For Dessert: Maison Bertillon on Île Saint-Louis

pron.: BER-TEE-YONG

This place deserves one word: EPIC

Okay, maybe it deserves a few more, but if I can only use one word to describe it, it truly would have to be "epic".  This place has nearly 60 years of history, opened since 1954.  It uses no chemicals, artificial sweeteners, or stabilizers.  It is all-natural, uses only milk, cream, eggs, sugar and natural flavourings.  If organic, hippy, free-ranged, granola crunching vegans still have anything to complain about the purity of their ice cream, they can all go to hell.  It doesn't get any better than this.

Maison de Glace Bertillon on Ile de St. Louis

Take out and tea salon

Bertillon is indeed a very popular (and profitable) ice cream.  Many cafes and parlors on the little Ile de St. Louis sell some of their ice cream since Bertillon offers it in bulk (in bulk, eh?  If Meow lived in France and has a freezer...).  Prices vary, of course, but not by much.

We made it into the tea salon that day just before they closed.  Meow kinda felt guilty for snaking in before closing keeping the ladies from being able to go home.

Mr. Meow's selection: Raspberry Melba - vanilla ice cream, raspberry sauce

"Melba" is a classic dessert, invented in 1892 or 1893 

by the French chef Auguste Escoffier at the Savoy Hotel, London to honour 

the Australian soprano, Nellie Melba. *wiki

Meow's selection: vanilla and salted butter caramel

This particular location below was the one place Mr. Meow used to get his Bertillon ice cream in the summers when he was a kid.  It is swarming with people, even more so than other cafes.  We visited this the first time we came by Ile de St. Louis because Maison de Bertillon was closed for some family holidays of sorts.

Just a hole in the wall.

Prices and flavours available at Esterina

This is where Meow first discovered the "salted butter caramel" ice cream.

Orgasmic

Although Haagen Daz makes some impressive dulce de leche ice cream, its texture still cannot compare to Bertillon's.  Bertillon ice cream is creamy, smooth and flavourful.  Sure, they serve you tiny little scoops, but you'll be oh-so-satisfied afterwards.  Rich, real foods equal true satisfaction; fake, substituted foods creates more desire.

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