Salon by Sucre- French Quarter (New Orleans)

Sucre’s Joel Dondis and chef Tariq Hanna have finally opened their French Quarter masterpiece Salon by Sucre. Sucre is one of my favorite spots for dessert in New Orleans and it seemed like the only logical next step to expand to the French Quarter. In fact, I am not sure what took them so long to make the move. It definitely fills a void in the quarter for great dessert shops. The new Salon is nestled in on Conti street across from the state Supreme Court building. While sipping wine on the second floor balcony looking at the historical building across the street, we could hear the horse carriages go by giving one a feeling of stepping back in time. That is why I love the French Quarter so much.  Salon by Sucre features a dessert store on the first floor along with a new coffee bar along with seating upstairs for lunch, dinner and afternoon tea service. While sweets are the primary reason for my trips to Sucre, on this occasion we opted to try out their menu. A bottle of wine along with a cheese and charcuterie plate were ordered and thoroughly enjoyed. Their selection of wines is endless and the options for cheese and charcuterie were perfect.

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Laduree Tea Salon- Soho (NYC)

Soft pastels, velvet seating, rows and rows of colorful macarons, yes I finally made it to Laduree’s Soho location in New York City. And just like the one on Champs Élysées, it is perfect.

The 18th and 19th century decorated 3 part salon is over-the-top glamorous and the courtyard seating is like a small green haven in the middle of bustling Soho. The storefront itself is a Parisian-style pastry shop, in which one counter is devoted exclusively to macarons, stacked in neat piles in a range of colors.  

Besides the rainbow selection of macarons and mouth watering dessert selection there is a full lunch and dinner menu (which is on the pricier end)!  After waiting for what seemed like an hour on a Saturday afternoon we were finally seated in the courtyard which was in the process of setting up for a private ‘mad hatter luncheon’.  The lunch menu was several pages long and ranged in price. We opted for the chicken salad which was beautifully presented in a pink and gold trimmed plate. A generous portion of spinach topped with pieces of chicken wrapped around in cucumber and topped with balsamic vinegar and mustard. It was worth every penny. For dessert, we had none other than a plate filed with macarons and a frothy latte. Overall, Laduree Soho is a great place to escape the noise and craziness of a city where you can pretend you have stepped into the past a la Midnight in Paris!

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Brunch at Café La Maude (Philadelphia, PA)

This past Sunday, a friend and I decided to get brunch at Café La Maude. I hadn’t heard of it before, but when I learned that it was a French-Lebanese fusion restaurant, I was definitely intrigued. I resisted looking at the menu beforehand though, so I could be surprised about how they achieved this combination.

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We ended up stopping in around noon, and while it was busy, we were seated almost immediately.This café in Northern Liberties has a distinctly French feel to it, but the brunch menu includes options for both French and Mediterranean food lovers. Although it took a few minutes for the waitress to get our orders, water was promptly brought to our table, and when our waitress did arrive, we received apologies for the delay.

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After ordering a latte that was offered with either one or two shots, we decided to try out two dishes that morning, the Eggs Benedict and the Croque Vert. My Eggs Benedict were some of the best I’ve had in ages. The eggs were poached perfectly as they were firmer on the outside and runny on the inside. Besides the eggs, the other elements of this meal were spot on.

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These eggs came with a choice of two options, you could either get a more traditional dish with Canadian bacon and brie, or you could get your eggs with smoked salmon and cream cheese. I opted for the latter, and while the cream cheese added an extra richness to the dish, the salmon is what really took it to the next level. The smoked salmon created deeper, smokier flavors than what the Canadian bacon usually adds to the meal. I found myself wishing I could order a second helping once I was done.

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My meal also came with a simple petite salad, fruit, and a potato croquet. The fruits and vegetables were crisp and tasted like they were picked at the height of the season. Although I didn’t think there was anything spectacular about the croquet on my plate, it was the only thing I could complain about, and I would say  these Eggs Benedict are something I would gladly get again.

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The Croque Vert was also fantastic, and great for anyone who enjoys the sweet and savory combination. Coming on a French Toast bun, this dish is topped with two poached eggs, zucchini, avocado, tomato, and spinach. Although all of these flavors all work well with each other, the best part for me was the béchamel sauce that topped it. The sauce was phenomenal and managed to bring all of the elements of the dish together.

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Overall, this was a flavorful meal with really fresh ingredients. If it had been appropriate to do so, I probably would have licked my plate. In addition to the phenomenal food, the waitstaff was friendly, which makes any meal better in my opinion. My friend was so pleased with here meal, she decided to take home some of the macarons they had. She only got two, but her options included vanilla, coffee, and lemon flavored treats!

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Even though I have had great brunches at places like Parc and Le Pain Quotidien, I will say that the brunch offered here is fun, delicious, and something I will be thinking about for a long time to come. If you’re looking for a new brunch option in Philly, I wouldn’t recommend any place more highly than Café La Maude.

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Miel Patisserie- Rittenhouse Square (Philadelphia, USA)

I discovered a lovely french pastry shop in the Rittenhouse area. What a shame that I didn’t find it sooner. Walking through the doors my eyes quickly turned to the pastry counter, the bread baskets and rows of french desserts including my favorite macarons. Having skipped lunch I decided to treat myself to dessert: not one but two. I opted for a latte with a lemon tart and rose water macaron.

 
The latte was great. Went really well with small mouthfuls of the lemon tart.

The rose macaron tasted like many Persian desserts which use rose water. It was also a perfect macaron: chewy inside with a slight crispy exterior. As I sat there indulging myself, many came in to buy their bread and bags full of dessert. Seems like I am the only one in town that didn’t know about this place. I will definitely be back for more.

 

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Soirette Macarons & Tea (Vancouver, Canada)

What could be more delightful than a shop dedicated to macarons and only macarons in every possible delicious flavour you can imagine?

Soirette Macarons and Tea has done just that! Located on West Pender street this new gem caters to all of those out there who are crazy about macarons. The design inside is very modern chic with a splash of colour here and there. There is a large glass display of colourful macarons set against a backdrop of cans of marked tea. On this occasion, we opted for the lavender tea latte- always a delicious option with a colourful choice of macarons including the Rocher (my personal favourite), Violetta, Matcha green tea and Coconut. The macarons were just perfect and one of the best I’ve tasted in Vancouver. Perfect texture, chewiness and flavour. I tasted a bit of condensed milk… don’t know if that is an ingredient in all of the macarons but since I drink condensed milk by the can (occasionally!!!)  I didn’t mind the hint of flavour it added to the macarons. 

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