Rungis?
 

Hey FTers,
I'm going to be in Paris in mid-November and have the hankering to see the main wholesale market for Paris. I believe there are foodies who make pilgrimages there and there are people who must arrange trips to the market. Its outside of Paris and we don't have a car. Has anyone been and does anyone think its worth it?

Has anyone ever gained access to Rome's mercati centrale? Its right on Via Ostiense and that's a bus ride from the centro storico. I'm not sure its as fabo,since the Italian markets are nice, but not a visually appealing as France.

Any other food suggestions, markets etc.? I will also be in Paris the first week of January.

lala

Rungis = 'the stomach of Paris' replaced the former market place at downtown Paris 'Les Halles' .

Be there early, 3AM? Rungis is very near the second busiest Paris airport 'Orly' and can be reached by underground.

Lalala:

I think Rungis is not worth the trip. No flair, commercial ambiente with hundreds of trucks - at night.
I have seen Les Halles - also at night, whole Boulevard Sebastopole closed for merchants, had a onion soup (was "invented" at Les Halles). Actually it was the red light district where the movie "Irma la Duce" played; at Rue St. Denise - the "girls" are still around.
There are many weekly markets with flair. One is in Montparnasse, near Montparnass Cementary. Another one in Quartier Latain, sorry, I forgot the name, it was near Boulevard St. Michel on a hilly, narrow, winding street.

The market's on RER C2: I haven't heard that it's a destination unless you're into wholesale marketing. The best info about foodie stuff I can think of is Patricia Wells's Food Lover's Guide to Paris.

Pity you're not there mid-Oct, when my buddies and I descend on the city like locusts.

I am a foodie and am attracted to wholesale markets and so is my partner (the geographer). I think Patricia's guide lists an American guide who charges alot (80 bucks for a tour, transportation, breakfast and commentary to see Rungis). I 'm not sure whether we'll do it or not, having transportation pick us up and take us there may be the only thing that is worth it. We have two opportunities in the next few months, so we'll play it by ear.

USAFAN sounds like you really saw Les Halles in action! BTW, I think I am going to see MammaMia! by myself in December (quick London trip)

Violist are you performing in Paris or just visiting?

lala

lalala:

Yes, I have seen it. Actually I lived a couple of times in a very small, very clean hotel in Rue Quacom.. near there. Every weekday night they closed the streets around Les Halles (the market had grown to big for the few halles). I always parked my car nearby on a big parking place, now Centre Pompidou.
When they moved the market to Rungis, the demolished the old halles. Now there is the entrance to the large Metrostation Chatelete with an underground shopping center. They should have kept at least one of the halles.

Later I visited Rungis. It looked somewhat like an industial complex or a parking (place/houses) for a big freighter/forwarding company.

I know their is a company called Rungis-Express, they deliver first class restaurants as far as Frankfurt, Munich with food from Rungis. BTW, I think my Supermarket needs a "Rungis-Express". No chanterelle etc. The only place I get something like this is at Dean & Deluca (N.Y. Broadway & St. Helena, Napa Valley).
When you like food, visit Harrods in London and KDW (Kaufhaus des Westens) in Berlin.

Years ago - and we won't mention how many http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/eek.gif - I lived in Paris and Wales as a student. I made many late night trips to Les Halles and remember a tiny two story cafe with the most incredible onion soup.. the entire experience was unlike anything this little Georgia girl could have imagined and it remains one of most vivid memories of that year abroad. The whole time in Paris for an uninitiated southern chick is a great tale! But the FOOD !!!!!!!!!!!

Paris, Friday, October 20, 2000

A Market Basket

On The Back Burner


By Patricia Wells International Herald Tribune

Whether you're a stranger to Paris or have lived there all your life, one book
to have is ''Paris in a Basket,'' a cheery publication that visits outdoor food
markets and includes recipes and more than 400 color photos. Written by
Nicolle Aimee Meyer and Amanda Pilar Smith, the English-language book is
published by the German company Koenemann.

lalala, just got back from Paris: didn't visit much in the way of Paris markets (aside from the Rue Cler) and did no performing at all, musically speaking anyway. Did go to a number of town markets in the Correze: Meyssac, which was only a couple dozen stands around the town square, Argentat, which was more elaborate, and Brive, one of my favorites (as I like poultry products and mushrooms and suchlike products from those hills). Trip reports to come at my leisure.

Ah violist, sounds like you had a nice time. I am still intrigued by seeing Rungis, but we may wait until January. This trip will be about chocolate, that is how many ballotins of chocolate will fit into my trager backpack without causing too much of a commotion in STL. This time we'll split the cheese and chocolate into separate bags, the cheese will definitely sealed in one of those argon bags to preserve its freshness and not offend those sitting near us. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif.

USAFAN, we've been eating fresh chanterelles here for weeks. They were as inexpensive as 6 bucks a pound at our local farmer's market. Tonight its pork tenderloin with chanterelles for dinner, mmm mmm good.
I visit the dean and deluca in Georgetown, good for spices, too expensive for anything else.

It nice to see others interested in food.

lala