Ti Couz or d'Alloyau in Paris?

[stellabella]

My sister and I are going to Paris next weekend after she finishes a business trip in London. Neither of us has ever been to Paris.  We have three nights and two days to eat.  

1] Ti Couz?  A friend says I will like the mussels.  Where is it?  

2] d'Alloyau? Described to me as a "pastry palace"--where is it?

I have searched the web and can't find any info on either.  

I think I am going to like Paris well enough to return.  During my first short trip, any suggestions  for food or places I should NOT miss?

Thanks.

[Steve Plotnicki]

Stellabella - You mean Ty Coz which is a Breton seafood restaurant in the 11th arr. and Dalloyau which is a pattiserie/teahouse with multiple locations. I can't comment on Ty Coz as I've never been. But I've been in the various Dalloyaus on a number of occassions. It is fine but, I much prefer both Laduree (about which The New York Times ran a story today) and Angelina whcih could have the best hot chocolate anywhere.

(Edited by Steve Plotnicki at 12:22 am on Jan. 24, 2002)

[Bux]

In yesterday's NY Times dining section, Dorie Greenspan has an article on le goûter, that late afternoon tasting of bread or cake to restore your spirit. It's best if it includes some chocolate. She particularly notes Laduree's two shops, Jean-Paul Hévin's chocolate shop and tearoom as well as a clothing store and restaurant offering Pierre Hermé's confections. That's the article mentioned by Steve P. A case could be made that you should not miss any of these. I suppose with only two days, you might make some purchase at either Hévin's or Hermé's shop to take home. On the other hand, if you have a light lunch and eat dinner late, you could easily make two stops for le goûter each afternoon and also take in Angelina's. It would be a shame not to make your own comparison to Dalloyau as well.

This whole train of thought reminds me of the very unique joy of being in Paris on a cold dreary winter's day. Sure the quintessential Parisian experience must seem to be sitting in an outdoor cafe on a balmy day, but that's also the tourist experience. Coming in out of the cold for a hot chocolate is an experience on a more intimate level of Paris, even in an ordinary cafe.

[stellabella]

Steve and Robert,

Paris is so big!  I had no idea.  My sister and I walked until our dogs were barking , but we found  the Champs Laduree.  The chocolat chaud made me feel rather reckless and sodden at the same time.  I watched two beautiful young French women at the table next to us scraping their cups with their spoons.  I sampled four macaroons: the chocolat and caramel were fine, but the vanille and pistache were extraordinary.

On our second afternoon we stopped into a patisserie north of the Pantheon, before we crossed the River to Notre Dame.  I never could figure out the name of it.  I had a chocolate macaroon; Shannon had a coffee macaroon.  They were every bit as delicious as the ones I'd had the day before at Laduree.  Later we made it back to the Rue de Buci not far from our hotel before my sister nearly broke down in tears her feet hurt so badly.  We decided to have our le gouter at Paul because... there we were.  Mistake.  Our pastries were not delicious--in fact, my tarte fromage blanc tasted like the cooler--but the chocolat chaud was still pretty delicious.  I drank two pots, knowing that I was leaving the next day and wouldn't be having it again for a while.

I was reminded of what my friend Pearl once said:"Pizza is like sex: even when it's bad it's still pretty good."  Is the same true about hot chocolate and macaroons in Paris?

[mogsob]

If pizza is like sex, then Dominos is like spending a night in a trailer park in Arkansas.  Ditto for stale macaroons.

My wife and I went to Laduree the other week.  Simply fabulous.  I had a pastry called Arabica and my wife had a tarte au citron.  Both were wonderful.  And, of course, the inevitable macaroons.  The chocolate Laduree was divine.

As a side note, we had gone to Angelina about a year ago.  It was dreadful.  The service was, as promised, poor, but the food was even worse.  Never to return.

[stellabella]

Imagine a macaroon going stale!  

We didn't try to go to Angelina's because I was getting the impression from this site that both food and service were increasingly underwhelming.  

I haven't eaten Domino's since I was in college, but back then ANYTHING was better than the cafeteria.  And that's when Pearl spake those fateful words.