I’ll readily admit that I neither know the official name of this pastry, nor the exact constituents of it. Why? Well, Des Gateaux does not allow photos (and therefore photos of pastry nametags) in the shop, many of their pastries have like 20-word names (and if I was buying 3-5 at a time, I wasn’t going to remember any of them), they don’t keep a running log of on & off-season offerings on their site, and they’re not as well known as the other serious shops . . . so the amount of other bloggers’ entries, flickr photos, etc. is so slim as to not allow me to fact-check key details of each piece. The drama! My notes, however, are quite specific about how awesome it and all its bits were. If only they would allow photos, then I could have completely buttoned-up this review.

Now, I get why Ladurée and Pierre Hermé don’t like photos. Their shops are crowded and, and with everyone wanting to take photos, the lines would move slower and the staff would be more aggravated than they already are. They also have such well-known names that would-be bloggers and photo-sharers literally do nothing for their brand and are really only a day-to-day annoyance. But shops like Des Gateaux . . . they need the coverage. I don’t think people are going to lie in wait for a staff member to begin picking his nose so that they can pop off another shot of him handling artisanal breads. And I absolutely doubt anyone is going to give a homeless man €20 to walk in and start licking pastries, before growling at the staff and brandishing a knife. First of all, the angles that make those photos look best are really difficult to get without seeming like you’re “in” on the plan, rather than pretending to be a bystander. Second, I’ve never found a guy who will do that for less than €30. The point is that allowing photos works to the benefit of the small shops, and the positives outweigh the negatives. Anyway, let’s talk about this raspberry tarte they didn’t let me get the name of . . .

You’re probably thinking, “Why are there cubes of cranberry sauce all over this?’ Excellent question. It turns out they’re tart, intensely flavorful, and quite spicy, raspberry pâte. Like many raspberries and raspberry derivatives I’ve had in Paris, they had an almost curry-like hint to them. I guess it’s some exotic raspberry variety to which only the French are privy. They are too fancy. The piece also has a bounty of perfectly ripe raspberries filled with sweet raspberry syrup and a bit of raspberry confiture underlying them all. Two blobs of gelatin-encased tasty white (cream cheese? Mascarpone? creamy tangy goodness?) stuff round out the dome of yum, all held in place by a tart shell that seems to be some kind of almond/hazelnut/shortbread hybrid. It had a very pleasant chew to the bulk of it, yet was quite crispy around the edges. The gist, per my notes, was, “an extraordinarily good raspberry tart.” Word.

I wish I could be at Des Gateaux now. They apparently have a rose-grapefruit cheesecake I’d be willing to stab someone for. Then there’s the pear crème brulée tarte they’re also pushing. I wonder how it would stand-up against Jean-Paul Hévin’s version? Why can’t I just live in Paris? Ah, that’s right . . . horrific tax implications.

I was planning to do 12 months, but I’ve had to alter my plans to staying only 182 days. Not too shabby though. And, regardless, it’s a mere 5 months and 13 days until I’m be “off and up out” on Air France. My only consolation until then is drooling over all my pastry photos, like these Des Gateaux goodies, and listening to some of my favorite French music, as I am now – like BB Brunes’ “Nico Teen Love”, which was super popular the entire time I was living in Paris. Every time I hear it, I’m transported back to Rue des Canettes, where I’d spend 3 or 4 hours a day photographing and writing about all these treats. I miss it so much

We just don’t have anything comparable to this in the United States . . . and definitely not here in Washington, D.C. Granted, we do have Co.Co. Sala, an entire restaurant devoted to chocolate and fine pastry, but it only serves to pacify me – never capable of delighting me. The injustice!

So, yes, next time you swing by Des Gateaux et du Pain in the spring/summer timeframe, do snag this amazing raspberry tart. It’s definitely one of my favorites of all of Claire Damon’s creations. And, for those of you who’ve had it and know the name, please shoot me a note on Facebook so that I can update the title.

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