Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
daily and shipped worldwide from a com-
mercial bakery outside of town (with small
wood-fired ovens, of course). Buying a loaf
from the original Latin Quarter shop, how-
ever, is the essential Parisian experience.
If the shop's not too busy, you may be able
to persuade a baker to take you down into
the stone cellar to see the wood-fired
ovens at work.
This being Paris, of course, there are
plenty of dissenters who insist on the
superiority of their own favorite
boulange-
rie.
Some insist that the secret Poilâne
family recipe comes out better when it's
baked by Lionel's brother Max, at 87 rue
Brancion (
&
44/1/48-28-45-90
), who split
from the family business many years ago.
Two organic bread makers also give the
Poilânes a run for their money:
Moisan,
in
the 12th arrondissment at 5 place d'Aligre
by the Marche d'Aligre, and several other
locations (
&
44/1/43-45-46-60
), and
Le
Boulangerie de Monge,
in the 5th
arrondissment at 123 rue Monge (
&
44/1/
43-37-54-20
). Both shops sell baguettes
(and
ficelles
) as well.
Poilâne,
8 rue du Cherche-Midi, 6e
(Métro: St-Sulpice;
&
39/1/45-48-42-59;
www.poilane.fr).
(
De Gaulle (23km/14 miles), Orly (14km/
8
2
/
3
miles).
L
$$$
Hôtel Luxembourg Parc,
42
rue de Vaugirard, 6e (
&
33/1/53-10-36-50;
www.luxembourg-paris-hotel.com). $$
Hôtel
Saintonge,
16 rue Saintonge, 3e (
&
44/1/
42-77-91-13;
www.saintongemarais.com).
Gourmet Emporiums &
Specialty Shops
24
Dallmayr
Feeding the Crowned Heads
Munich, Germany
At the turn of the last century, most of the
crowned heads of Europe had accounts at
Dallmayr—one can easily imagine Mad
King Ludwig ordering up a hamper of oys-
ters and champagne to Neuschwanstein
from this dignified luxury grocery near the
Rathaus. Even today, gastronomes from
Hamburg or Berlin phone in their orders
for exotica not readily available anywhere
else; its list of VIP clients reads like a who's
who of German industry and letters.
Here you'll find Munich's upper crust
browsing for Scottish salmon, foie gras,
English cookies, rare brandies, out-of-season
asparagus, and white raspberries. An almost
bewildering variety of luxe items are dis-
played in these marble salons: Over 6,000
food products range from chocolates, jams,
honey, smoked fish, and caviar to meat,
sausage, chicken, and fresh seafood; there's
also fresh pasta, fancy pastries, and pre-
pared salads as well as a substantial line of
wines and spirits.
The business dates back as far as the
17th century, though the present-day
store with its ornate neoclassical façade
was only built in 1950, replicating an ear-
lier store destroyed during World War II.
The tone of the place is definitely upscale
and lavish, with counter clerks garbed in
distinctive blue blouses with crisp white
aprons, and an indoor fountain stocked
with live crayfish.
Attention to quality has always been a
Dallmayr hallmark, but its owners (Dallmayr
is still a family-run business) have stayed
ahead of the game through entrepreneurial
innovation as well. Dallmayr was one of the
first firms to import tropical fruits for sale
back in the 19th century, and originated the
