Best baguette in Paris?

[Jenise]

A couple we know is spending a month in Paris, and among their missions is to find the best baguette in town. They've been sending descriptions and pictures, but so far haven't mentioned the name that--I think--is often thought of as Paris' best. The owner was killed in a helicopter crash, maybe three years ago. I'm thinking it's either an L word or a P word, a family name, or maybe the owner's name was something like Lionel Paillard hence those letters are coming to me. Any help? Any nominations of your own?

Lionel Poilane?

A philosophical response...

The best baguette in Paris is the one I'm sharing with my wife...

A philosophical response...

The best baguette in Paris is the one I'm sharing with my wife...

No, that's a very good baguette. The best baguette is the one you share half with your wife, the other half with your mistress. Both, of course, in Paris.

One goes to Paris and has a mission of finding the best baguette in town? I only hope they have been there many times before and have nothing else to see/do/eat/enjoy, and are therefore trying to entertain themselves.

[Jenise]

No, that's a very good baguette. The best baguette is the one you share half with your wife, the other half with your mistress. Both, of course, in Paris.

Interesting and diplomatic answer as always, Daniel. Oh wait, this isn't Daniel?

[Jenise]

Lionel Poilane?

Bingo.

[David M. Bueker]

Lionel Poilane?

Bingo.

Not their specialty. Of course I find the baguette as a bread overrated & prefer the more rustic breads of Poilane. So you still end up at Poilane.

Every year there is a baguette competition in Paris. Previous winners are not eligible. I suggest that you search the web to find the list of winners in the past decade, then go to their shops and try for yourself.

I'm going to add another vote for Poilane. I wasn't impressed out of my mind by the bread, but it seems to be all the rage in Paris, at least from what I heard. It's one of those things you just have to do, if for nothing else than to see what all the fuss is about.

[Jenise]

Every year there is a baguette competition in Paris. Previous winners are not eligible. I suggest that you search the web to find the list of winners in the past decade, then go to their shops and try for yourself.

Actually, Nadine and David have already found that list and visited a few of those shops. I emailed them Poilane name yesterday after Hoke came up with it, and they write back this morning that they've seen Poilane breads (the round loaf with the P stamped on it) at a supermarket near their apartment, but have avoided buying in hopes of finding a fresher loaf direct from a Poilane store. They're on the hunt!

Sorry to come in late on this and with apologies to all who have gone before me, but the best baguette in Paris is the one you purchase at Au Gargantua (on the corner of Rue de la Huchette and behind the Hachette book store). And that only after you have stolled to the Rue de Buci, there to stop at one of the choucouteries on the street to purchase several slices of pate de campagne (to request with that a bit of their home-made mustard in a container), then to one of the fromageries on the same street to purchase four or six slices of whatever cheese catches your eye and about 100 grams of the freshly made butter, then to Nicolas to purchase whatever Cotes du Rhone rouge strikes your eye.

And then with all of those in hand, to stroll to the nearby pocket park in back of the church of St Julien le Pauvre, facing the river and Notre Dame on the other side. To take a bench, to open the wine, to enjoy your food even if it is raining lightly and to know really and truly that Paris is indeed a moveable feast.

Going along with Hoke, if you are Parisien or Parisienne and over the age of 50 when such shenanigans are not only accepted but expected, all of this on Monday with your husband or wife, and on Wednesday with your mistress or lover. And, should boredom threaten, simply switch between the pate de campagne and jambon de Paris on alternate days.

Best
Rogov

Let's be clear that Poilane is not known for their baguette for a very simple reason. You will not find a baguette at Poilane. Makes you wonder where the advice comes from. Maybe it's the only boulanger that they've heard of.

Poilane is famous for that round loaf known as miche. You should definitely try the miche, but it is available only in full and demi (half) size. The demi-miche will come to about a kg of bread, so it is not for snacking on your stroll through the streets.

Indeed, go to their website, which shows the interior of their famous shop on rue du Cherche-Midi.
http://www.poilane.fr/index.php?lang=en

Baguettes? Non!

One goes to Paris and has a mission of finding the best baguette in town? I only hope they have been there many times before and have nothing else to see/do/eat/enjoy, and are therefore trying to entertain themselves.

Everyone has his/her own style of traveling, but surely a mission to find the best baguette in town would involve seeing lots of different streets/neighborhoods and talking to lots of interesting people on the way. Not a bad plan in my opinion.

[Jenise]

One goes to Paris and has a mission of finding the best baguette in town? I only hope they have been there many times before and have nothing else to see/do/eat/enjoy, and are therefore trying to entertain themselves.

Everyone has his/her own style of traveling, but surely a mission to find the best baguette in town would involve seeing lots of different streets/neighborhoods and talking to lots of interesting people on the way. Not a bad plan in my opinion.

That's precisely it, Rahsaan. This couple have gone to Paris to eat well. They are there for a month. It's not their first trip and they have time to do a lot of thing, including find the best bread in Paris. It's just the kind of thing I would do, too!

That's precisely it, Rahsaan. This couple have gone to Paris to eat well. They are there for a month. It's not their first trip and they have time to do a lot of thing, including find the best bread in Paris. It's just the kind of thing I would do, too!

For some reason I really found that funny. We always scout out local places, bakeries, local food fests, etc. but I never gave a thought to running around looking for the best baguette. We have a local bakery here, owned by a young couple with great passion for making bread. Their crusts are fabulous, I absolutely love their bread and I am not a bread person. My new love is a sourdough with large chunks of sun-dried tomatoes that they make themselves with tomatoes from their garden. A jalapeño calls to me too, again with jalapeños from their garden which they dry in slices. I love their baguettes, as well...very long and slender with amazing crusty crusts and so light on the inside. Their booth is always busy, and I buy a Cinnamon roll for Gene every week. So I guess, in a way, I do run around getting the best bread, just not in Paris. Too expensive to take the big RV over there.

So, it's not in Paris, but in Lexington instead. What is more, it is less than a mile from my house. I grew up with my Mother baking home made bread 2 times per week, and some weeks 3 times. As much as I loved my Mom, and loved her bread, here is what I buy! read all the posts!

http://www.yelp.com/biz/bluegrass-baking-co-lexington

I lived in Paris for the better part of a year back in the early 70's. Lived in the Hotel Littre on Rue Littre just off Rue de Rennes in Montparnasse. I was on loan to a company in Malakoff on Boulevard Gabrielle Peri below Porte de Vennes. Took the metro to work everyday, and if the weather was nice, I used to walk back "home". Depending on my mood, I'd bear to the left up Rue Vercingetorix or right up Rue Raymond Losserand. Along the way, I'd stop at a fruit vendor and pick up a nice freshly picked ripe piece of fruit (I loved the fully ripe juicy peaches - in season of course). Then I'd stop at one of many, many boulangeries and pick up a demi baguette for the rest of the walk. I don't remember the names of any of them, but there were probably at least 20 of them on the two streets I took. As I recall, every baguette I had was absolutely delicious. On weekends I went around the country by train to visit wineries, cathedrals and other sights, and of course eat some awesome food. I remember once heading down to Provence with a friend by car in late spring and we stopped at what looked like someone's front yard. It was actually a small roadside restaurant. We shared a wonderful Rose and I had an open faced sandwich of a half baguette slathered in fresh, unsalted butter with some freshly picked D'Avignon radishes on top. The bread was delicious, and this was pretty much the best sandwich I have ever had! Anyway, all this to say that I believe whatever baguette I was eating at the time was, IMO, the best I'd ever had. Competitions aside, the worst baguette I had there was at least as good, if not better, than any I've had here.

Bob,
Times have changed - both in Paris and in US.

When I was in Paris in 1995, there was a strike by traditional boulangers against the intrusion of industrialized baguettes. It has only somewhat improved since then. There are a rash of lame, industrial baguettes. You have to look carefully at any boulangerie to assure that it meets the traditional expectations and methods of the trade.

In the US, there are very many bakers who have learned their trade in France, or from those that have trained in France. The US still has a higher % of bad baguettes, but the better US baguettes top the industrial versions in France.

My returns to Paris since 2005 reveal that a revival of sorts is happening, led perhaps by the Baguette championship. Thus my advice to seek out those boulangers that have won a competition.

In the US, there are very many bakers who have learned their trade in France, or from those that have trained in France. The US still has a higher % of bad baguettes, but the better US baguettes top the industrial versions in France.

I live in a suburb of Minneapolis/St.Paul Minnesota. I have yet to find a baguette locally that isn't full of large holes! As I recall a good baguette should not have large holes!

In the US, there are very many bakers who have learned their trade in France, or from those that have trained in France. The US still has a higher % of bad baguettes, but the better US baguettes top the industrial versions in France.

I live in a suburb of Minneapolis/St.Paul Minnesota. I have yet to find a baguette locally that isn't full of large holes! As I recall a good baguette should not have large holes!

Don't buy "French" baguettes in Swiss bakeries, George!

[Jenise]

Bob,
Times have changed - both in Paris and in US.

When I was in Paris in 1995, there was a strike by traditional boulangers against the intrusion of industrialized baguettes. It has only somewhat improved since then. There are a rash of lame, industrial baguettes.

You're right. Between that and the rise of the local independent artisan baker in the U.S., the gap has closed. But what I wouldn't give to have Bob's baguette slathered with unsalted butter and radish sandwich right now! That sounds just heavenly.

Potential solution when finding oneself in a bread bakery that sells industrialized baguettes: Ask for the pain de trois cent grams* (the bread of three hundred grams) as those are almost always made and baked on the premises and not from pre-formed dough that comes from factories.

As the old ad had it: "Try it, you'll like it"

Best
Rogov

*For those whose French is a bit shakey, pronounced pan de twa sehn gram

[Robin Garr]

As I recall a good baguette should not have large holes!

Not in my experience. Large holes signal a bread made with a "wet" dough, long and cool fermented, and I've found them characteristic of excellent baguettes in France and in the US.