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.
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!
Viennoiserie at Beaucoup Bakery (Vancouver, Canada)
If you know anything about me, you know that the one thing I do best and often is to travel. My latest trip took me to my hometown of Vancouver, British Columbia. I hadn’t been back home for almost two years which meant there were many new restaurants to try and review. But after two years of being away all I really wanted to do was visit old favorites. A few newer places were on the must-eat list including the most talked about bakery in South Granville, Beaucoup Bakery.
I gathered all my girlfriends for a day of venturing into Vancouver’s food scene. It was the most perfect and beautiful sunny day for it. We walked across the Granville Street Bridge and followed our stomach’s to Beaucoup Bakery. The place was packed forming a line almost out the door. I felt at home and was immediately transported back to my college years in Paris.
An assortment of Viennoiserie sat perfectly in the baskets along the wall including my favorites: Pain au Chocolat, Chausson aux Pommes and Croissants.
A pain au chocolat and pain aux raisins were my choice while my friend ordered the most tempting creation: a blue cheese and raisin twist which was truly amazing. While butter is a key ingredient to French pastries, these were drowned with butter to the point where each bite released a mouthful of butter. My girlfriends while enjoying every bite felt that theirs too was too rich in butter…if there ever was a thing. I’m not one to complain of too much butter and definitely enjoyed every bite. My girlfriends loved it so much that rumor has it they are now big fans. Me? Unfortunately I left Vancouver shortly after my first visit.
Egg Tarts at Casa Pastéis de Belém in Lisbon (Portugal)
The moment you take the first bite into a sweet Portuguese egg tart (better known as ‘pastéis de nata, or “cream tarts”’) you know you will be coming back for more. And if Portugal isn’t home, you will make sure to find your nearest Portuguese bakery wherever you may live to get your weekly dosage. I fell in love with natas while living in Switzerland where there is a large Portuguese population resulting in delicious Portuguese bakeries and restaurants. This famous sweet can be found all over the city in Lisbon — and country, and in Portuguese colonies like Brazil, Goa and Macau. But the best place to really taste it is in Lisbon. And the best place to taste it in Lisbon is at Pastéis de Belém in the Belem neighborhood- just a ten minute tram ride from the center of Lisbon. This is where the original and oldest natas recipe can be found. The line up is long yet moves quickly and is well worth the wait. Once at the counter you can point to what you want or just ask for the Pasteis and they will quickly wrap up the warm, sweet and creamy custard tart dusted with sugar and cinnamon in a little blue and white box for you to treasure.
Casa Pastéis de Belém is located at: 84 Rua de Belém
+351-21-363-7423
Cupcakes-Galore at Magnolia Bakery- West Village (New York City, USA)
Miel Patisserie- Rittenhouse Square (Philadelphia, USA)
The latte was great. Went really well with small mouthfuls of the lemon tart.
Ferrara Bakery and Cafe- Little Italy (New York, USA)
Cafe L’Aube- Fairmount/Art Museum (Philadelphia, USA)
I started off with a latte and pain au chocolate… a few hours later I found myself hungry again and ordered the ham, mushroom and emmentaler cheese crepe. Delicious and cheesy.