A l’Etoile d’Or, Paris

What makes À L’Étoile d’Or so special is its owner, Denise Acabo.  She’s an 80-something combination of fairy godmother, Willy Wonka, and top-grossing sales rep, in unlikely packaging of long plaid skirt and braided pigtails.

If you understand enough French for a basic conversation, you’re in for a treat.  She told us about her weekly shipments from Bernachon and how she suggested that they start making chocolate covered candied yuzu (they did! she sells it!), the special old-fashioned paper she uses to wrap purchases, and some of the gifts from her customers around the world.

Here’s the paper – each panel has an optical illusion where you see a different person depending on the direction you hold it:

I came especially for the Bernachon chocolate, which I’d been craving ever since our 2013 visit to France.  Back then, I only discovered how much I loved their Pâte d’amande pistache (flavored with Kirsch!) after we’d moved on to Provence and it was too late to buy a stack of bars.

So it was time to remedy that!  This is the only shop outside of Lyon that carries it.

After assembling a rather embarrassingly large pile of Bernachon and a few other selections (candied yuzu, some pâtes de fruit), I thought we were ready to settle up. But Denise wasn’t finished – we absolutely had to try her chocolate covered Sauternes raisins!  She dipped some up from a big glass jar for us to try, and yes, they were delicious, and yes, we bought a bag…

…And maybe a few more things, just in case.

As we were leaving, we paused on the sidewalk outside to look at some of the window displays.  Denise spotted us and popped out to point out the photo of her standing behind an enormous bust someone had created of her in chocolate – complete with pigtails, of course.

If you’re in Paris – do stop by!  It’s a real treat.  I hope that I can see Denise again soon.