Bon bon
The French call a piece of candy a bonbon. It means “good good.”
Among the things in life that are good good (and all of which I did yesterday):
- an entire day with a friend who’s in Paris for the first time since you moved there
- a lunch of hot curry, cool rice pudding with cardamom, and hot espresso
- an after-lunch stroll through seedy Pigalle
- wild raspberry tea in a cozy Paris apartment on a cold, gray afternoon
- delicious conversation
- exquisite chocolate bonbons
Not just any old bonbons either. Yesterday, my friend turned me on to a French national treasure—two, in fact: À l’étoile d’or, a magical chocolaterie-confiserie, and its proprietress, Madame Denise Acabo, a wacky little old lady who dresses like a French school girl (and has since she was a French schoolgirl).
When we got there, she was behind the register literally slurping up chocolate pudding with sprinkles on top and enjoying the hell out of it. She told us she cannot go a day without chocolate.
In this display case are handmade, artisanal chocolates from all over France. Madame Acabo gave us a guided tour of the case, effusively providing colorful commentary on the tiny works of edible art as she hand picked a selection for us.
The rest of the shop contains more of the same plus chocolate in many forms from all over the world.
At that moment, I wanted to recant all my rants about having to go to 25 stores to make a single meal in a day. I was suffused with gratitude that France does so much to protect small businesses (but I could have just been high on chocolate fumes).
I’m just glad Paris doesn’t look like America, with its rows of boxes distinguishable only by the vulgar logos of one national chain after another…
Experience a piece of the real Paris:
À l’étoile d’or
30 rue Pierre Fontaine
Paris, 9th
January 4th, 2008 at 4:13 pm
What a delicious bob-bon of a post. Your day and the chocolate sounds magical.
I will think of you when I go shopping at Costco today. It is a soul stripping experience—but, it is so convenient. I envy the struggle you have in making a meal. Sure, its time consuming, but you get to meet people like Madame Denise Acabo.
Pamela, hope you and your frog have a very happy new year!!
January 4th, 2008 at 9:42 pm
I think it would be dangerous if I went there - I risk to eat the entire store.
January 5th, 2008 at 2:09 am
I.
Would.
Kill.
For.
Some.
REAL.
Chocolate.
* le sigh *
I’m moving in with YOU. OK?
January 5th, 2008 at 8:29 am
Hello choco-girls! I’ll send you all some of her candies if you send me your addresses. Dark? Milk? My favorite is dark plus orange…
January 5th, 2008 at 7:54 pm
Yes, Dark with orange is my FAVORITE!!! I just tried the Lindt Extreme Dark with Orange. So good, and yet I am sure it is not half as good as the treats you enjoy en France.
January 6th, 2008 at 10:10 am
Salut Rouge. I used to get those chocolate oranges at Trader Joe’s back in the day; the ones that break into sections. Denise Acabo had this one that was a little ball: half of a tiny candied mandarin orange on the bottom, a cap of dark chocolate on the top half, and under the cap a creamy dark chocolate filling. It was beyond orgasmic. I’m serious, I’ll send you girls some if you want!
January 6th, 2008 at 5:24 pm
Want! Want!!!
On one condition, I get to send you something in return!!! And dark, is there any OTHER kind of chocolate???!
xoxox
January 6th, 2008 at 6:14 pm
Mmn. Too much bon bon is bad bad for my thighs…
January 7th, 2008 at 7:25 pm
OK, one taker. Claudia, e-mail me at pamela dot poole at free dot fr with your order!
January 7th, 2008 at 7:30 pm
And I bet you get some good maple candy up there… Not readily available here… Sound like a trade?
January 7th, 2008 at 11:29 pm
I sure can. Sounds mighty fair to me!!!
WOO-HOO!!!!!!!!!!!
January 8th, 2008 at 9:03 pm
Is there any American treat I can send you from Chicago? Reciprocity is the only way!!!;-)
January 9th, 2008 at 8:57 am
Hi Rouge! Butterfingers! They have Snickers. They have Mars. They have M&Ms (peanut only–totally random). But I think Butterfingers are just too white trash to have made it to Paris. And there’s a general paucity of peanut products here anyway. They’re all into hazelnuts, which just don’t work for me. Thank you thank you thank you!