Paris’ ‘chocolat’ a hot, sweet quest
Posted on Sunday, October 12, 2008
PARIS — On cold, damp, wintry days in Paris, nothing is more satisfying than a steaming cup of hot chocolate. Not the faux hot chocolate made with warm milk and sweetened cocoa powder. Not the counterfeit concoction made with milk and chocolate syrup.
I’m talking about the rich, creamy blend of genuine dark chocolate and steamed milk. The French call it “chocolat chaud.” I call it simply delicious.
Only select cafes and restaurants offer authentic chocolat chaud. But you’ll find it at virtually every “salon de the” (teahouse ). The dark chocolate is imported from Africa or South America and usually boasts a cacao content of 70 percent or more. It is melted, mixed with steamed milk or cream and served with a glass of cold water on the side. (The chocolate is so rich that you need occasional palate-cleansing sips of water. )
Most Parisians will tell you that Angelina serves the best chocolat chaud in Paris. On Rue de Rivoli across from the Tuileries Gardens, this antique teahouse is all frescoed walls and gilded mirrors.
I ordered Chocolat a l’Ancienne dit “Africain” (traditional chocolate the African way ). Made with pure chocolate from the Ivory Coast, it’s as thick and creamy as hot fudge. The hot chocolate arrived in a porcelain pitcher that held enough for two full cups. To sweeten the drink even more, I added scoops of real whipped cream. It sent me to heaven in one of Angelina’s gold-rimmed cups.
A lesser-known but equally enchanting salon de the, Les Cakes de Bertrand, is in the old Bourdaloue chocolate factory, down the hill from the Basilica of Sacre-Coeur in Montmartre. This cozy tearoom accommodates a maximum of 30 guests. Some come for the apple rhubarb crumbles and 25 types of tea. I come to sip Chocolat Maison l’Ancienne.
Dalloyau is a chocolate institution. In 1802, the patisserie began serving pastries and chocolate to adoring Parisians. Since then, it has expanded to seven Paris locations that sell a combined 55 tons of chocolate each year.
In the amber-lighted tearoom on the second floor of Dalloyau’s Rue du Faubourg St.-Honore location, I saw chic French women sipping Colombian chocolat chaud. They chatted quietly, fur coats draped over their chairs, while I devoured a cup of my own.
In trendy St.-Germain des Pres, two famous restaurants cater to chocolat chaud lovers. Cafe de Flore (where James Baldwin wrote his first book, Go Tell It on the Mountain ) gets my vote for best delivery. The Chocolat Special Flore is mixed with a bit of caramel and served in a silver pitcher that is delivered on a silver platter. A decorative potholder, with which to lift the searing-hot pitcher, is tucked inside the porcelain coffee cup.
Steps away at Les Deux Magots — where Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir reigned over a postwar intellectual crowd — the Chocolat des Deux Magots a l’Ancienne is to die for.
But of all the Paris spots in which to sip authentic chocolate chaud, my favorite is Le Flore en l’Ile. Poised on the western tip of Ile St.-Louis, the dining room offers a dramatic view of Notre Dame Cathedral.
Unlike the aforementioned haunts, the Chocolat Chaud a l’Ancienne at Le Flore en l’Ile is not blended in the kitchen. Instead, the melted chocolate (78 percent cacao ) is served separately in a tiny silver pitcher. A tall pitcher of steamed milk is served along with it. Simply pour the chocolate in the porcelain cup, add the right amount of steamed milk and voila ! You’ve got a mouth-watering cup, blended to perfection.
Dare I say, it’s as good as the chocolat chaud at Angelina’s.
Angelina, 226 Rue de Rivoli; open 8 a.m. until 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekends.
Le Flore en l’Ile, 42 Quai d’Orleans, l’Ile St.-Louis; open 8 a.m. to 2 a.m. daily.
Les Cakes de Bertrand, 7 Rue Bourdaloue; www. lescakes debertrand. com, open noon to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday, closed weekends.
Dalloyau, 101 Rue du Faubourg du St.-Honore (six additional Paris locations ); www. dalloyau. fr, open 8: 30 a.m. to 7: 30 p.m. weekdays, 9 a.m. to 7: 30 p.m. weekends.
Les Deux Magots, 6 Place St.-Germain des Pres; www. les deuxmagots. fr, open 7: 30 a.m. to 1 a.m. daily.
Cafe de Flore, 172 Boulevard St.-Germain; open 7: 30 a.m. to 1: 30 a.m. daily.
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