A Perfect Last Day - Brasserie Lipp, Poilane Bread, Brasserie Bofinger

You could not ask for a more perfect last day really. The temperature was 70 degrees with blue skies and sunshine all around. It was a wonderful way to end a fantastic trip.

We headed out from the apartment with a few last stops on our agenda and our first was the Place Des Vosges. One of Paris's very beautiful parks it just happens to be right across from where we are staying and so we made our way and snapped a few photos. In the spring when the sun is out and the weather is just right the park is packed with people just reading, and playing with their kids. Around the park are wonderful restaurants, cafes and shops and if you head a little further south west you will end up by the Notre Dame.



I hate admitting this but the last time we were in Paris (2007) (also Colleen's first time) there was a huge line out the door for the Notre Dame so we never went inside (sad I know). This time we were sure to stop in and see this amazing cathedral.





After a little site seeing our goal was Poilane the famous bread shop. But, by this time we were starting to get hungry and as we walked we found ourselves near the famous cafes and brasseries: Les Deux Maggot (http://www.lesdeuxmagots.fr), Café De Flore (http://www.cafe-de-flore.com), and Brasserie Lipp. On our last trip we had a fantastic lunch at Café De Flore and this time we wanted to try Brasserie Lipp (http://www.groupe-bertrand.com/lipp.php).





Brasserie Lipp was established in 1880 by Leonard Lipp but it is now owned by the Bertand group (who also owns Angelinas). Well know literary giants such as Sartre and Hemmingway were regulars at the Brasserie Lipp. As well from what I understand it is very common to see celebrities dining at Brasserie Lipp however we did not see anyone we knew.

Although it can be quite common to have to wait for a table we had no problems. It must have been early since there was hardly anyone in the place and we were seated immediately in the back room. According to the Brasserie Lipp's website the menu has not changed in over half a century. We certainly weren't looking for anything new and exciting in fact we were in the mood for a very traditional meal.



After we ordered a couple of house beers we started our lunch with one of the house specialties called Cervelas Remoulade. It is difficult to explain just what this was and when I ordered it I had no idea what we would get and simply ordered it to be adventurous (it said house specialty so why not). What came to our table were two large oval shaped sausages which had the same texture as a hot dog and similar flavor covered with mayonnaise. Although it was different we both enjoyed it and it went very well with our beers.



For our main courses I chose the classic steak tar tar and Colleen chose the Cassoulet. It has been over ten years since I have had steak tar tar and I have always wanted to try it again but never felt much in the mood. Now in Brasserie Lipp with a nice beer it seemed like the right choice. Not much to describe here other than it came out on a plate with nothing else. I felt the tar tar was lacking something so I reached for the little dish of mustard on our table and enjoyed my raw meat with some good bread and a little mustard. With the beer it went down very well.





For Colleen I think that this was her first Cassoulet and I thought it might be too much and too heavy for lunch especially with the beer. It was so delicious that she devoured almost all of it. We skipped on dessert simply because we wanted to do that somewhere other than Brasserie Lipp. After a coffee we paid the bill and we were on our way to Poliane.






If you are fan of Ina Garten you have probably heard her speak of Poilane bread at one time or another. Until a few months ago I had never heard of Poilane and when I did I was very eager to try the famous bread. I am not going to bore you with tons of details about Poilane since you can do a search and pull up hundreds of sites, articles, comments on this wonderful bread. What I will tell you is that it was founded in 1932 by Pierre Poilane and the famous bakery is now run by his granddaughter Apallonia Poilane. You can read the full history here: http://www.poilane.fr/pages/en/compa...s_histoire.php.



There are several Poilane shops in Paris and we happened to be at the one on rue de Chere-Midi. The shop is small but pretty much all they sell is bread so it works out just fine. They will also just sell you a quarter or smaller of the famous 4 pound sourdough loaf. This is what we purchased and enjoyed the loaf as we walked the streets of Paris. What a wonderful crust, and the bread was so flavorful I now understand what all the fuss is about. Poilane is definitely a must visit when you come to Paris. And, just in case you can't make it to Paris to try their bread you can order the famous 4 pound sourdough loaf from their website and they will ship it to you (will cost you about 37 euros).



After Poilane we had one last stop before heading back to pack and that was one of the taller buildings in Paris the Tour Montparnasse (http://www.tourmontparnasse56.com). Alas another place in Paris I never knew existed. If the lines at the Eiffel tower get you down then head to this location and go to the 56 floor. We were here for the view and I expect that is the main reason everyone comes. We did order a few desserts to calm our sweet tooth and a coffee and tea and they were just fine. I have to say this is a wonderful way to see the city from up high and you can avoid the long lines and tons of people that are always present at the Eiffel tower. Although if you really want to go to the Eiffel tower (and you should) then you can skip the lines there and go to the restaurant they have mid way up the tower. On our last trip we stopped off there for a drink and it was very enjoyable. If you want more such as dinner then be sure to make reservations.





We left the high rise and as we headed back home to pack we stopped off a Napoleon's tomb. The building is magnificent and from what I understand was actually a hospital during the war. Napoleon's tomb is probably the biggest coffin I have ever seen made completely out of marble. Strange for such a small guy. What I really enjoyed was the massive armory and the swords, guns and complete sets of armors. Original Irish claymores on display as well as swords outfitted with one shot pistols.





So how do you end a perfect day? How else with one last great meal and for us that was at Brasserie Bofinger (http://www.bofingerparis.com/). On our last trip to Paris we dined at Bofinger and enjoyed so much we decided to go back. We didn't take any photos we were completely wiped out and just wanted to enjoy a good meal. Colleen ordered the steak with béarnaise sauce and I ordered the grilled lobster with beurre blanc. Oh man I wish you could have tasted my lobster it was out of this world. Colleen's steak was also outstanding and I knew at one point that we were really enjoying ourselves because we did not say a word we were just eating. It was truly one of the top meals of the trip and totally spontaneous and unexpected. After dessert and coffee we went home and packed and that was all she wrote.

Hope you have enjoyed the blog and learning about some of these truly wonderful establishments in Paris.