Fête des Mères

It's Mother's Day in France.

🌸 Joyeuse fête des Mères 🌸

 

Floral Friday

 Small pots of traditional muguets take center stage at a local primeur.

- Happy Fête du Travail weekend -

May 1, 2026

Fat Tuesday

 

 

 A trayful of Crookies, the croissant-cookie dough hybrid sensation, tout juste sorti du four.

 

Below: at Maison Louvard, where the Crookie originated  

 

  

***

 

Today is Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday, last chance to indulge before Le Carême (Lent) starts tomorrow when food austerity kicks in for the next weeks leading up to Easter. The emphasis is on feasting, using up rich, fatty foods like butter, eggs, sugar and lard before the Lenten fast so nothing goes to waste. Traditionally, crêpes, beignets (bugnes or oreillettes in some regions), gaufres and other sweets have taken center stage.

 

Enter the slightly monstrous yet irresistible newcomer, the Crookie, the ultimate jolie-laide / “beautiful-ugly” Franken-pastry creation that, for some, has become another excuse to come to Paris. The concept was simple: a croissant is split open, crammed with chocolate chip cookie dough, topped off with more, then rebaked until the edges crisp and the center stays molten. A lovable oddball (weighing in at up to 900 calories) it was inspired by Stéphane Louvard in 2022, and in 2024 went mega-viral on TikTok. Today, the Crookie is still drawing queues and has copycats worldwide. At €5.90 to €7.10 depending if it’s to be taken away or savored sur place, it's not cheap, but then again, it's cheaper than therapy - and so far, seems to be more “croissant” than "crook." Classic croissant defenders (and admittedly I was one of them) call it heresy - but then, there’s that first bite.... - BPJ

 

Maison Louvard

(Café Bistrot Restaurant Boulangerie)

11 rue de Châteaudun 75009 

 

 ***

 

 Update: Paris's annual Mardi-Gras Boeuf Gras (Fat Cow) carnival and parade has been cancelled this year

  

Throwback Thursday

 

 

A stern yet festive Nutcracker keeps watch over merry crowds behind Tuileries gates.

Miam Monday

 

Today is the Feast of La Chandeleur - The Day of the Crêpe

Above: caramel heaven on a plate

***

 While enjoying crêpes at a local crêperie is tempting (and better than not having crêpes at all), the proper way to celebrate La Chandeleur is to make them yourself at home. Tradition holds that the crêpes should be flipped skillfully, ideally holding a gold coin (or any coin for luck and wealth) in your left hand while tossing the crêpe with your right. If you don’t get that first flip right - it breaks, folds, drops on the floor, sticks to the ceiling, lands in the dog's bowl - it's seen as an omen for the year ahead, while a clean flip is said to bring prosperity for the coming year. Subsequent crêpes are flipped just for fun, without the same high-stakes superstition attached. Often the pan is then passed around for everyone to try their hand at dramatic flips (and laugh when they inevitably go wrong). If, knowing all this, you're still game, grab a pan, a coin, and give it a try. Whether they land like pros or end up as "creative shapes," it's all part of the magic. - BPJ 

 - Bon Appétit and Bonne Chandeleur -

Sovereign Saturday

Today is officially the last day to claim your throne.

Le Pain Retrouvé

18 rue des Martyrs. 75009 

 

[Also at many other bakeries throughout the city]

Sweet Sunday

 

 

Another galette des rois holdout as January comes to a close.

 

Pâtisserie Gilles Marchal

9 rue Ravignan 75018

 

Treeful Tuesday

 

 

Paris, where the Christmas decorations outlast your New Year's resolutions. 

Sit-down Sunday

 

 

Keeping cool under the heat lamps of a Left Bank terrace.

Maison Sauvage
5 rue de Buci 75006

Fève Friday

 

Galettes des rois - each with its hidden fève and paper crown - continue to reign in bakery windows across Paris all month long.

 

Three Kings Day / l'Épiphanie

 January 6 

  

Monday Monday

 A gift shop called "Monday" is closed on Monday.

 

Wednesday whimsy

 

 

 

A fairytale portal of twinkling holiday splendor.

 

Life is pain...

 

Literally: pain au chocolat, baguette (demi; tradition; bien cuite...), ficelle, flute, pain aux figues, pain de seigle, pain à l’avoine, pain au maïs, pain de campagne, pain moulé, pain long, pain suédois, pain norvégian, pain nordique, pain croque fruits, pain aux noix, pain de mie, pain aux graines, fougasse (aux lardons, olives, fromage), bretzel (from Alsace), bâtard.... To name a few.

Here's to a "Pain-ful" New Year!

🥖🥖🥖

🇫🇷

***

In France, the iconic baguettes, croissants, and artisanal loaves that fill boulangerie shelves are crafted from wheat flour that remains proudly non-GMO, thanks to strict EU regulations and national opt-outs that effectively prohibit the cultivation of genetically modified wheat or other GMO crops on French soil. No commercial GMO wheat is grown anywhere in Europe, preserving traditional varieties and farming methods passed down through generations. And gluten? In France, it's not just tolerated - it's celebrated. That robust, elastic gluten is the magical backbone behind perfect crusty exteriors and airy mie, delivering the texture and flavor that make French bread world-famous.  - BPJ

Santa Sunday

 Santa traded in his sleigh for a vélo and was caught red-handed sneaking in some after-dark boutique pit stops before the big night.

 

*** 

 

Que cette saison des fêtes vous apporte joie, paix, et magie.

May this holiday season bring you joy, peace, and magic.

À bientôt! - BPJ 

 

- FocusOnParis returns after Christmas -

 

 

  

Sit-down Saturday

 

 

A vine-draped terrace where wine flows and time slows.

 

🍷 

 

Foie gras Friday

All over Paris épicerie shelves are groaning under holiday indulgence.

 Above: artisanal foie gras de canard from Maison Barthouil, perfectly paired w/bottles of Château Rieussec Sauternes, the ultimate French fête combo

 

La Grande Épicerie

Le Bon Marché Rive Gauche

24 rue de Sèvres 75007

   

Treeful Tuesday

Swirling ribbons of red beneath the dome at Galeries Lafayette, Haussmann.

 

Market Monday

Christmas magic takes over Place de l'Hôtel de Ville.

 

 Best Christmas Markets 

 Marchés de Noël 2025 

 

*** 

  

 Right now, Christmas markets dot the capital and here, in front of the main City Hall, as joyful children carouse on the carousel of the “Forêt Enchantée," it's surreal to imagine that long ago this very spot in front of Place de l'Hôtel de Ville - once the infamous Place de Grève - was for centuries the stage of gruesome public executions. Despite cozy twinkling lights, merry music, crêpes, arts and crafts, roasting chestnuts and pure festive cheer, Parisians have not forgotten (nor will they let you forget!) the echoes of its grim history. From molten lead to mulled wine, Paris, you’ve come a long way. - BPJ