French Stories & Happenings That Have Me Hooked This Week

...from this year's best Parisian baguette to the opening of French tennis season

The 31st winner of the annual “Best Traditional Baguette” prize from the city of Paris is Xavier Netry of Utopie bakery in the 11th arrondissement/Image: Baguette Tradition/Boulangerie Utopie

Dear Subscribers,

I’ve spent a bit of time this week catching up on news from the Gallic world after being absorbed in my own little world of projects and concerns. Now that I’ve gotten up to speed a bit, I thought I’d offer a little recap/preview of the stories and forthcoming events that have managed to hold my attention for more than a few seconds.

First, I’m admittedly a bit late to the game here, but in late April a humble bakery in Paris’ 11th arrondissement, Utopie, came out on top in the annual competition for the city’s best baguette.

Xavier Netry, a baker who’s been perfecting his trade for some 25 years, is credited with the win for Utopie. The boulangerie on Rue Jean-Pierre Timbaud (just a few blocks from my last apartment in Paris!) prevailed over 172 other shortlisted candidates to snag the top prize.