Loved this interview! I was one of the people who had your Paris Pastry app and walked 10 miles a day for 3 days enjoying all of your recommendations! It was amazing, so thank you :)
Glad you liked it! it was a lot of fun putting it together but it became hard to keep up with all the new places and the changes in the standard ones :)
So enjoyed this and will save Bryan's recommendations for my next trip to Paris! Have earmarked his book to download as a reference. And, like you, I'm now wondering about that chocolate croissant in NYC!
I know, right? We need him to spill the beans! Although I have to say, the best I've had is at Winner in Park Slope. The pastry chef uses three bars of chocolate in each one and they are excellent.
Merci. Having not be in Paris for a long time - too long - I have always rented the same apartment on the Rue Mornay. I could always pretend that I lived in Paris, I had my butcher, baker and wine shop. Please don't tell me it's become touristville. Where does one go now? It was so convenient, I could walk to one of 3 Metro stations, it did feel like home.
The word "tourist" has become bad because being a tourist or visitor isn't a bad thing; they mean you're coming to visit and tour the city, which is great! Neighborhoods change - for example, the 6th and the Île St Louis, you'll likely hear English spoken on the streets whereas in the 10th or 12th, for example, those are more working-class areas and more diverse, so you'll get a different slice of life in Paris. Some people are comfortable being in a nicer, cleaner part of town (like the St. Germain area) while others want to be around more diversity. I recommend the 9th to a lot of people because it has a lot in one arrondissement, and you can go in any direction and find something different, from Montmartre and Pigalle, to Place de l'Opéra and the Grand Magasins (big department stores)
We've been staying in the 9th since I was a student back in the mid-seventies! A couple of times we stayed in the 7th when our regular hotel was booked, but it wasn't as convenient. Lately though, we've been staying in the 10th, just a couple of blocks away from our favourite place in the 9th.
This was a fun read! It makes me miss traveling. We have been to Paris many times and usually stay in the 7th or 15th. Always at a hotel. Our daughter attended the American University of Paris for a semester and lived in an apartment there and we got to see a lot of Paris from a different viewpoint which was also fun. My favorite shopping was at Monoprix, lol. And always tea at Mariage Freres.
When you learn the name of the source of those chocolate croissants, could you please share it with this croissant-loving Brooklynite (and your other readers?)
I mentioned the one at Winner in a previous comment and theirs are truly excellent. The "Everything" croissant at Supermoom is superb; which is filled with cream cheese, dill, smoked salmon, and topped with "everything" seeds.
Thank you for your reply and those suggestions. So many places to try (not a bad thing). Additionally, I was thinking Bien Cuit, Almondine or Le French Tart Deli.
When I led tours we used a hotel in the 7th for our guests because it was quiet, and we never had any complaints. The problem with staying in a livelier neighborhood, especially in the warmer months where you want to keep the windows open, and there can be a lot of street noise and noise from local bars and cafés late into the night. So sometimes it's better to stay in a quiet area and venture out - fortunately Paris is small so it's easy to get around by foot, métro, bus or taxi/Uber! : )
Loved this interview! I was one of the people who had your Paris Pastry app and walked 10 miles a day for 3 days enjoying all of your recommendations! It was amazing, so thank you :)
Glad you liked it! it was a lot of fun putting it together but it became hard to keep up with all the new places and the changes in the standard ones :)
Love the guy. Next time in Paris I will contact him for a tour. 🥰
Great interview. Interesting comparison/contrast between Paris and Brooklyn. Lots of French families living in Brooklyn now. Thank you for a fun post!
So enjoyed this and will save Bryan's recommendations for my next trip to Paris! Have earmarked his book to download as a reference. And, like you, I'm now wondering about that chocolate croissant in NYC!
I know, right? We need him to spill the beans! Although I have to say, the best I've had is at Winner in Park Slope. The pastry chef uses three bars of chocolate in each one and they are excellent.
What a great read - thanks so much. I’ll start following Bryan on his adventures.
Merci. Having not be in Paris for a long time - too long - I have always rented the same apartment on the Rue Mornay. I could always pretend that I lived in Paris, I had my butcher, baker and wine shop. Please don't tell me it's become touristville. Where does one go now? It was so convenient, I could walk to one of 3 Metro stations, it did feel like home.
The word "tourist" has become bad because being a tourist or visitor isn't a bad thing; they mean you're coming to visit and tour the city, which is great! Neighborhoods change - for example, the 6th and the Île St Louis, you'll likely hear English spoken on the streets whereas in the 10th or 12th, for example, those are more working-class areas and more diverse, so you'll get a different slice of life in Paris. Some people are comfortable being in a nicer, cleaner part of town (like the St. Germain area) while others want to be around more diversity. I recommend the 9th to a lot of people because it has a lot in one arrondissement, and you can go in any direction and find something different, from Montmartre and Pigalle, to Place de l'Opéra and the Grand Magasins (big department stores)
We've been staying in the 9th since I was a student back in the mid-seventies! A couple of times we stayed in the 7th when our regular hotel was booked, but it wasn't as convenient. Lately though, we've been staying in the 10th, just a couple of blocks away from our favourite place in the 9th.
Great interview David, merci. Now I want to buy some new books, book a tour with Bryan and check out some of his suggestions. Oh Paris, tu me manques!
I want to take a tour with him too!
Fabulous! Thank you.
This was a fun read! It makes me miss traveling. We have been to Paris many times and usually stay in the 7th or 15th. Always at a hotel. Our daughter attended the American University of Paris for a semester and lived in an apartment there and we got to see a lot of Paris from a different viewpoint which was also fun. My favorite shopping was at Monoprix, lol. And always tea at Mariage Freres.
When you learn the name of the source of those chocolate croissants, could you please share it with this croissant-loving Brooklynite (and your other readers?)
I was wondering if it was from Winner (Park Slope), La Bicyclette (Williamsburg), Supermoon Bakehouse (LES), or Maman (various locations)!
Haha I'm a little late to this, but none of the above :) But those are all fairly solid choices as far as I know.
I mentioned the one at Winner in a previous comment and theirs are truly excellent. The "Everything" croissant at Supermoom is superb; which is filled with cream cheese, dill, smoked salmon, and topped with "everything" seeds.
Thank you for your reply and those suggestions. So many places to try (not a bad thing). Additionally, I was thinking Bien Cuit, Almondine or Le French Tart Deli.
I’ve resolved NOT to stay in Saint-Germain next time. We spent so much time in the Métro getting up to the 10th!
Jocelyn, I’ve been thinking the same thing. I always stay in the 6th or 7th because it’s comfortable. I need to venture beyond next trip.
When I led tours we used a hotel in the 7th for our guests because it was quiet, and we never had any complaints. The problem with staying in a livelier neighborhood, especially in the warmer months where you want to keep the windows open, and there can be a lot of street noise and noise from local bars and cafés late into the night. So sometimes it's better to stay in a quiet area and venture out - fortunately Paris is small so it's easy to get around by foot, métro, bus or taxi/Uber! : )