August Tour: A Sweet Peak at the Ninth Arrondisement, Part I

The ninth arrondisement is largely unknown to tourists and under-appreciated by locals. But that’s all changing. So enjoy this neighborhood, and its abundance of sweets, while the sidewalks and shops are still unclogged.

Start at A la Mere de Famille (35 Rue du Faubourg-Montmartre). The old-timey tiled floors and wood paneling will make you feel like you’ve stepped back in time to 1761 when this lost-in-time candy and chocolate shop opened. There are house-made chocolates and caramels and cakes, but since they have the best dried pineapple in the city, I’d put my centimes to the fruits secs.

Carry on north up rue du Faubourg-Montmartre, which will bring you to rue des Martyrs, a heavenly street of fromageries, poissoneries, caveaux, produce markets and beaucoup de boulangeries. Pop in to #15 for a quick sugar fix—Karamell, a Swedish candy store, offers all manner of gummies, suckers and chocolate bonbons by the piece.

Keep hoofing it up the hill (today, you’ve got to burn extra calories) to Arnaud Delmontel (39 rue des Martyrs). One of the best breadmakers in the city, Delmontel also creates gorgeous cakes and pastries. My favorite? The big, flakey bear claw filled with pistachio and almond paste.

Still hungry? Keep climbing. At 47 rue des Martyrs, Caramella is waiting to serve you dreamy creamy ice cream in adventurous flavors like peanut butter and jelly and good old standbys like chocolate.

Along the way, did you notice Rose Bakery across the street? We’re saving that for Part II.

A la Mere de Famille, encore!

An outpost of the historic chocolatier A la Mere de Famille conveniently opened around the corner from me. It inevitably lacks the charm of the original store, but it’s still a cute little shop. It’s still filled with beautiful treats. And it’s still close to me.

Strangely though, I haven’t been craving chocolate a whole lot lately. My urge for something rich has been—only temporarily, I assure you—replaced by desire for something sweet and chewy. Namely, dried apple slices. Which have replaced my epic cravings for dried pineapple.

I started poking around La Mere de Famille, remembering nice big bins of dried fruit in the ninth arrondisement location and, sure enough, back in the corner, beyond the pralines, caramels and bonbons, I found my happy little jackpot.


Voila, beautiful dried pineapple. And dried apple slices, too.

Ananas secs

Look! I found a place to get my dried pineapple.



The thing is, I’m going to be tempted by chocolate bars and bonbons, caramels, fruit cakes and other French treats that I don’t even know about yet.

Like these little petal-shaped things. I don’t know what they are but I have a feeling they’re really good.



These are all different flavored caramels. Can you imagine?



This is A la Mere de la Famille, a wonderful lost-in-time candy and chocolate shop that's been open in the 9th arrondisement since 1761. I was struck by the Easter basket window displays as I was walking by and stopped to admire. Wouldn’t you know, I found myself going in.





I think the key is to go with a list or a craving—otherwise there’s just too much to sample, and too much damage that can be done. My strategy will be to return every time I’m craving dried pineapple and try one new treat.

35 Rue du Faubourg-Montmartre
9eme

The red, original Kookaburra

I went to Russ & Daughters for my dried pineapple movie snack (saw Two Lovers… not bad). I love this place as much as the next New Yorker and always want to lick the window when I walk by and see the dried fruit piled high. But I have to say, the dried pineapple—as fresh and chewy as it is—is just a titch too sugary for me.

But while I was there, I saw they have Kookaburra by the ounce. These are great, big, thick heavenly nibs of strawberry licorice from Australia. You can buy packs of the stuff at certain Duane Reades but they're not always easy to find. Besides, ordering just a few pieces at a time is one way to not demolish an entire bag.

5 gifts you can stuff my stocking with

Not literally. Well, only if you want. But here are brilliant stocking stuffers for any sweet freak on your list. Yes, you can shop online!

Peruvian dark chocolate bar with wild cherries from Soma:
This is from my new love, the Toronto "chocolate bar, boutique & laboratory." Their truffles are divine, but delicate—the dark chocolate bar with cherries is safer for the stocking.

Papabubble suckers:
The bright and cheery lollies and hard candies sure are festive. And the packaging is so cool.

Bittersweet tiles from Poco Dolce:
My friend Connie turned me onto these amazing little squares of bittersweet chocolate topped with grey sea salt. An assorted box contains burnt caramel, almond, ginger and Aztec chile flavors. Amazing.

Joseph Schmidt truffles:
Mr. Z sent me a box of these from San Francisco last year, and I still dream about them. Each truffle, in flavors like double latte and peanut butter, takes about six bites to conquer. These bad boys are a true guilty pleasure.

Dried pineapple from Manhattan Fruit Exchange:
Just because I'm a freak and can't get enough of this stuff.

Pineapple happiness, part II

I did it. I found the best dried pineapple in the city.

This was no small feat. It involved visits to many markets and specialty shops. It's been two years of sampling in earnest. I have spiraled into sugary orbits and toughened my jaws on stale specimens. I have consumed hundreds of calories while fooling myself that there is nutritional value in this pursuit — it's fruit after all.

Alas, I know there's no Vitamin C in dried pineapple and that it's not exactly a lo-cal snack. But who cares? When you find the perfect ring of dried pineapple, all is well in the world.

The reveal may seem like a no-brainer to some (nope, not Russ & Daughters). But it was a delicious revelation for me: Manhattan Fruit Exchange. Over there, in the Chelsea Market where I've walked many times before. But this past weekend I was finally lured in by the stacks of colorful candies, nuts and dried fruits in those enticing little plastic tubs.

This dried pineapple is pitch-perfect in color (bright, happy yellow — not dull with too much sugar). The rings are small rather than oversized. The meat: chewy and gummy. And the flavor is sweet and delicious. It tastes fresh and ripe and will be my one-and-only source from now on. Unless I find it better somewhere else.

Pineapple happiness

For some, it's Cocoa Puffs. Others, Charlston Chews. For me, the sweets obsession that I haven't been able to kick since childhood is dried pineapple.

Starting at the ripe age of eight, I was hooked on their gummy sweetness. A store at the New London Mall had a big bin of dried pineapple - the uber-sugarcoated variety for sure. I would get a little white paper bag and use the tongs to pluck five or six rings from the happy yellow abyss. Back home I would sit on the couch in the den, with my tasty bag of treats, and surf between MTV and Channel 56. It didn't get any more blissful. (Unless my mom had made brownies or bought Ring Dings.)

Jump-cut two and a half decades: my obsession with dried pineapple has been renewed with a vengeance. I know where to go in every neighborhood to score the best stuff. At least the adult-me knows better than to get the ones cloaked in refined sugar — ew, those are quite awful. But slightly sweetened, gooey in the center, hard at the edges, a nice dark sunny yellow - nothing too bleached out - that's the perfect specimen.