A rare Sunday treat. My first baguette and croissant in Paris (please don’t let my cardiologist know, am on a diet!) From Urban Bakery in Montmartre. @chrisinparis.bsky.social
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At some point I’d love to talk to you about a research idea on this: a Parisian will walk from the 18th to the 14th just to get their favorite baguette - there is something about this culture - and I’m not critical of it - that there is a best or right way of everything…
There is a store across the city that has the best sardines or best avocados or whatever. And it is worth the inconvenience of going there to get it and here is where I think the cultural difference is…and I love it.
It would be fun and of course, it would also start a lot of heated debate. There's a baguette nearby that gets highly ranked but I don't care for it at all. But plenty of great options along the way!
Let me know where that is. I’m kind of critical of folks from abroad going anywhere (Tokyo, Rome, Paris) and saying there is a best (sushi, pasta, baguette) because there are many bests and for many reasons. With Art it is one thing but with things we need for survival (food)…
It becomes more complicated. The Saturday market under the rails of Barbes Rochechouart is enlightening relative to the Friday market in Anvers (if you don’t know Paris this won’t make sense) - I might email you about an idea about a podcast about this. Got me thinking!
Part of the reason for this preference is that in the search for the perfect mango you experience other things on the way. In the US we would be like “go to the closest store” but part of this Parisian intrigue is that the process of finding the perfect product you experience so much along the way.
In America (thinking of say Jenkintown or nearby) there might be a great store at the Willow grove mall but you drive there and ignore anything in the process. What do you see on 611 (old York road) nothing? But here you experience everything on the way. Just something I’m thinking about…
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