Wednesday, March 03, 2010

Late Shopping


Coming back home after 2 weeks vacation is always difficult! Not only do you have to go back to work - and deal with the zillion emails that have been nicely piling up in your mailbox while you were away! - but on top of that you have to start life "as usual" again. Including filling the fridge! Fortunately, now, we have the "Daily Monop'", a rather new food store chain that stays open until midnight 6/7. Not only do they have "the basics", but they also have high-end organic ready made dishes that these "young urban professionals" love to reheat in the microwave when coming home at 9pm after a hard day's work ;-)

35 comments:

  1. The Monoprix always was a staple food source for me. I love the extra convenience version. Don't feel bad: I wasn't on vacation and my kitchen is empty also!

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  2. Sounds almost like an equivalent of Trader's Joe with extended hours.

    Good to know and bon courage pour la reprise, oui c'est toujours penible.

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  3. During my last trip to Paris (Nov 2008), we found a couple of these open late at night... Loved to go in and browse... the ready-made salads are really good!

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  4. Trader Joe's ? Not exactly. This is a European, very haute 7-11 with wine.

    I can still remember my first trip to France when there wasn't a surgele(did I spell frozen food correctly?)in sight. I'm sure Alexa and Lois could comment on that.

    That reminds me,Picard, the frozen food emporium, would make an interesting photo too, as I have never seen such beautifully presented frozen food in my life! Good luck, they wouldn't let me take a picture inside.

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  5. Can't figure out the leg in the doorway. Kicking? Stepping high? Tease? We'll never know.

    Parisians work late?? Work to live, not live to work. (So says the woman who worked from 7:30am until 6:15pm today. ;-))

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  6. "High-end organic ready made" sounds like an oxymoron, but I would love to try it.

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  7. LOL, Petrea! And, yes, PHX, I could have used a place like this back when—although I probably couldn't have afforded it. And frozen food? Don't know what I would have done with it if it had existed, since the fridge was the size of a microwave and I'm not sure there even was a freezer. To the best of my recollection, if someone didn't buy me a meal, I just ate yogurt. So, Eric, do you cook real food or do you microwave like the yups? (Love the way this shot is framed!)

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  8. i'm with petrea...especially high end organic that is microwavable...huh? i suppose it is much better than fast food.

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  9. 9pm? Oh, this younger generation doesn't know what it's like to work do they Eric?

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  10. Just got back from 1st trip to Paris and I loved the fact that you dont have huge supermarkets and franchises/chain stores like we do here in Australia. So lovely to shop at small family owned businesses with fresh produce.

    Dont ruin Paris!

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  11. Thanks for the tip. Didn't realize that it was high-end organic. I remember the days of the Monoprix when they did not sell food and merchandise was very hip, dimestore style. I bought some great jewelry there. - Elizabeth

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  12. P.S. I, too, love the smallness of the Parisian supermarches. Perhaps this is a function of the limited real estate available. A huge store just isn't possible...not to mention a big parking lot...in the central city. I found that the very tiny neighborhood store had everything that I needed. Not to mention other small specialty shops. All very high quality, too. Kudos. -- Elizabeth

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  13. Hi Eric i'm a fan of your great and successfull blog but i've never commented anything.
    Thanks to my work i'm visiting all the Monoprix, Daily Monop' and Monop' on a daily basis. And Monop' is in my opinion a kind of little Grande Epicerie where you can find very specific products.
    Monop' has also specific monthly range of product from all other the world. On going this month is South Africa and Canada's is coming up next week.
    The convenience store market has a huge growth potential in France compared to other countries as the UK
    Johan

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  14. @PHX "That reminds me,Picard, the frozen food emporium, would make an interesting photo too, as I have never seen such beautifully presented frozen food in my life! Good luck, they wouldn't let me take a picture inside."
    I'm not so sure about the quality of the phote (the stores' front is really not very appealing - and like you say I doubt they allow you to take photos inside the store), BUT it sure is an important part in the French diet!

    @Wren "Parisians work late?? Work to live, not live to work. (So says the woman who worked from 7:30am until 6:15pm today. ;-))" LOL. But yes Parisians work late (mind you it is common to arrive around 9:30 am in the morning...

    @Petra "High-end organic ready made" Well. No preservative and stuff, BUT ready made!

    @Alexa " To the best of my recollection, if someone didn't buy me a meal, I just ate yogurt." LOL. This sounds like "La Bohème" - did you burn the chairs in the mantelpiece in winter when you where short of "francs" too??

    "So, Eric, do you cook real food or do you microwave like the yups?" I cooked... Rabbit!

    @Elizabeth "I remember the days of the Monoprix when they did not sell food and merchandise was very hip" They changed a lot these past years...

    @Johan. "Thanks to my work i'm visiting all the Monoprix, Daily Monop' and Monop' on a daily basis" What kind of job is that?! LOL! Thanks for your comment actually; I agree "The convenience store market has a huge growth potential in France "

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  15. Wren, I can't figure out that leg, those legs, either. Looks like someone sitting cross-legged in mid-air or someone with their legs on the wrong way round.

    Perhaps our flexible friend is a young urban contorsionist (yuccy)who has popped out for a moment. I hear that there are quite a few in dis location.

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  16. Eric > i'm working for Innocent smoothies as salesman and Monoprix is a big part of the business ;)

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  17. @ Eric, "young urban professionals" -- you make me feel so young.

    I love the leg in your photo -- very sexy -- did you ask someone to pose for you?

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  18. @phx-cdg, "I'm sure Alexa and Lois could comment on that." Whatever do you mean? ;) LOL

    @Alexa, "if someone didn't buy me a meal, I just ate yogurt." OMG, we were on the same diet. They had such a wide selection of yogurts -- way better than the US did in those days.

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  19. Great way to take a photo of a place with a so-so exterior - grab a night shot that just shows the neon!

    To me the legs look like those of someone sitting on a chair or a stool where they have their legs crossed and the lower one is hooked back under the seat. It did look like dancing legs to me at first, too!

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  20. I love the text of this post!!! Monop is a favourite
    of mine, it has the world inside of it and I love the saying on it's entrace wall:
    De 9h a 24h, parce que après minuit c' est demain!

    That's the entrance of Monop in the 5th.

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  21. Eric, as long as the store sold mustard chips and yogurt in crocks, Megan would be happy no matter what the name of the store! Make sure the cupboard stays organized! ;)

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  22. I love Monoprix! Vanilla power was the gem I found last time. My baking has never been better!

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  23. We always liked visiting the Monoprix Wall-of-Cheese displays!

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  24. Ugh. A workday that ends at 9pm. I'm so blessed to be where I am and have the job that I have--mom is a great gig!

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  25. I have just only stumbled upon this site, and must say I have enjoyed browsing through all the photographs.
    I plan to visit Paris in July, and can't wait to take plenty of my own photographs. =)

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