Shopping & Steak-Fries in the 'Hood - Tuesday, 23 October

This apartment that I'm renting is just on the north side of the "Les Halles" area of the 1st arrondissement.  For centuries (really - since the late 12th century) this was the central market where farmers, fishermen and  producers brought their meat, fish, seafood, vegetables, fruits, grains, poultry, mushrooms, eggs, dairy, honey, nuts, herbs, spices, preserves - you name it - to sell to restaurants, shops and individuals.  Émile Zola wrote a novel featuring the market and its merchants called Le Ventre de Paris (The Belly of Paris).  In the 1850s enormous glass and iron buildings were erected to house the daily markets; they were all torn down in 1971 when the wholesale market was moved to the distant suburb of Rungis.

But while it operated as a market area, scores of food-related cafes and shops opened to support the suppliers, customers, bakers, chefs, etc. who shopped the markets.  Many of these still operate in this area, making it a foodie haven!  You can find anything you need (and many things that you had no idea you needed until you saw them!) in the shops that specialize in kitchen equipment, porcelain, baking supplies, spices, silverware, pots & pans, candymaking supplies, chocolate, etc.  And there are plenty of bars and cafés in which to rest your weary legs and have a drink & bite to eat!

Today was mostly a day of shopping in the 'hood, just admiring some stuff and buying other stuff.

While I was out wandering, I came across this charming couple just outside the church of Saint-Eustache.  They were quite good!  Little-known fact (that I learned from my friend, expert in all-things-Mozart, Nancy B.): Mozart's mother's funeral was in this church.

Steak, fries, marrow bone,
Bordelaise sauce,
fleur de sel

Eggs Mayo - a typical
1st course in a bistro

And at the end of the day I tried one of the highly regarded steak & fries bistros in the area, Aux Tonneaux des Halles at 28, rue Montorgueil.  Some say that their fries are among the best in Paris.  I can tell you that they were pretty darn good! I must have been in a protein slump, because I ordered eggs for my first course and finished most of my larger-than-I-thought-it-would-be, perfectly-seared, medium-rare, deeeeelicious steak!

28, rue Montorgueil  http://www.auxtonneauxdeshalles.com/