the finest parisian creation...

macarons.

i could write pages about these delicate creations. with their distinctive chewy crunch and various exotic flavors. i love desserts and could probably fill an entire blog with just that. but then i'd have to do a separate blog for architecture, design, art, restaurants... so alas, i will just do this one post about macarons (for now)

the reason i was spurred to write about this tonight is thanks to my fellow intern, ann. she knows of my obsession with macarons because she was there the first time i ever tried those little pieces of heaven (which happened to be just over a month ago, i might add). since then i have tried macarons from bottega louie, jin patisserie, and even trader joes (which really were pretty good! way to go traders!) so ann tells me this morning at work that she thinks she saw macarons at a starbucks in long beach over the weekend.

my ears perked up.

macarons....at starbucks??? no way, i don't believe it!

she thinks so anyway.

as any person with common sense in the 21st century would do, i immediately type into google "starbucks macarons" and sure enough, there are blog posts and reviews.

it is real.

now, there is a starbucks in my building on the street level and i fully intended to go check these out and see if they were legitimate at around 4 oclock. however, as time usually does when you're having fun organizing, it flew by and before i knew it i was walking to the parking structure, getting into my car, and driving away.

damn, i meant to check out if they have those macarons!

luckily, i get home and the husband and i decide we want take out "but nothing asian, we eat that all the time" he says.

so what else is there???? i could never get sick of asian food....in fact, i can't think of anything except indian and thai take out places.... hey, wait a minute... how about tender greens, i'll go pick it up and then i can run into the starbucks right by it and see if they have macarons!

problem solved.

into starbucks i go, and a mighty fine starbucks at that. seriously....it has to be the nicest, biggest starbucks i've ever been in. anyway, that is beside the point. the point of this entire story is: they had the macarons!

i pick up the booty, hand it the the starbucks girl. starbucks girl says "good choice." i tell her i am obsessed with macarons. she tells me she lived in paris for 5 months where her roommate was studying pastries at le cordon bleu. starbucks girl and pastry guy scoured all of paris searching for the best macaron. what an adventure! i am impressed with starbucks girl. i pay my 9.95 plus tax and leave with my chateau blanc grande patisserie de france 12 french macaroons with almonds in hand. i am pleased.

so how are they? are they worth it? well...if you have never had macarons before because you are from the south or somewhere similar where they don't allow french things (joke...sort of) then i think you should buy these. for one thing, it is much cheaper than what they cost from a pastry maker or any other specialty store. $10 for 12 is much better than the $17 for 12 i paid at jin's or the (egad!) $22 for 13 you pay at bottega. however, the taste is nothing compared to the others. allow me to go through them one by one.

vanilla-too cakey, which is not how a macaron should be, but the flavor is ok.

chocolate-the ganache is too bitter and thick

pistachio-i think my husband (a huge pistachio fan) said it all "woah, it tastes like pistachio all right, but way too in your face"

lemon-just eh

coffee-i like coffee, but this is distgusting

raspberry-pretty good actually

overall, i was not impressed by starbucks macarons, but i am very impressed with starbucks' attempt to put something so foreign to most of americans into the american mainstream market. (air high five)