It would have happened sooner or later...

...I gave in. I went to the American coffee shop in Paris. And no, it's not Starbucks, surprise, surprise. Sugarplum bakeshop is the real deal. A delectable and all-American coffee shop and bakery in the middle of Paris, tucked up a small street in the 5th arrondissement.

I desperately needed a change of study scene. So I parted with the usual Starbucks and crossed over to the left bank, GRE books in tow, in search of American sweets. 

"Hello! Great to see you!" A cheerful voice called out the moment I walked in the door. I was taken aback and looked around. First of all, I was not used to being greeted in English, and secondly, I was not aware I knew anyone or anyone knew me. After a few seconds I realized it was one of the owners, a voracious redhead from Charleston who was sitting on the couch in a variegated bandana. I smiled and asked how she was and she responded, "Great! I am spending my whole day looking at home improvement and decoration catalogues."Sarcasm. An American sarcastic joke. I loved it. Not to mention that everything here is done in English (of course they speak french when necessary and have translations) as it is a bona-fide American coffee shop. Coldplay and Joshua Radin were playing in the background, the room was filled with eclectic coffee and dining room tables and chairs, and an array of goodies sat behind a glass counter. 

Sugarplum specializes in homemade American classics, like cheesecake, brownies, chocolate chip cookies, cake, banana bread, blondies, etc. I died at the selection. As a chocolate chip cookie connoisseur I was tempted to buy one and be done with it, because they looked absolutely amazing. However, the baker said they were on the crispy side today (yes, because they had just come out of the oven), so I decided to go for something else. 

I decided on the Masala Chai tea and a raspberry muffin. I am not usually a muffin fan, but these looked so home-made I had to give them a try. I also grabbed a pecan toffee bar to go for Ariana. (Totally stole a bite of that; the richness of the pecans sat perfectly with the slight layer of caramel toffee that lay beneath. Not to mention the buttery crust acted like an extra layer, making it more like a layer bar than a toffee.)

So I settled down to study, set out my books and gazed lovingly at my breakfast. An American muffin, in an American coffee shop, in Paris. It was a lovely taste of home that I was not aware I missed. 

The Chai Masala was wonderful. My pot yielded three cups of spiced cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla flavors. It was one of the best chai brews I have tasted. After I dissected my muffin in my usual fashion (only eating the top) I realized that the interior was filled with chunky, sweet raspberry compote....so obviously I had to eat the whole thing

*Side note

I went back twice after this (once I split a scone with Ariana, the second I got the chocolate chip cookie. It was so amazing I had to save it and bring it home to eat on special occasions. Definitely a top chocolate chip cookie contender in my book. And yes, it is still in my fridge.)