Boulangeries + the Baguette Viennoise Chocolat

Someone recently asked me if my family was all settled into Paris... and before I could answer he asked whether we had found our boulanger, which I'm now certain, according to the French, is pretty much the same question...

We live within one block of three boulangeries. And if I go one block further, another three (confirming what I read about Paris which I thought at first was surely an exaggeration!). And so knowing this now, his question was apt and relevant. I used to go to the most convenient boulanger to pick up bread, but over time discovered the different nuances and types of breads. And as my family's tastes evolved and matured, we learned there isn't one bread maker that meets everyone's criteria simply because depending on our needs and tastes, one boulanger is better than another.

It's great to have choices... but it gets tricky when routing your way home and having to pick up your pain quotidien. For example, our dinner baguettes are best further up Rue Mouffetard for their not too hard crust; my new favorite dessert bread, the baguette viennoise chocolat *, is best across the street to the left for being soft and packed with chocolate (though the place leaves a bad taste in my mouth - no pun intended - because the owner yelled at me for taking a photograph). The boulangerie I first loved one block south, which happened to also be the one I conveniently passed every day on the way to and from my son's schools, unfortunately is too light with the chocolate in their viennoise chocolat. It all boils down to personal taste...and enjoying the gift of having choices.

So to answer the gentleman's question...  I was able to say yes, we're definitely getting there, thank you :)

* When visiting Paris, do compare different boulangeries (not only the ones highly recommended) and if you haven't already had a viennoise chocolat, pick up this wonderful treat for the afternoon - it's a lightly sweet bread peppered with nibs of chocolate, perfect for breakfast or le goûter (afternoon snack). Because the bread is not as sweet as brioche and the chocolate is a semi-sweet dark, you won't feel overindulgent when eating it.

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