Magical Tarts
from Les Petits Mitrons Patisserie
With
our successful journey to Stohrer’s Patisserie behind us we were avidly looking
forward to tasting what Paris Notes
lauds as “the best tarts” in Paris. As I
have stated before, I am usually skeptical of the “best of” or the “best I ever
had” pronouncements by others. These are relative judgments usually expressed
by someone with little or no basis for comparison to make such a statement. The
writers for Paris Notes, which
unfortunately is discontinued, were different. They were expatriates or Parisians who have
tasted their way through this city of epicurean treasures for many years. As
such my high esteem for their opinion of what constitutes the best of anything
is based upon their many years of sampling the great fare Paris has to offer.
After
our morning coffee in our flat we embarked on our new food quest carrying
croissants purchased from our favorite boulangerie on Boulevard Saint Germain,
which I might add have the best croissants and baguettes I ever had. While savoring our flaky croissants with a moist,
chewy center we once more crossed over the Seine, turned left onto rue du
Rivoli, passed the historic Bourse du Commerce and the Column Medici, adjacent
to the verdant Jardin des Halle and the ornate Église St-Eustache, to the rue
du Louvre where we turned right or north according to my internal compass. We continued along the rue du Louvre to rue
Montmartre, a street that would change names more than once while we strolled
through the storied section of Montmartre, home to the racey Place Pigalle and the
legendary Moulin Rouge until we came to the end of our journey. Below the hilltop
Basilica of Sacre Coeur, regally presiding over Paris, we arrived at the blue
and pink storefront of Les Petits Mitrons, Patisserie Artisanal on rue Lepic. Tired and more than a little hungry we
entered this quaint little shop brimming with a dazzling array of multi-colored
fruit tarts. Everywhere our eyes turned
we were greeted with a cornucopia of shimmering fruit covering tarts of all
sizes. Linda was in dessert heaven!
Moments
later we were sitting on the little blue bench stationed in front of Les Petits
Mitrons gleefully consuming what could only be described the best fruit tarts
we ever had. Each tart was filled with firm yet tender slices of fresh fruit; peach
for Linda’s tart and apple in mine. As
with most of the pastries we have enjoyed in Europe the fillings in the tarts
were rich and creamy with just the right amount of sweetness to stimulate our
taste buds, allowing the natural fruit flavors to come through. The tart’s shell can best be described as
baked with little bit of magic. I really
have no other way to describe the mouthwatering crisp outer layer of the shell
that tastes as if it is coated with caramelized brown sugar and the soft chewy
inner layer, tenderly snuggling the fresh fruit. It has to be magic! There can be no other way
to explain the extraordinary taste sensation of the tart’s delicious shell.
Sometime
shortly after dinner that night a craving for one of Les Petits Mitrons’ fruit
tarts came upon us. We yearned for the
taste of the glazed fresh fruit and the tart’s delicious shell to top off our meal.
Were it not for the fact that Les Mitrons was certainly closed at that hour we
would have been in a taxi on our way back for just one more taste of magic.
After
our morning coffee in our flat we embarked on our new food quest carrying
croissants purchased from our favorite boulangerie on Boulevard Saint Germain,
which I might add have the best croissants and baguettes I ever had. While savoring our flaky croissants with a moist,
chewy center we once more crossed over the Seine, turned left onto rue du
Rivoli, passed the historic Bourse du Commerce and the Column Medici, adjacent
to the verdant Jardin des Halle and the ornate Église St-Eustache, to the rue
du Louvre where we turned right or north according to my internal compass. We continued along the rue du Louvre to rue
Montmartre, a street that would change names more than once while we strolled
through the storied section of Montmartre, home to the racey Place Pigalle and the
legendary Moulin Rouge until we came to the end of our journey. Below the hilltop
Basilica of Sacre Coeur, regally presiding over Paris, we arrived at the blue
and pink storefront of Les Petits Mitrons, Patisserie Artisanal on rue Lepic. Tired and more than a little hungry we
entered this quaint little shop brimming with a dazzling array of multi-colored
fruit tarts. Everywhere our eyes turned
we were greeted with a cornucopia of shimmering fruit covering tarts of all
sizes. Linda was in dessert heaven! 
Moments
later we were sitting on the little blue bench stationed in front of Les Petits
Mitrons gleefully consuming what could only be described the best fruit tarts
we ever had. Each tart was filled with firm yet tender slices of fresh fruit; peach
for Linda’s tart and apple in mine. As
with most of the pastries we have enjoyed in Europe the fillings in the tarts
were rich and creamy with just the right amount of sweetness to stimulate our
taste buds, allowing the natural fruit flavors to come through. The tart’s shell can best be described as
baked with little bit of magic. I really
have no other way to describe the mouthwatering crisp outer layer of the shell
that tastes as if it is coated with caramelized brown sugar and the soft chewy
inner layer, tenderly snuggling the fresh fruit. It has to be magic! There can be no other way
to explain the extraordinary taste sensation of the tart’s delicious shell.
