Macaroons in Seattle?

[kiliki]

I've just returned from my first ever Paris trip and am wondering if there is anywhere in Seattle to buy (French) macaroons. I'm not real hopeful-I don't think I've ever seen them here, and there is definately a dearth of good bakeries-but I thought I'd ask.

[Schielke]

I have seen them at Espresso Vivace, but I have no idea of the quality. I am guessing they are not what you are looking for, but you never know.

Ben

[tsquare]

Le Panier in the Pike Place Market has them in at least 5 flavors - chocolate, vanilla, mocha, lemon, and pistachio, so far.

edit - maybe Essential Bakery too?

Edited March 23, 2004 by tsquare (log)

[MsRamsey]

I saw some at Essential last week. Speaking of Essential, they seem to have stopped making cannele. But don't ask the staff at the counter why. They don't know, and they never seem know any answer to any question you have about their products, ever.

[tsquare]

Le Panier also has raspberry, today. I liked the coffee one.

[Blue Heron]

Metropolitan Market (Admiral Thriftway) has been making a big deal about their carrying French Macaroons now, but frankly the two I tried (chocolate, raspberry) I didn't care for. I don't know what they are supposed to taste like, but they were dry and crumbly, and fragmented into all kinds of bits of pieces when I would take a bite. or impossible to cut or break one half to share. Is this normal?

[Schielke]

We used to have a fantastic supplier of these treats, but he moved to Chicago and then to Vegas.

[kiliki]

Thanks for the replies, I'll try Le Panier and Essential. I did bring a bunch home with me (from Hevin) but they won't last long.

They shouldn't be dry and crumbly-fragile, yes, but moist and share-able.

[FWED]

The Metropolitan Market near Childrens Orthopedic Hospital has them in several flavors and I was told that they were made by Essential Baking. I haven't tried them so don't know the quality.

[matsutakekichigai]

I think Le Panier's are the best in town. Their failings are... they're sweeter and larger than the Parisian ones. The ones at Essential Bakery are too sweet for me. I'm still looking so if you find any others please keep us posted, I too fell in love in Paris.

[mamster]

Speaking of Essential, they seem to have stopped making cannele.

Aw, crap! nightscotsman, get the hell out of Vegas and come save us.

[kiliki]

My Le Panier macaron report:

The chocolate were quite good. The rasperry were kind of tasty but they were dry and crumbly with overly chewy centers. The coffee didn't have any flavor and also had a very chewy sticky center. They were 75 each for the little size which seems a bit much.

[MsRamsey]

Doesn't Dahlia Bakery make them?

[tsquare]

My Le Panier macaron report:

The chocolate were quite good. The rasperry were kind of tasty but they were dry and crumbly with overly chewy centers. The coffee didn't have any flavor and also had a very chewy sticky center. They were 75 each for the little size which seems a bit much.

Must depend on the day - yesterday the coffee had substantial flavor. Not sticky at all. The raspberry was a little drier, but not crumbly. I agree that they seem a bit pricey, but there is a fair amount of labor invovled in them, I'd guess. Probably a good cookie to learn to bake, like biscotti.

I seem to recall a single flavor at Dahlia too. But only the other macaroon - coconut, appears on the web-site.

[LainerX]

Grateful Bread in Wedgewood has the best macaroons I've ever eaten. Dunno if they're French, though. Is a French one different from a "regular" one? (Should I already know this? )

[matsutakekichigai]

They were 75 each for the little size which seems a bit much.

I stand corrected. I haven't been in a while. At the time I was frequenting Le Painer there was only one very large sweet size.

[kiliki]

Grateful Bread in Wedgewood has the best macaroons I've ever eaten. Dunno if they're French, though. Is a French one different from a "regular" one? (Should I already know this?  )

I never knew what they were until my recent trip. Its a sandwich cookie made from egg whites and almond flour (kind of a meringue) with a creamy light filling.

[kiliki]

I finally tried the macarons at Essential. They are beautiful and quite reasonably priced, and the flavor was good, but the texture was all wrong. I don't know if they weren't fresh or what, but all five flavors had brittle, crackly, dry exteriors and dense, chewy, sticky fillings.

*sigh*

Edited April 30, 2004 by kiliki (log)

[MsRamsey]

I finally tried the macarons at Essential. They are beautiful and quite reasonably priced,

Do you remember how much? They raised all of their prices in late April (but beware of what the label in the display says compared to what they actually charge you--it's often different).

[Blue Heron]

I finally tried the macarons at Essential. They are beautiful and quite reasonably priced, and the flavor was good, but the texture was all wrong. I don't know if they weren't fresh or what, but all five flavors had brittle, crackly, dry exteriors and dense, chewy, sticky fillings.

*sigh*

This was exactly my experience with the 2 macaroons I bought at Admiral Metropolitan market awhile back, and why I wasn't impressed nor would buy them again. Like you remarked, they didn't taste fresh and they were dried out, crackly, crumbly, with a dense chewy sticky filling. Blech.

[kiliki]

They were $1 each for a decent sized cookie-a much better price than Le Panier, which now charges $1 for the petit macaron. Maybe I will try to find out what day they are made...maybe if I get a really fresh one it will be good.

[tsquare]

Oh my - the best of TasteWashington (well, my sampling was very small) were the macaroons crafted by pastry chef, Christina Longo, at Barking Frog. She made them in flavors such as Lavender, Lime-Basil, Meyer Lemon, Cherry something, Pernod Chocolate, and ? Beautiful, crisp exterior, light cookie, silky fillings. No retail shop, but on their dessert menu - I guess as Italian Meringue Kisses?

[LEdlund]

Oh my - the best of TasteWashington (well, my sampling was very small) were the macaroons crafted by pastry chef, Christina Longo, at Barking Frog. She made them in flavors such as Lavender, Lime-Basil, Meyer Lemon, Cherry something, Pernod Chocolate, and ? Beautiful, crisp exterior, light cookie, silky fillings. No retail shop, but on their dessert menu - I guess as Italian Meringue Kisses?

←

I saw those when we first walked in and made a mental note to come back to them. Unfortunately by the time I did, they were gone. They sound fantastic. Too bad Barking Frog is so far away.

[kiliki]

*Groan*

....If they only had a retail shop.

I've found good ones in NYC and SF in the past year but still none in Seattle.