Thursday, May 20, 2010

Marché at the Place Monge

One morning Susie and I went to the marché at the Place Monge, both just to see the market and possibly to find a hat for me to wear while walking around Paris. The Place Monge, one of the least touristy parts of the 5th Arrondissement, still has something of an authentic neighborhood feel. It's about a block away from the Arenes de Lutece.

Unlike many other markets that now primarily sell dry goods, the market at the Place Monge still centers on foods, ranging from seafood to organic vegetables. Yet, luckily for us, pretty much the first vendor we encountered was a seller of hats, Serge, who had recently closed his regular store in favor of selling at marchés. He had exactly the hat I needed, which I bought after Susie and I talked with him for a while. He likes to travel the world to pursue his passion: catch-and-release fly fishing.

Much of the produce is organic ("AB" = agriculture biologique).

The vegetables are great: the eggplants are small and the red peppers are huge.

Want olives? Choose from among a dozen varieties, not just different flavors of the same olive, as you get in California.

The fish, dramatically displayed on a bed of shaved ice, are perfect.

And if you're interested in something a little heartier, how about a portion of this choucroute garnie?

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