Angelina - Paris...what happened???

[magnolia]

It pains me to report that Angelina is now just a shadow of its former grand old self...at least it was on Saturday January 19 at around 3PM  

The hot chocolate is still great...if you don't mind waiting for 1/2 hour for it (I'm not kidding), in a dusty, shabby, sad room with one surly waitress/maitre d' who moves at the pace of an 'escargot' and fairly screamed at some Japanese tourists who were having trouble figuring out the Euros (who isn't?)  and one frenzied, hassled waitress who seems to bear the brunt of the work when it became obvious that the first was not going to be of much help. Only about 10 of the tables had people, yet everyone who showed up was made to wait for a seat until the maitre d' could be bothered to show them to a table; then 10 minutes for the menu; then 10 more minutes before taking an order; then ?? until food was served. When served, it was fine - even divine HC - but I won't go back until I hear things are different.

My very superficial and uninformed assessment:

- Angelina must occupy one of the highest rent properties around;

-  Not sure if they still make their own pastries but perhaps not

- It's having serious financial difficulties and staffing problems

- Seriously resting on its reputation...

Noticed that the products were co-branded 'Angelina - Rumpelmeyers (is that still around? have Angelina & Rumpelmeyers had a partnership for a long time?)

Anyone else have any insight as to how to save this formerly wonderful institution?

(Edited by magnolia at 7:18 am on Jan. 24, 2002)

[Steve Plotnicki]

Magnolia - Have you been paying attention to current events? First of all, nothing could be easier to figure out than Euros. They are virtually the same as dollars and the Japanese people I have met don't seem to have any problem with dollars. Second, Angelina's used to be Runplemeyer's in the old days. I'm not sure when, or why they changed the name. Third and foremost, if you hadn't noticed, since Sept 11 tourism is down everywhere. When I was walking through the St. Germain section of Paris this past Friday evening it was deserted. It was something I had never experienced in Paris before. It was about 6:30 in the evening, a time the streets are usually full of shoppers as the next day is a non work day. But I found myself walking down streets where I was virtually the only person on the block. Even in London, a place that is still booming it was a bit muted. And my BA flight to NYC on Tuesday morning was a little more than half full. And while I can't speak to the goings on in Angelina, one has to see these things in their proper light.

[magnolia]

Steve you could not be more wrong about points one and three....

...unless I wasn't clear about point one, re: unfamiliarity with Euros. Nobody's having problems figuring out the  exchange rate -  they're having trouble figuring out what coins to use, how to make sure they're giving/getting the correct change, etc - this includes natives!

In every country - France included - there are now four ways of paying. Euro notes, coins, legacy notes and legacy coins. Francs (and lire, pesetas, kroner, deutschmarks, etc.) now co-exist with euros, so it's conceivable that at any given time, you will have a fistful of both.  Thus retailers may receive francs as payment, put them in a separate money drawer, and make change in euros. They are also rounding up which makes it difficult to figure out if you're getting the right change: I paid for my pariscope in francs - it cost 2,62 francs or 40 euros - with 3 francs and received NO change, though 2.62 francs is technically .46 euros, so I should have received .06 euros change. You try and figure that out in three seconds.

Have you ever seen Euros? They may have nearly the same exchange rate as dollars -  but they look nothing like dollars - nor do they look like francs, lire,  or anything else you've ever seen. And for each euro coin - of which there are eight denominations - there are 11 possible "b" sides (12 if you count the Vatican version) I'm not a math person but that looks to me like 96 new coins that everyone has to get used to. Imagine you were on a European tour, and had gone to two or three countries and were trying to sort out how to pay for your croissant & coffee in France, for which the bill now says : 19.68 FF / 3 euros, and you may have a pocketful  of francs, French euros, Belgian euros and Finnish euros. Not so easy.  

As for point 2 re: Rumplemeyers, thanks for setting me straight...I had no idea of the Rumpelmeyers/Angelina alliance.  Though I remember Rumpelmeyers as fondly as I did Angelina until last weekend, and if it is still in NYC I shall be sure not to visit lest it ruin my memories.

As for your third point - of course tourism is down everywhere, and this the very reason why there is no excuse for a queue at the door of an empty restaurant - and a very good reason for tourist-dependent destinations (and let's face it, that's what Angelina's is) to welcome  tourists with open arms and be as nice to them as possible - as was the case with the hotel I stayed in (upgraded me to a suite for free and gave me lots of freebies for no reason except to encourage me to return on my next visit) and every other restaurant I went to in Paris...instead of treating customers like rubbish, making them wait without explanation - and insulting them.  

(Edited by magnolia at 1:06 pm on Jan. 24, 2002)

[Steve Plotnicki]

Magnolia - I was in France this past weekend and I thought figuring out how to use Euros including the coins wasn't all that hard. I mean they say 1 and 2 Euros right on the coins. As for the poor service at Angelina's, what can I say. It happens everywhere from time to time. But in my experience they are pretty adept at turning the tables there, meaning they don't leave empty tables sitting around for very long. So who knows, maybe the second replacement host was on duty.

[jaybee]

How disappointing.  Hot Chocolate at Angelina's is always de rigueur when I'm in Paris.  BTW, in NYC a cup of hot chocolate that is a Proustian reminiscence of Angelina's can be had at Avenue, on the corner of 85th and Columbus.  The former Avenue chef Scot Campbell recently opened his own place (SQC) on 73rd and Columbus and probably serves a similar cup but I'm not sure.

[Jason Perlow]

I'm a complete idiot and I was able to figure out euros pretty easily. I had  a freind of mine from Germany bring over a euro kit with bills and coins, and they seem pretty easy to understand.

My fave is the two tone 1 euro coin, the bills looks like Monopoly money and the other coins like chanukah-gelt -- I almost tried to peel the wrapper off to ge to the chocolate inside. The german version of 1 the 1 euro with the big eagle on it is way cool too.

[MarcCosnarddesCloset]

Angelina's is regularly voted as having the worst service in Paris......by the French. If that isn't telling I don't know what is.... And I am french... and I live in Paris.. Last time I tried to get in with my 8 and 10 year old nieces we waited in line a half an hour until we were told that we would have to wait another half hour. We poped in next door to the recently refurbished Hotel Meurice hotel, where we had fabulous hot chocolate (three different varieties) and were serenaded by a quartet. When the charming help took our coats, one of my nieces thought they were taking them away forever. It was her first time in a valet coat room establishment. The kind lady assured my niece that her vintage Pokemon coat would be returned to her intact and even took her to the cloakroom to show her where it was hanging. Now that is service... My nieces are still begging for another visit.

[magnolia]

Marc - Loved that story about the valet and your nieces! Next time I'll try Meurice.

Jaybee - I will have to try avenue, as good HC in NYC is hard to find. Have you tried City Bakery where they 'make their own marsmallows' (I didn't even know you could make a marshmallow without a chemistry lab)

Jason - As for euros...you're right, they do look like gelt. Guess it's because they're so shiny, as they've just gone into circ it will take time for them to get the soil of the masses on them.

They aren't confusing on their own - what's confusing is the dual circulation, payment in one currency and change in another with a totally different peg - and the fact that each country has its own which - as much as I love Europe - I have to say is one of the most ludicrous ideas anyone ever came up with. If 11+ nations can't even agree on what to put on a bunch of coins, how will you get them to agree on the larger issues required to make EMU work as it's meant to!?

[jaybee]

For hot chocolate fans, I had a cup last night at SQC, Scott Campbell's new place on Columbus and 73rd.  It is quite good.  Essentially it is melted Vahlrona chocolate served with a topping of whipped cream.  It is the consistency of a drinkable pudding, and can be spooned.  To me is was in the category of Angelina's though others in my group disagreed.  BTW, the food at SQC is quite good, with a varied and interesting menu.  I'll move to the NY forum for that discussion.

[Margaret Pilgrim]

A quote from Magnolia:  

Have you tried City Bakery where they 'make their own marsmallows' (I didn't even know you could make a marshmallow without a chemistry lab)

Someday maybe I'll tell you about the time I made marshmallows from a Martha Stewart recipe that instructed me to pour the mixture into a foil-lined pan.  I outsmarted myself by using Saran instead.  And spent a couple of hours on Christmas morning picking shards of Saran off what would have otherwise been ethereally marvelous marshmallows...!

[Bux]

Margaret, I suspect Martha's recipe called for making your own foil from recycled aluminum cans and you were just too lazy. ;)

[magnolia]

Margaret, do tell! I love Martha stories. And what exactly is a marshmallow made of!?

[Margaret Pilgrim]

I doubt, Bux, that she uses anything that comes in aluminum cans.  Probably insists on glass packaging.  But she may well get her staff to save cans for her!  ;)

Magnolia, they are a simple construction of gelatin, water, sugar, corn syrup and vanilla, rolled in confectioners' sugar. And, wouldn't you know it, Martha cut hers out with heart-shaped cutters. :o  The crux, of course, is the quality of vanilla.  

[cabrales]

Much has been said about the hot chocolate at Angelina, and that is something I intend to sample shortly.  Is there only one type of hot chocolate that people order?  (If more than one, please provide available input.)

Also, do members have views on what cakes, other afternoon tea staples or desserts are good at Angelina?  For example, is the Mont Blanc (with meringue and chestnut tastes) worth ordering?

Also, do members have input on specific items offered by the pastry/dessert shop of Pierre Hermé (72, rue Bonaparte, Paris-6e, 01-43-54-47-77)?  Perhaps this has been addressed elsewhere on the Board, but I was unable to locate the reference.  I wonder what drinks, if any, are offered with the pastries there.

[Bux]

Cabrales, the rue Bonaparte Hermé shop does not have a place to sit, nor do I believe they serve drinks. I'm sure the other location (on Vaugirard?) has opened by now, but I don't know if they have tables. It would be a shame if they didn't, but as I recall, Dorie Greenspan mentioned having Hermé pastries elsewhere rather than at his shop, in her NY times article on le goûter recently and she wrote the book on Hermé -- literally. She's the author of his recent cookbooks in French and English. We were at the Bonaparte boutique early in the day and took away some croissants, a brioche and a kouign-amann. They were all excellent and tasty, but in a very restrained manner.

I preferred the more buttery croissants at Poujauran, 20 rue Jean-Nicot, in the 7th arr., although I found the sales woman there a bit unnecessarily and unpleasantly protective of the image rights to the bread and pastries when I raised my camera to take a picture. Had I not already made my purchase, I probably would have left without making one. The unpleasantness of her gestures countered the excellent quality of the croissant and a savory olive oil pastry and left me with very mixed feelings about recommending the shop. It's not a salon du thé anyway.

Back to Pierre Hermé's, the kouign-amann was particularly attractive in it's delicate arrangement of the leaves of dough, as well as delicate in its judicious use of butter and sugar, but I'm addicted to the ones that ooze butter and are heavily caramelized as found in Brittany. However, as we failed to visit every shop belonging to the Association des Artisans Fabriquant le Kouign Amann de Douarnenez I should not claim to be an expert.

If any of the chocolate desserts taste half as good as they look, it's worth the trip from London. I'm also partial to macarons that are not stuffed with a fat layer of rich butter cream, but we bought one of Pierre Hermé's superb and richly butter creamed Breton salt-butter caramel flavored examples. It was, uh, exemplary.

[cabrales]

the kouign-amann

Bux -- I'd never heard about this item before -- thanks for the input.  It looks good from the link, and I'll try it if I see it.  

[Bux]

I'm not sure if any in Paris measure up to those in Brittany. I suppose the same is said about any and every local product, but Le Monde singled out Fauchon as having the best kouign-amann in the capital. 10 francs for the individual size, which is probably less than the local shops get in Brittany, or was less when the franc was current. The article was from the 25 July issue last year and written before Hermé opened the first of his two shops. For added measure, Le Monde recommends a dry Breton cider as accompaniment, or an extra dry fruity champagne to contrast the sweet peasant dessert. They go so far as to suggest Pommery "Pop," those little blue bottles, with a straw.

[Hiroyuki]

Also, do members have views on what cakes, other afternoon tea staples or desserts are good at Angelina?  For example, is the Mont Blanc (with meringue and chestnut tastes) worth ordering?

←

My google search for mont blanc has led to this old thread.

My question is: Is it worth ordering?

Mont blanc cakes are huge in Japan, as suggested here in the Japan Forum.

Thanks in advance.

[ParisTechGeek]

Hello there,

I've liven in Paris for about 25 years. While I sometimes go there for brunch on Sunday and have coffee or tea rather than chocolate, I've tasted the hot chocolate at Queen Ann and found it to be exellent. Perhaps some of you chocoate experts could stop by there any day except Monday if you're in the neighborhood.

Queen Ann, a non-smoking Salon de Thé is located in the rue Simon Le Grand which is just across the street from the Pompidou center. On SUnday, reservations are recommended for brunch, but if you go for a chololate (and viennoiserie if you really want to pump up the fat and calories) you can stop by between say 4-6:30PM.

Disclaimer: over the many years my wife and I have been going there, we have become friends with the owner.

Disclaimer 2: For a soft landing, I am answering a two-year old post

[Hiroyuki]

Thanks! So, it's your very first post here on eGullet! Quite impressive. Thanks again.

[kutsu]

Just back from a week in (not so) sunny Paris.

Three excellent brunches at Angelinas, each time with the Hot Chocolate, some with cakes, some with pastries and once with eggs benedict.

Highly enjoyed all the meals there, friendly and efficient service, good choices, cakes/pastries were superb. Hot Chocolate is to die for..