The On-Going Hunt For A True Baguette

FLASHBACK: December 18, 2009. Paris, France. Rue Saint-Dominique

An obviously Parisienne mademoiselle walks into the Boulangerie Julien. She is starving, having just gotten out of classe. What to choose?.... A croissant? A macaron? Mais non - she says, "Si vous plait - juste un baguette.... merci!"
She exits the boulangerie, a warm, crusty baguette in her hand. She knows she should wait until she is back at her apartment, to smother it in camerbert, but she cannot. The smell is overpowering. She pulls off a chunk of the end, and as the crust crackles and crumbs fly, she bites the most delicious bread in the world. A true, french baguette.

PRESENT DAY: February 24, 2010. New York, NY. West Broadway and Duane St.

An obviously Parisienne mademoiselle walks into the Bouley Bakery. She is starving. She is clearly excited at the prospect of finding a seemingly french market in Tribeca. There are croissants! There are macarons! One can tell it has been far too long since she has been in a boulangerie. "Excuse me," she asks the unknowledgable American man behind the counter - "do you sell baguettes?"
"Yes," he responds.
Doubtful, she inquires further, "True, French Baguettes?"
"Yes, he insists. This is the Bouley Bakery. Daniel Bouloud is French! Everything is authentic french.
Relieved, she orders. "Wonderful -just a baguette please!"
As soon as she exits, she rips of a chunk. The baguette is not warm. The baguette is not crusty. As she pulls off a chunk, no crumbs fly and no crackles are heard. She bites into the worst excuse for a french baguette in the world. Disgusted, she throws the remainder in the nearest trashcan. Thinking of Paris as tears rise, she continues to walk up west broadway - disappointed,deceived, and hopeless.

Sadly, this story is true. Since I returned from Paris I have been on a hunt for a true, french baguette. And nothing has even come CLOSE to the bread I bought and devoured each day while in Paris. I expected the task to be difficult, but it has proven to be impossible. I have tried bite after bite of immitation baguettes and been disappointed which each.

This fore-mentioned scene at the Bouley Bakery was my first attempt. The Bouley Bakery would certainly have a decent bakery! Daniel Bouloud is french! It was terrible. The worst of the ones I've tried. I also tried their marcarons, which I also threw away. Not surprisingly, the Bouley Bakery closed about a month ago. Clearly I was not the only Parisienne they disappointed.

My next attempt was Whole Foods. This baguette was warm when I bought it, which was the only reason I even decided to try it. I grabbed some wine and chevre and Caroline and I had a "remembering Paris" night about a month ago. It was also, disappointing. Dense and chew