Cheese/Charcuterie in 5th/6th on Monday and attire for lunch

[twinkie]

First of all, thanks for the enormous amounts of useful information I've read to plan my trip, coming up in a couple weeks.

I lived in Paris as a grad student, but now can afford a little more. I'll be taking my fiance and friends sightseeing near Notre Dame on a Monday, and was planning on picnicing that day for lunch. We're staying in the 5th and I'm planning on Eric Kayser for bread, but don't know what is open on Monday for cheese and charcuterie. Any suggestions?

Also, we have lunch reservations at Chez L'Ami Jean and Spring. We'll be sightseeing before and after. I plan on bringing a change of shoes, but is a jacket and/or tie necessary at these places for lunch? I've read mostly posts on dinner. Also, is a jacket/tie suggested for Les Papilles for dinner?

Merci d'avance!

[twinkie]

Thank you for all of the very helpful information! Fiance will be excited about the Iberico ham at Da Rosa (as Bellota Bellota will have to wait till later in the week to visit). A Loghja and Oteiza seem like great options and I'm excited to visit them. Thank you so much for the suggestions. Looks like I'll be heading to the Grand Epicerie for cheese, which I am willing to do. I only have a six days and have to make each bite count!

Will absolutely be visiting Laurent Dubois later in the week when it's open!

[mangeur]

One tip: try to buy only as much as your group will reasonably consume at one time. It is depressing/infuriating to come across wonderful stuff every day only to remember that you already have a week's supply back at the room or apartment. Such lost opportunities!

[twinkie]

Great points. I think we'll end up doing Monoprix for cheese that day. We'll be exploring the department groceries with much more time later in the week. I also hear that Laurent Dubois will pack some cheese for home before we take off.

[mangeur]

He does and we did. Most good cheese shops can vacuum pack cheese for you. And/but if I am going to the bother and anticipation of bringing cheese home, I will make the effort to buy it the last day we are in town, at either Dubois or La Ferme St. Hubert on Rochachouart, my two personal favorite shops and people..

[Bivalve88]

I wish I had thought of that when we were in Paris this summer. I ended up having to abandon some gorgeous chevre from Dubois because we just ran out of time to eat it all, and had no way to get it home without spoilage.

Excellent advice, mangeur!

[mangeur]

FWIW, and certainly not a rec on how to bring home cheese, I would never abandon cheese in France. In a worst case scenario, I'd stuff it in a "tupperware" container and just bring it home in my checked luggage. In fact, at the moment, I am chilling have a batch of Dorie Greenspan's "almost cheez-its" dough that I made from a wedge of just such excess brie. NEVER toss! ;)

[Parnassien]

Monday is supermarket day but I seem to remember a few smaller shops open on the rue de Seine/ rue de Buci in the 6tth including Da Rosa which has a great selection of French, Italian and Spanish ham. A Loghja (a delightful épicerie à manger/ Corsican specialities) on the rue Montagne-Ste-Geneviève in the 5th near the Eglise Etienne du Mont is also open. Although it doesn't fit well into the logistics of an afternoon devoted to Notre Dame, la Grande Epicerie at the Bon Marché department store at Sèvres-Babylone/ 7th is a fabulous option for one-stop picnic-shopping. (Oops, I didn't notice JT's similar advice re la Grande Epicerie before I posted this so sorry for the redundacy).

[mangeur]

Under the caption of KeepItSimpleStupid, save Grande Epicerie for a day when you can really savor the vast assortment and on your Monday, hit Monoprix on rue de Rennes just off Blvd St. Germain. Huge and not at all bad cheese department. Within a couple of blocks of Kayser and Da Rosa.

[ChefJune]

Great charcuterie @ Oteiza on Blvd St. Michel not far from Blvd St. Germain, and the BEST cheeses I've encountered in Paris are at Laurent Dubois' stand in Maubert -- also the 5me.

[Nancy S.]

I think Dubois is closed on Mondays.

[John Talbott]

"what is open on Monday for cheese and charcuterie. Any suggestions?
Yes, buy on Sunday, I'm serious.

[twinkie]

I would love to, if only for the markets, but due to scheduling that was out of my control, we'll be arriving on Monday in the morning.

[John Talbott]

Ok, I'm sure to po all experts with this, but Monday is tough, why not go to the Grand Epicerie at Bon Marche, overpriced, overEnglished, overtrodden, but it's open Mondays and has cheese and charcuterie and fruit.
OK, call in the hoots and whistles.

[PhilD]

I always wonder where the prejudice against Bon Marche comes from. Yes, a few tourists, but most of the shoppers are French. The majority of produce is a similar price, or cheaper than other local shops in the area (it is the 7eme so not an inexpensive area), OK there are luxury treats but also lots of basics, and it is busy because it is a good one stop shop for many things. OK you can trail from area to area to get the best of the best from small independent shops but many people din't have th time and inclination to do so, so if staying in the 5/6/7eme it is a good option.

[John Talbott]

"Les Papilles, Chez L'Ami Jean and Spring.?"
No tie necessary or even optional unless you want to stick out.