! No need for you to pretend–you ARE French. Hey, I’m half French Canadian–does that count?
    Glad you made it safely on the ground, too. –Delores

    Reply
  28. AmyKortuem

    I’m sitting here eating some yogurt cake I made from the recipe you posted the other day, just weeping with longing for Paris. Your post today reminds me of the few days I spent alone in Paris in October (after having dramatically escaped the nasty Frenchman I’d gone there to visit…long, sad story). I would wander the market streets and buy delicious things to eat on a bench or in my tiny hotel room’s balcony, just soaking in the community and the pure artistry of the French relationship with food. And the romance of the city, even though I ended my stay there alone. I came home totally romanced with myself, which I think is more important than any kind of romance that could have happened there for me. Thank you, Correy!

    Reply
  29. Gina

    What a fabulous blog entry. A real close-your-eyes-and-you-are-there feeling. I love your blog Corey, and then I read the comments and get so much enjoyment from them too. It’s like a room full of friends all talking over each other. Saying almost the same things as each other but in different ways!

    Reply
  30. Rhonda P

    Ah, Paris. Thank you for taking me away for the few minutes you do. It is my hope to be on that very street this year. Keeping finger and toes crossed. You keep us in fairy tales galore…..bless you.

    Reply
  31. herhimnbryn

    Oh Merci Corey,
    We are In paris in May. Now I know where to buy supper!
    —————————
    Hi Duchess,
    I hope we can meet when you are in France.
    C

    Reply
  32. Mari

    This was a wonderful day,I wish you were all here with us. What a gift Corey is to us all!

    Reply
  33. Sara

    Am I the only one who has never been to France? I know I’m not the only one who dreams of it. Your stories take me back to a place I’ve never been before. Please have some wonderful bread and brie for me.

    Reply
  34. Joann Burnham

    You have been blessed with a most interesting and romantic life in such a beautiful place!!!!

    Reply
  35. sabel

    Corey,
    This was delightful, I used to live on the rue de Grenelle just around the corner from Rue Cler! Les souvenirs doux

    Reply
  36. french curiosités

    We are near by , my friend . MAy be we are going to see in Maisons et objets … I can’t wait to hear what Mari is going to choose. I’m sure you are going to help her. See you in Paris or in St Zach
    _____________
    Hi Doll
    Did you go to the Paris deco…OFF at the place de Furstenburg? I looked for you.
    C

    Reply
  37. jend’isère

    Awaiting the news of 2010 trends from the land of St Marcellin and St Felicien.

    Reply
  38. Kirsten

    Every day a dream post– Thank you!

    Reply
  39. JanePoet ~ JP/deb

    We will have to make a trip to this charming street when we’re there in March.
    Thanks for sharing!
    xx,
    JP/deb

    Reply
  40. Alison Whittington

    Corey, I think you could live ANYwhere in the world, and make it feel like a magical place simply because you take the time to notice the special little details… thank you for reminding me to do that even here in Virginia 🙂

    Reply

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