Ancient Fish Road With a Sleazy Squalid Past, Now Vibrant Food Rue Montorgueil

Before the break of day, sounds of horse-drawn wagons brimming with freshly caught oysters and fish from the coast trotted along to be unloaded at Les Halles, whose stalls lined the street, now metamorphosed into lively Rue Montorgueil.

Unlike humans, whose psychic infrastructure generally remains the same, streets and neighborhoods change over time.  Of course, we don’t have the privilege of living for several centuries!

The beginning of the street in the First arrondissement straddles the border of the 2nd, where the longest portion lies. This part was outside the Philippe Auguste Wall that once encircled Paris.

I find myself strolling along rue Montorgueil fairly often just for the pleasure, to see what’s new, and take in the vibes rather than to buy something, though I usually do.

The tongue-in-cheek name of Mont(hill and orgeuil, (pride) was given to the street as it once had a trash dump at the top near Porte Saint Denis .

In medieval times, it’s rich colorful history was pocked with squalor and despair to urban islands that catered to the upper classes’ sexual fantasies. Slowly, over time, it evolved into the gentrified area it is today.

The Montorgueil district  has been immortalized by writers and painters throughout its history, such as Emile Zola, who was born nearby, Victor Hugo, Monet and others. The painting above by Claude Monet was in 1878.

A few remnants of the old Les Halles remains such as these painted facades.

In some ways, I find this gentrification too sanitized, whereas nearby Rue Saint-Denis has been able to maintain some resemblance of days of old.

Four to six hundred years ago, I  would not have set foot in the area, except for Saint Eustache church that is on the border.   Back then, it was a stewing mirepoix of open sewer odors, muck, petty thieves, fake crippled beggars, and prostitutes.

Victor Hugo wrote about a part of the area called Le Cour de Miracles in his novel Notre Dame de Paris.  Blind, crippled or severely hunch-backed beggars plied the better neighborhoods during the day, then miraculously recovered from their handicaps upon returning there at night!

The banditry was so bad back then, that the king ordered his police lieutenant to clean up the place, though other “cour de miracles’ formed elsewhere nearby.

One street, called Bout du Monde (end of world) may have described it best.   Rue Mauconseil, or bad advice, still retains its name!

Not surprisingly, others reflected the bustling brothels area in an explicit, vulgar manner.   Tire(pull) Vit from the Latin vectus=penis), ,Tire Boudin, and Gratte Cul,(scratch ass) made no bones about the area.

History has it that it wasn’t till Queen Marie Stuart of Scotland, who married equally young Henry II, asked about the meaning of the names that the city decided to replace them.

I wonder, though, if she saw it as an honor that Rue Tire Boudin was renamed after her!   But, that’s Paris, where layers upon layers of humanity have lived and slowly changed.

In the 18 and 19th centuries, the brothels became more upscale, catering to the upper classes, before they eventually were closed around 1946.

This increased the number of street prostitutes who reassembled and moved north nearby to Rue Saint-Denis, where they can still be seen today.

The most famous brothel was Madame Gourdan, on the corner of Rue Saint Saveur and now Rue Dussoubs.  She catered to the highest of society and royalty, where clients could enter discreetly into an antique store on Dussoubs, formerly Gratte Cul, and exit on Saint Saveur.

It was such a notorious place, that the city erected a history panel to mark its placement.

Today Rue Saint Saveur seemed quiet with only a Jack Russel seen darting around the street and lovely ornate mascons decorate some building entrances.

 

 

 

 

 

Today, smells of the sea have given way to a hodgepodge of sweet and salty aromas from all the various food places that dot both sides of the Montorgueil.

I always start near Saint Eustache cathedral where nearby a glut of pigeons were napping in the sun.

Crossing over Étienne Marcel into the second arrondissement, I continue toward Rue Reaumur.

On both sides, there are all sorts of different places to indulge from ice creams, Belgium waffles, cream puffs and éclairs at Odette, finger foods at Petibon,  Italian foods and falafel, plus loads more.

The Escargot de Montorgueil dates back to 1832, where escargots and traditional French foods are still on the menu.   Being on the corner of Rue Mauconseil hasn’t seemed to detour clients in the least!

G, Detou on the side street of Tiquetonne is a famous mecca for pastry bakers, where I buy special various chocolates, vanilla and nuts amongst other things.

 

 

 

 

There were several famous restaurants there too.  Les Rochers du Cancale, whose ornate exterior has been restored, was prominent amongst these at the time.

Strangely enough, there remains only one poissonnerie or fish market.  The offices of oyster vendors from Normandy and Brittany have long ago left with the tragic closure of Les Halles around 1971.

Rue Montorgueil though, is where you will find the oldest bakery and pastry shop in Paris!  Stohrer is named after the pastry chef Nicolas Stohrer.

Before he opened his own boutique in 1730, he was the pastry chef to Madame Pompadour, the favourite mistress of King Louis XV.

He created the baba au rhum and  the famous pastries called Puits  d’ Amour in honour of Mme Pompadour. Back then they were little wells of puff pastry filled with red fruits.

The original creation, perhaps reflective of the libidinous neighborhood, caused a scandalous stir amongst the clergy whose warped perception saw the filling of red fruits to denote female genitalia!

Today, they are filled with caramelized vanilla pastry cream that certainly would not offend anyone, and they are delicious!

Another popular pastry shop, Fou de Patisserie has a newer concept by offering every week various Parisian pastry chef’s creations in their boutique,  which has proved successful.  A good place to discover new chefs you ordinarily would not track down.

By the time you reach Rue Réaumur, you will have passed by, five other pastry and bake shops, making Montorgueil a sweet spot in the area.

Rue Saint Saveur has two new upscale restaurants. Shabour, recently awarded a Michelin star and sister deli and takeout, Shosh, both offering Jerusalem cuisine.  On the other side streets are various small restaurants and eateries, like this unusual one of Uyghurs cuisine.

While walking up the street, I had a run-in with a baguette!  First time ever that I have been hit from behind with one!  I had to laugh and grin at the curly-haired youth, who embarrassingly looked back.

Carrying his baguette under his arm like a sword and busy talking to his buddies, he and his baguette ran straight into me as I briefly stopped to get a photo.   One of the hazards of walking on Montorgueil!

This time I only bought some fresh frilly green springs of dill at the excellent greengrocer, resisting all sweets, which I generally do.  I was tempted though with the plain-looking puits d’amour.

There will be another time and besides it is always good to reserve another goodie to look forward to!