Poilâne

My favorite stop in Paris had to be the legendary boulangerie Poilâne, a bread shop established in 1932. The whole experience was a little bit like a pilgrimage for me -- I could have stayed in that shop all morning. I got to see their giant wheels of pain Poilâne slashed with the signature "P" or embossed with a sheaf of wheat.

While we were in the shop we saw several restaurant workers, identifiable by their white aprons, come into the shop and fill huge sacks full of loaves to take back, perhaps for their lunch crowd.

Edible Adventures in Paris had promised that there would be a little basket of blond butter cookies by the cash register, and sure enough, there was. I was smitten with my first bite, not only by the delicate crunch and butter flavor, but also by the pretty scalloped edges. I bought a boîte for the plane ride home and I was so glad I did.