We may have mentioned in the past that we are a short walk from Le Bon Marché and its sister La Grande Epicerie. There really are no words to decsribe La Grande Epicerie, except maybe the word "expensive." (But, oh so worth it!) We've heard several Americans liken it to Zabars, or Balducci's -- which it is -- only bigger. Others have compared it to Whole Foods, and yes it is similar in some ways except with none of that annoying healthy-for-you-eco-friendly BS, if you get what we mean. La Grande Epicerie is the place to go if you want to get fat and have a heart attack -- quick. You can clog your arteries with a dozen different kinds of pâtéand foie gras, (a small sampling of which is illustrated by the photo below:)
or gorge yourself on pastries, cured meats, fresh pasta, prepared dishes or about 150 different types of bread. (Agnes goes through about two loaves of brioche a week.) There is a beautiful produce section, a meat counter, a poultry counter, a wine section, a cheese section that you can smell from a mile away -- that's a good thing -- a spices/olives section, whatever that is, (see blurry photo below) and the list goes on and on.
There's an entire aisle devoted to sugar. Sugar in the raw, in cubes, in little packets, in the shapes of the Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomphe, colored sugar, flavored sugar and so on. In the back, there is what we would consider a "normal" grocery store with a huge aisle filled with different kinds of yogurt. (The French love yogurt.) It is in this back section that you can find prepackaged meats such as these fruits de mer:
If you haven't seen that at your local Safeway, how about this? Pre-cut and packaged bunny:
One of the prettiest sections is the poissonerie, with its beautifully arranged fish and shellfish. It is here you can really drop the Euros, fish is much more expensive in Paris than in the U.S.
Agnes had just snapped this photo when she was approached by a gentleman who informed her that such a photographic exploration of La Grande Epicerie was interdit. She was able to smuggle these pics out, but alas, they hardly do justice to the place. You'll just have to come visit and see for yourself.
Hi Aggie and John!
Nice notes even better photos! John, I thought of you on my hike today when I passed the Close and heard the metalic ping of the bball team's Saturday practice.
Did you ever get in contact with V? Did that number work? Send me your (and V's) notes for the bulletin. Lynn and I adopted 2 black brother cats last saturday. Bean and Lucky are great brawlers and love the place.
best,
Rob
Posted by: Rob | March 04, 2006 at 10:49 AM