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vendredi 16 décembre 2011

Marché du Mois: Marché Couvert de Passy

I'm as creeped out by the 16th arrondissement as the next 99%, but every once in a while I find myself called to visit this particular part of Paris, wandering the rues of the 16th's quartiers chics.

My most recent visit was motivated by the compelling description I read about the Marché Couvert de Passy, which promised fresh fish and foreign fromage.

By foreign fromage I mean cheddar, which is a rarity in Paris and is pretty much the reason why I elected the Marché Couvert de Passy as December's Marché du Mois.

Under a crisp blue winter sky, the market seemed bustling for a Wednesday afternoon- with eager shoppers squeezing into its entryways bookended with Christmas trees.

Once inside the market, I scanned my surroundings for the venders mentioned in the description, including the Poissonnerie de Passy and the fromagerie Androuet.

Despite its tiled walls and floor- the Marché Couvert de Passy is cosy and one can quickly take a tour around the economically organized space, which seems to be a former Poissonerie.

The scattered wall tiles dedicated to different types of fish are a nice tribute to the building's current incarnation as well, due to the fact that this market boasts several fishmongers.

I made my way to the reputed Poissonnerie de Passy, which is located at the back of the market and is made up of two stands- one for cuts of fish and another for shellfish, which includes a counter space for dégustations of wine and fruits de mer.

The Poissonerie had a special on Bonite that day, which I tasted for the first time a few weeks ago at Le Verre Volé.

Bonite (casually known as "the tuna you can buy") is of the Tuna family and is deemed to be in no danger of overfishing or extinction and therefore makes for a guilt-free, sustainable meal. It is delicious when seared and even better when served with brussels sprouts!

As far as vegetables are concerned, the vendors at Marché Passy demonstrate a preference for local and fresh produce. However, non-seasonal veggies were also in abundance, so shoppers who want to buy local should read labels to make sure they are purchasing hexagon-grown goodies.

And on to the fromagerie, where a warm welcome awaited me!

As soon as I asked for my slice of cheddar at Androuet the vendor addressed me exclusively in English- but not in that I'll-speak-English-to-this-tourist-so-that-the-transaction-is-completed-as-quickly-as-possible English, just simply in a I-like-speaking-English-to-English-speakers English, which I don't mind responding to in, well, just normal English. We chatted about how great cheddar cheese is and he recommended I try the Stilton next time around, very impressive open mindedness for a French cheese vendor!

For a modest 4 euro, I had a hearty tranche of artisinal cheddar- which is worth its weight in gold this side of the pond!

While the eerily calm streets of the 16th may not beckon to me very often, I am happy to know that within this calm arrondissement there is the animated ambience that only a great neighborhood market can provide.

Marché Couvert de Passy

Place de Passy

m° La Muette (line 9)

Hours:

Tues. - Fri. : 8h-13h and 16h-19h

Saturday: 8h30-13h and 15h30-19h

Sunday: 8h-13h

Libellés : 75016, Marché of the Month, open Friday, open Saturday, open Sunday, open Thursday, open Tuesday, open Wednesday

mercredi 14 décembre 2011

Buy Local Bandwagon: A Best of Buying Parisian

French candidates for the presidency have recently become proponents of the "Made in France" movement and are integrating this mantra into their campaign platforms in a major way.

While Bayrou and Sarkozy do a Tour de France, visiting factories and manufacturers producing goods within the hexagon, journalists on the other side of the pond are picking up on the trend, talking about "The New American Localism".

While "localism" and "Made in France" may be the buzz words du jour, I am excited that they are entering common vernacular and that even the most corrupt of politicians is getting behind the basic idea that buying local is an important political and economic choice that benefits the community.

Over the past year, I've had a lot of fun finding spots to support the super-local, places where you can find products produced in the Ile-de-France region that Paris calls home. For those of you getting on the localist bandwagon, here is a compilation of posts describing some great addresses where you will find local foods and products. Enjoy!

Marché of the Month: Marché Batignolles

This 100% organic market in the 17th offers a wide variety of seasonal produce, with local producers in attendance. My favorite Ile-de-France vendors are the Maraichers from Meaux.

Out-of-the-Way Gifts Guide

This post gives addresses on where to find Parisian-made honey and some lovely French beers. Note that the Cave à Bulles now stocks the Montreuil microbrew Zymotik!

Marché of the Month: Marché Monge

This market is home to one of my favorite local producers, located only 34 km from Paris Marc Mascetti brings his local produce to the market, often offering heirloom and rarely seen varieties of local vegetables.

Valentine's Day: Local Ways to say "Je t'aime"

This Valentine's Day post offers ideas for lovely local gifts that are sure to make loved ones smile no matter what time of the year.

A Little Market

This French version of Etsy includes several producers from the Ile-de-France region.

Saveurs Paris Ile-de-France: La Marque Régionale

All about the one brand to rule them all!

Beer Me in Gay Paris!

Find out more about Parisian microbrews!

Marché of the Month: L'Echoppée Locale

This boutique in the 3rd arrondissement exclusively stocks products from Ile-de-France.

I hope you have a chance to check some of these places out. If you have any of your own Ile-de-France addresses I'd love to hear about them!

Libellés : local, markets