After doing a bit more digging, I found this super inspiring video on the accompanying Tartine bread site.

Tartine Bread from 4SP Films on Vimeo.

I’m not sure about all that accordion playing, but I. CAN. NOT. WAIT. TO. TRY. THAT. BREAD.

Hmmmmmmm.

Just got back from a not long enough weekend in Paris.

My good lady was out there all last week working for ‘the man’ on the auto show, so I Eurostar-ed it over on Friday night to pay her a visit.

As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, I’m Francophile, and love Paris in particular. Obviously the food is a big part of this for me, but it’s not always the big meals you have that make you realise how much you love a place’s culture. Sometimes it’s the simple things, like the breakfast we had on Saturday morning. We went to a cafe across the road from our hotel and just had coffee and a croissant. But, saying ‘just’ would be doing it a disservice. The croissant was amazing. Fresh as a daisy, light fluffy, and tasted amazing. It really didn’t need any jam or butter. Miles apart from the hard and heavy buggers we get over here.

I also love the fact that the French café is a cornerstone of society. Sure the places around the main attractions are stuffed to bursting with tourists hemorrhaging cash, but there are cafés on pretty much every street which are the equivalent of caffeinated drop in centres for the local community. Locals stop in for a coffee and a chat on their way into work, or drop by for a quick lunch or an aperitif and a smoke on their way home. It’s really great to see places that aren’t chains thriving.

Other highlights include an amazing slab of Fois De Veau at Boucherie Roulière in St. Germain, a winning Croque Madame at Le Sancerre in Monmartre, and stumbling across the amazing Saturday morning food market on avenue Président Wilson.

The latter in particular made a really big impression on us. It didn’t feel like the kind of over priced farmers market that services the well heeled Guardian reading media types of Stoke Newington, Borough or Wimbledon I may be being harsh here), but a place where ‘real’ people do their food shopping. Unlike London, where there’s increasingly a Tesco Metro or Sainsbury’s Local on every street, Paris doesn’t really have that many supermarkets, so markets like these are still an important part of life. And the display of food on show was mind blowing. Piles of fresh Langoustines, amazing looking bread, and tables overflowing with Autumnal crops of ceps and girolles. There was a clear sense of pride in both produce and presentation.  It had us fantasising about what we’d cook if we lived around the corner, which I kind of wish I did.

Maybe one day…

The Great British Fry Up is a thing of beauty when done right, and probably one of the most disappointing food experiences when it’s cocked up. These days the classic fry up at a ‘greasy spoon’ has increasingly been replaced by the ‘posh’, expensive version served in gastro pubs and the like, and many of the old school cafés have gone with it. Earlier in the year, an old favourite caff of mine, Rossi’s in Spitalfields, closed its doors after 50 plus years of serving happy punters. A sad day.

So when you find a cafe that nails the classic British Fry Up, it’s something to be cherished. And The Regency Cafe in Pimlico / Victoria is one of those places. It’s definately in the mould of a ‘greasy spoon’, but it’s much more than that, and there’s not a deep fried sausage in sight.

Even from the outside you can tell The Regency is a special place. It’s has a really classic deco look to it, decked inside and out in original Edwardian tiles, gingham half curtains in the window, and according to the date above the door it’s been going since 1946. You have to place your order before you sit down, don’t test the regulars by taking a seat when you arrive, and there’s plenty to choose from on the menu from egg and chips to liver and bacon.

We opted for the breakfast special with a side of the much neglected bubble & squeak and a typical British caff ‘frothy coffee’. The breakfast came with egg, bacon, sausage, tomatoes, two toast and the bubble. The egg was fried to perfection, the bacon thickly sliced and delicious, and the meaty, herby sausage (Lincolnshire I think) was one of the best I’ve had at breakfast. The bubble was great too, especially when drenched in egg yolk. In fact the only thing I regret was getting tinned tomatoes instead of grilled / fried. But you live and learn.

In terms of atmosphere, the place is more like an American diner than a traditional British caff. It’s got a real buzz about it, and the guy who bosses the till calls out the orders in this great, booming voice. We arrived at about a quarter past ten on Saturday morning, and pretty much as soon as we’d placed our orders and sat down, there was a queue out of the door.

The regency is a real gem, and I hope it keeps going strong for years to come. They also serve a dinner menu from 4 till 7pm, but I’ve never been there after breakfast time. Go and check it out.

Luckily, my day job allows me to escape the office from time to time to get some head space and thinking time. There are a number of places I like to go for a bit of peace and quiet, and the Nordic Bakery is right up there with my favourites.

As the name suggests, it’s a Scandinavian style cafe, specialising in bread. The food and bread are good; simple Nordic fare including rye bread open sandwiches and cured fish, but the killer for me are the amazing cinnamon buns and the coffee.

I don’t think the buns are as fluffy as they used to be, but they still taste amazing. The cinnamon is almost intoxicating, the dough satisfyingly heavy and so sticky it’s almost a challenge to eat. Add to this a rocket fuel strength latte, you’ve got yourself a perfect afternoon break.

It’s also a really peaceful place, which is a bit of a rarity in Soho, so f you’re going to check it out, put the phone on silent and shhhhhh.