Saisons, back to basics

2/14/18

Rue du Grenier Saint-Lazare, a street name befitting a finder of fine products. Mariette, the banker, has become a shopkeeper. If she's one of those diploma-holders who give up a promising career to change their life, Mariette is full of common sense and humanity. Her infectious smile underpins a thoughtful approach that's resolutely human. By Florence

A story of taste and encounters

With her husband Frédéric, a cellist, they criss-crossed France performing in concerts, discovering the region and its delicacies. From discoveries to sharing, she studied her project, and chose to highlight the beautiful products of our countryside and to specialize in the sale of cheese. It's a rich subject, which allows you to discover beautiful things through artisans - rare - independent of the sprawling dairy companies.

To discover the store once is to adopt it.

It'snow an adventure for two, which the couple share with their delighted clientele in a street where there are so few. Beautifully laid out, the space exudes promising flavours, and the choice of cheeses is above all what the couple like. PDO or not, as long as there's no industrialist in the background, their selection is simply a question of quality and taste buds. The cheeses do follow a seasonal pattern, a question of milk... you have to follow nature to get the best from it.

The couple are there to help you discover their products. They pass on the essence of what the producers do, by bringing customers back the good stuff and letting them taste it.

Generosity and sharing

There's a lot of generosity on offer, with mini-tastings that precede the fateful moment of choosing among so many fine products. Mont Vully, ripened with pinot noir (a Swiss cheese with a rubbed rind), a superb 42-month Comté, a monastery-made marbled blue from Achel, or the beer-rubbed Bergnes, or the raw-milk Camembert from Mercier.... The cheese is matured in a cold room.

Delicatessen, a small, well-stocked cellar and delicious charcuterie (made to the same high quality standards) make up the house range. On-site tasting available in the basement for €11-15 + corkage fee.

Admission to the Collège Culinaire de France provides further recognition of quality. Events: Seasonal changes are symbolized by a concert in front of the boutique in fine weather. Otherwise, you can squeeze in front of the counter and enjoy tapas-products while listening to a concert performed by top musicians.