A Gourmet Fantasy In Paris
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.

PARIS — There are not many tourist attractions in the 17th arrondissement, which is similar in location and spirit to Manhattan’s Upper West Side. But for the food lover, this neighborhood is not to be missed: It contains Maison Pou.
Just one block from the Arc de Triomphe, this take-out only shop is a gourmand’s fantasy. In just the windows, you will see whole trout en gelée, loaves of pate en croute, individual quiche lorraine (made with the heart-stopping ham for sale inside), cooked scallops in a wide-open shell with a cream sauce and a mini croissant, sausages from all over France, and of course, desserts. Step inside — whereupon you must make a line to the left, otherwise you risk upsetting everyone — and the choices are deliriously overwhelming: There is every imaginable shape of pate en croute and multiple kinds of terrines, as well as a wide selection of salads, smoked fish, and prepared food like whole roast chickens and stuffed peppers.
I asked the head clerk if there was someone of whom I could ask a few questions, but the person responsible for that was “not in today.” The customer in line who witnessed this exchange later stood outside with me and said she regularly drives out of her way to Maison Pou because the food is exceptional.
This is the sort of place that makes you wish for a faster metabolism. I tasted the gallette de courgette, a quiche Lorraine, a giant gougere (a puff pastry baked with loads of cheese inside), and a Greek salad of peppers and feta cheese. It was a quick lunch that will live long in my memory — and arteries.
If you plan on a visit, I recommend a picnic lunch at one of the many public benches around the Arc de Triomphe. To get to Maison Pou, you need only exit the Charles de Gaulle Etoile metro stop, and walk one block down Avenue de Wagram. When you come back up the block and seat yourself, prepare to walk right back down again for dessert.
Maison Pou (16 Avenue de Ternes, Paris 75017,Tel: 01 43 80 19 24).