macarons?

[emerilcantcook]

I was walking around Guy-Concordia the other day and saw some cute little macarons on the display of Nocochi. Went in and inquired, but they told me that they are out and they won't be making any macarons.Taking aside the fact that it is stupid to display a product that you don't provide, are there any good places to get some macarons in town?Now that I saw them on display, I am craving like crazy.

[picklebird]

Bumping up this thread to report on a new macaron store. it seems to be a new outpost of Point G (original at 1266 Mont-Royal Est). This one is called Macarons & Chocolat- on Bernard at Hutchison. They've only been open a week and it's heavy on the slick interior. I bought 6 macarons for $9 (!). We thought the chewy consistency was great and the flavors nice and strong! But they were a bit sweet and surprisingly heavy on the cream.

[Susie37]

There's an online store that sells delicious French macarons and they are on sale right now: http://www.histoiresucree.com/meta_ca...

[mainsqueeze]

The site refers to them as "macaroons" and they don't look like the macarons that are discussed in this thread.

[1Capricieuse]

I know some people didn't like the Point G's macarons, but I loved them!

[chochotte]

That's because, as many North Americans don't seem to realise, the word 'macaron' in French (which is translated by the English word 'macaroon') describes an incredibly wide range of confections. Any little biscuit which is made using egg whites, sugar and ground nuts is, in French, called a 'macaron'. Amaretti are 'macarons', for example. And there are several very famous kinds of macaroon in France that look nothing like the kind discussed in this thread, but are definitely macaroons all the same. The very colourful, sandwiched-together, flying-saucer-shaped macaroons that we're talking about here are a quite recent invention compared to many classic/traditional macaroons and are properly called macarons parisiens to distinguish them from other kinds of biscuit.

[Andria]

I bought an assortment of macarons for my brother at Christmas. I picked up^a sample of all of flavors from Gastronomia, Point G, La Maison du Macaron, and Esprithé. Noccoci does carry them, but I was unable to pick them up in time. The ones from Noccoci are made in Dubai and shipped over. The key to having the perfect macaron is freshness... make sure you can get them as close to freshly made as possible.

My favorites were bought from Esprithé (the jasmine scented is heavenly). These stood out because they are infused with tea flavor making their taste very unique. The flavors linger nicely.among their regular flavors.

In addition to their regular varieties (17 flavors I believe), La Mason du Macaron carried a limited edition box with flavors such as foie gras & fig, salmon & dill, olive oil & sundried tomato, raspberry & pepper, avocado & saffron, and my favorite of these... the goat cheese and squash.

Point G were good, but compared to the others, seemed a little bland.

Try Gastronomia if the idea of always having fresh macarons on hand appeals to you. I bought a box of 72 that can be defrosted in sections as needed... and yes, they ARE VERY GOOD despite being frozen.

[mainsqueeze]

When I asked the people at Nocochi I was told the macarons where made on the premises.

[Andria]

Really? Suspicious I say... they lied to one of us!

[Anarkya]

Patisserie de Gascogne started selling macarons again.
The same box as before. I was told by an employe of Pte-Claire patisserie that they were only testing the market, and they stopped selling them a bit before christmas. But I called today and asked and they said they were back on the shelves.

[hungryann]

I was at Costco today and noticed that they carry a package of 36 macarons for $20 in their freezer section. They are imported from France and the brand is White Toque. I am not an expert in the field of macarons but I thought I'd pass on the info for what it's worth.

[marblebag]

My boss got me those on his recent visit to Costco
I like the outer layer, not chewy (old) nor brittle (too dry) The filling was like the creme fraiche filling of the Leonidas fruit-filled chocolate which is good by itself but it wasn't what I wanted in a macaron. I prefer a more buttercreamy texture for the filling. At least it wasn't the coyingly sweet "jam" like they do it at Maitre Chocolatier.

When fresh I still prefer Marius & Fanny.

[SnackHappy]

I had a chance to taste a bunch of macarons from Point G over the weekend. While I found the texture pleasant, the flavours were too subtle and they were cloyingly sweet.

I still prefer Europea and Maison du macaron, but I've yet to try out Esprithé.

[moh]

Had a chance to sample several brands of macaron side by side at the Salon Passion Chocolat. The tasting is hardly exhaustive, as one just can't eat that much macaron in one go and still eat large quantities of chocolate. Still, it was fun to taste the differences between several brands of macaron. Here are a few comments:

1. Marius and Fanny: tried the chocolate, strawberry and pistachio macarons. The chocolate and strawberry macarons were very good, nice crispy outer layer, with a chewy nutty inner layer on the biscuit, and very nice fillings, if somewhat subtle in flavour. But the pistachio one was horrid! No pistachio taste at all, it tasted like coconut, very disappointing.

2. Christophe Morel: only tried the strawberry one. The colours on the CM macarons are very Day-Glo, which is fun. I found the strawberry flavour quite vibrant, and the texture was excellent. I would like to try more of these.

3. Point G: only had the chocolate-hazelnut one. The macaron is a pale brown hazelnut colour, with an odd dusting of dark brown crumbs no doubt added for artistic effect, but to me it looked a bit odd. But the flavour was spot on. Nice chewy texture, very nutty.

4. Esprit du The: had the rose one. Again,very vibrant colour, nice texture, although these ones were a little drier than the other macarons. The flavour is very subtle, I didn't notice a lot of rose flavour. But I liked the delicate nature of these macarons.

Well it looks like we will have to experiment with different flavours of macarons this holiday season. yummy little suckers!

[BLM]

Where can I get the 'Christophe Morel' line of macarons in Montreal? He makes macarons for Europea & Esprithe, but those are exclusives to their establishments.

[moh]

I can give you what info I have:

Christophe Morel Chocolatier
1241, Gay-Lussac
Boucherville
[phone]
www.rollandchocolatier.com

Hope that helps!

[BLM]

Yes, I was just checking out this site.

[souschef]

At first bite I did not like the Esprit du The rose macaron, thinking that that was not the taste I was looking for in a macaron. BUT, it kinda grew on me, and I went back to buy more to take home. Those were the only macarons I bought, apart from tasting several on site. The sugar buzz made me unable to sleep that night.

[hala]

re point G, like you i tasted the hazelnut one and loved it, so i got 6 more to try and the only other flavor i liked was pistachios, with the caveat that it was way inferior to the pistachio one i had eaten at maitre chocolatier the week before.

[cmacpherson]

Oh and my partners liked Point G better than Maison du Macaron, but the giant macaron from M du Mac was amazing (the flavor changes each month). Here are some photos I took of our winning macarons...

[cmacpherson]

The website for Esprithé on Laurier : www.esprithe.com

[kpzoo]

Lesley Chesterman has a piece on macarons in the Gazette. Not sure how old it is because strangely there is no date anywhere, but it looks like it could be from today.

Macaron mania hits Montreal - finally!
http://tinyurl.com/4wgwhw

[BLM]

The Gazette piece is from today's Weekend Life section "Published: 3 hours ago" at last check online.

[cmacpherson]

In my opinion - after trying 12 different places in Montreal and tasting over 100 different macarons - on the quest for THE best - my favorite were from Esprithé. They are really different from the others because their master chocolate maker from France mixes their blends of teas with 72% dark chocolate ganache for the flavors. You can even buy the tea to go with the macarons! My favorite - the orchid flavor and the spicy chocolate flavor (mixed with black tea and spices). To read all about our comments and findings and for the addresses and websites of the different macaron places we tried, go to:
http://www.zurbaines.com/1/Vos_Copine...
(in French only but at least you can see the photos of our top 3 and get the addresses) Enjoy!

[BLM]

So Christophe Morel makes the macarons at Esprithe(from the link article)? In Lesley Chesterman's piece on macarons, she says the Europea macarons are made by Christophe Morel.

[cmacpherson]

Yes, he makes the macarons for Europea, too - but the ones he makes for Esprithé are different because he works together with the owner, Fabrice Perrin to mix the different teas in with the chocolate ganache. The ones we tasted from Europea didn't impress as much as these... !
Also, do try their chocolates! They are mixed with their different teas as well and made by Christophe Morel. We will be doing a comparison for February on the best "NEW" chocolate boutiques in Montreal.

[pinstripeprincess]

background: on a weekend trip to montreal from toronto... was excited at what appears to be a glut of bakeries producing macarons and thought that of the bunch i was likely to find a winner.

we've just made a couple stops so far and for the most part i am disappointed.

maison du macaron - two stale ones (caramel fleur de sel and cafe), mostly poorly textured and crumbly or overly soft but no "chewiness" what so ever (mango with pepper and hazelnut), hard gel filling for the fruit flavour (mango with pepper), best one of the bunch was pistachio (usually my main measure) and overall ok but not better than my best option in toronto, and a really bizarrely under-baked one ("flavour of the day" calvados) that was completely wet mush under the shell. 6 for $8. they only have the small ones or gigantic ones.

point g: awful. empty puffed crisp shell and pasty filling for the apple flavour. 1 for $1.70

i may have to find myself at europea, benelo, or esprithe though i'm not holding out much hope right now. can anyone do a cross comparison?

[carswell]

Unless things have changed very recently, strike Benelo from your list. They're renovating and, last I heard, have decided to ditch or radically downsize the café. Will get full details next week when I drop by for a haircut.

[pinstripeprincess]

esprithe is also undergoing renovations and won't have food product for the next couple weeks, just tea.

they have some wonderfully aromatic blends to match the macarons and made me seriously regret their lack of confections. will have to drop by the next time i'm in montreal, they seemed genuinely enthusiastic.

[Fritzy]

So, carswell, what is happening at Benelo's? I hope they at least keep their espresso operation up and running! Where would one go for a Northern Italian style shot if they close?

[carswell]

Was there last week. The food and refrigerator cases are gone, though the espresso machine and grinder are still there. Didn't see anyone using them, however. A couple of clouds hung over the visit -- the owners' father had just passed away and I was under the weather -- so we didn't get around to discussing plans for the cafe, sorry to say. Will ask the next time I'm there. Local alternatives would include Nocochi, provided you don't mind Illy, though I suspect my focus is going to be shifting to Myriade.

[cmacpherson]

see my reply to the original post below - Esprithé all the way!

[marblebag]

I found a new store on St-Denis near Mont-Royal, just opened Saturday. The name is Marius and Fanny. They have chocolates and coffee and macarons. The macaron supplier is from Ste-Dorothee. I haven't been to La Maison du Macaron yet.

I tried the box of 9 for $12 ($1.50 each): pistachio, praline, lemon, chocolate, rasperry. I skipped coffee.

The meringue is less dense than the Toronto bakery on King Street so for me it's better. The cream is unlike other macarons I've eaten (including Luxemburglis) maybe a bit too light. I will come back to get a 9-box of each flavor for a second round.

[carswell]

Macarons are the new cupcakes.

[Glaff]

Except that they are here to stay... they're not just "cute".....

[Glaff]

Just seen this in the newspaper today :

Macarons en folie
Les macarons, ces petites gourmandises parisiennes dérivées de la meringue, arrivent à Montréal. Français d'origine, les chefs Gaëlle et Johan Crop ouvrent leur boutique ce samedi sur le Plateau. En tout, 16 saveurs de macaron y sont proposées - des classiques, comme chocolat ou framboise, aux plus tendance, comme noisette ou mangue poivrée.
Dès le 13 septembre, 4479 rue de la Roche

[SnackHappy]

"Les macarons [...] arrivent à Montréal."

Thank goodness somebody finally thought of bringing macarons to Montreal.

[Glaff]

They're now open.

lamaisondumacaron.com

I've just tried them... and they're definitely the best you can find in Montreal. The fruit flavored ones are not so great in my opinion (like every fruit macarons I've tasted in Montreal)... but the caramel and passion/chocolat are both quite amazing !

They also have the big individual format for the classic flavors.

[mainsqueeze]

How much did they cost?

Maybe someone nice will get me some for my birthday.

[Glaff]

A box of 12 was 16$.

[FoodNovice]

Stopped by on Sunday after reading your post. I second the "best you can find in Montreal" opinion, even though the consistency isn't quite like the Swiss-style macaron I know.

[Glaff]

What flavor did you try ?

[FoodNovice]

I got an assortment but didn't get to try them all as family members got to them before I did. I was also less taken with the fruit flavours, although the mango-pepper was interesting. I prefer classics like hazelnut though.

[Glaff]

I've just tried a new (?) place on Mont-Royal called Point G. Macarons is not their speciality... they only had one flavour today (they told me that they usually have 3), but the one I had was pretty good and original... apricot/rosemary. The texture was perfect, they were really fresh... maybe not enough "filling" though. They told me that they were still working on the perfect recipe, so I think there's a lot of potential there.

They also have a good selection of sorbets/ice cream : raspberry/rose, mapple/pecan, apricot/rosemary, blueberry, pear, coconut/banana and a few others that I don't remember...

[foxilla]

Ok folks, if you want REAL MACARONS (because I’ve seen way too many bad imitations here), I suggest you go to GASTRONOMIA ALIMENTS FINS INC, between Peel and Wellington. They actually import frozen macarons directly from FRANCE, and trust me, they do taste like real ones, simply because they are! I first went there to get a whole tray for my sister’s graduation party, but you can also get smaller packaging. They taste so good and look so cute and colourful! Go to www.gastronomia.ca to get their address.

[moh]

Foxilla, I am trying to imagine how one can freeze macarons and maintain the lovely texture of the cookie part. How can they possibly be as good as fresh macarons?

[foxilla]

i know, i first thought it wouldnt be as good as fresh ones too. but the texture of the buscuit is a bit crunchy and still smooth at the same time. its actually deep frozen macarons, so once you thaw them (which takes about 15 minutes max) it'`s like fresh ones. i used to be sceptic too, but trust me on this one, go taste them and you'll see!

[Glaff]

Yes it's true... even Pierre Hermé recommends it !

Also... I've tried more macarons from Point G... they had 7 new flavors... but unfortunately, they had nothing to do with the first one I had... the texture was ok... but the filling... sugar sugar sugar... no distinguishable taste...

The best I've had in Montreal so far were... mine !

[souschef]

"The best I've had in Montreal so far were... mine !"

Would you mind posting the recipe, please. Do you bake them on parchment paper or on Silpat?

Have you tried the ones sold by Europea?

[Glaff]

The recipe I use is from Gerard Mulot's book (with a few modifications), but they're all pretty much the same.

It's almost the same as the one on this site (which I've used too) : http://www.puregourmandise.com/gourmandises.htm (in french

)

For the baking... I've already tried Silpat, but it sticks most of the time... so now I use only parchment paper... with a bit of water under to remove the macaron when they're ready.

And yes, I've already the ones at Europea a few times... wasn't really impressed... they're probably the best you can find in Montreal (with the ones from Esprithé), but I don't know... it just doesn't feel like real parisians macarons... but I wouldn't know how to explain it !

If you want to see some of my latest ;) http://www.flickr.com/photos/glaff/27...

[souschef]

Thanks. I'll give them a try later this month.

The ones you made look great !

[mainsqueeze]

How much do the macarons at gastronomia cost? I can't find prices on the website.

[foxilla]

The price is 15.00$ for 12 macarons.
You should try it out.

[Radhja]

On your recommendations, I went to ESPRITHE (tea house on Laurier street O in Montreal). One of the owners (He speaks English) explained to me that they were proposing only Macarons with different teas (green, wulong or black) in the chocolate . Their teas are mixed with some flowers, fruits and spices. My Goodness, I tried in many places (France too), but here I never ate something so "wonderful" (fresh, tasty and flavourful) 9/10 .Did you try their sorbets and Ice creams with their different teas ?

[Fritzy]

I didn't know that they had sorbets and ice creams too. I will have to tell my friends.

[mainsqueeze]

Has anyone tried the macarons at Wawel?

[SnackHappy]

We finally tried the Wawel marcarons and my advice would be to stick to the paczki.

[alixium]

Esprithé (112 Laurier O)'s resident chocolatier makes delicious macarons in various flavours, including green tea and chocolate. The light texture of the meringue is delightful!

[Fritzy]

Just stopped by Esprit Thé (112 Laurier West; Tel: [phone]) and I agree their macarons are totally scrumptious inside and out! They have lots of rather exotic flavors so order a big variety. Really, I would have to say they are the best I have ever eaten! (Depending on who is working, you may need to speak French if that is a consideration.)

[westaust]

Some of the best Macarons that i've tasted in Montreal were at XO at Hotel St-James the reason being that their pastry chef used to work at Ladurée in Paris according to the maitre D.
But i doubt they offer them as takeout as they arent even on the menu.

[swissfoodie]

Alati on Dante street sells macarons and they are really, really good. Crunchy on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside. The lemon, raspberry and pistachio are wonderful but the hazelnut one is divine.

[nocochi]

macarons are now available in nocochi.

[BLM]

Didn't they have it before(although they might not always have it available)?

[maisonbistro]

Premiere Moisson also has a big, pastry size macaron for sale these days- but not every day and not a every store (I was at the Atwater Market one and when I asked, she looked at me like I was from Mars.. Macarons madame?? Mais non.)

[mainsqueeze]

I have had decent macarons at Nocochi in the past. Recently, however, I've noticed that their macarons are way smaller than before, yet still outrageously priced at $1.25 each. Add that to the fact that a few times they have sold me stale items. I used to love nocochi but have been really disappointed with them lately.

They have sold me stale macarons and rock-hard marzipans. I'd paid a pretty penny for them, so those marzipans were hugely disappointing and have left me not wanting to go back there at all. Considering the prices they charge for their products, you'd think would make more of an effort to ensure freshness.

[cherylmtl]

Today I paid $1.50 for one at Nocochi, which I thought was way too high, considering how tiny they are. The taste was very nice (coffee flavoured) but the macaron outside was quite crunchy - not sure if that's their style, or it wasn't fresh, but I don't think I'd run back for them at that price. I still love their little cookies, though...

[Fritzy]

Is there a generally accepted duration that macarons are still at their prime -- anybody??? For little items this expensive I guess it pays to ask when they were made. As I posted further up on this thread , I have had perfect, moist delicious ones there but on other visits ones which were a bit dry and crumbly .

[moh]

To complicate matters further:

When you initially make a macaron, they are dry and crumbly until the cookie gets hydrated by the filling. So you do have to wait until they have "matured" to get that perfect moist macaron.

Dang! If I knew they were this popular... Hubbie makes a mean chocolate macaron at Christmas time....

[cherylmtl]

It wasn't so much that the outside was dry, but when I bit into it, the outside flaked and cracked like a very thin layer of caramelised sugar would (it sounds weird to describe, but that's exactly what it was like).

[moh]

But it wasn't pleasant? Normally a layer of Caramelised sugar like substance would be desirable, a nice crunch to add texture.

[cherylmtl]

No, it wasn't pleasant, actually - perhaps had I expected it, it might have been, but I've never had a macaron do that before. It's not like it was sweet like a spun sugar would be, it just had a hard flaky texture when you bit into it.

[moh]

Hard and flaky doesn't sound right. It should be very light and flaky.

Maybe I should ask hubbie nicely if he could make macarons soon...

[cherylmtl]

Let's just say that I don't think Pierre Herme has anything to worry about, competition-wise, from these... (then again, most Parisian macarons don't compare to Pierre Herme either...)

Can you ask hubbie really nicely? A decent macaron would be highly appreciated...

[marblebag]

I would like to order a few dozen macarons from the hubbie pls!
pls?
pls?
Pls!

[emerilcantcook]

I tried a few macarons from Nocochi and had a similar experience with the above posters. Too crunchy, hollow, and not much moisture left. I have to say that I think they were pretty stale. Such a ripoff, especially considering the price!

The cookies are still good though. I guess they either have a longer shelf life, or their turnover is better.

[moh]

I also recently tried the Nocochi marron and chocolate macarons. I don't believe they are stale, I think it is the style of the cookie they make. They were good, but they are a bit expensive for what you get. I have never eaten the mythical Pierre Hermes product, unfortunately. But from the adoration they elicit, I suspect that the Nocochi product doesn't quite match up.

It is almost winter. Will have to start encouraging the hubbie to start up the chocolate macaron factory...

[cherylmtl]

Maybe yours were fresher than mine were - mine definitely had that "not exactly made today" feel to them. And no, it is not almost winter. Don't say that. It's still summer. brrr...

[femure]

I'm curious whether many of you have tried to DIY, having such difficulty finding quality macarons. I use this recipe:
http://www.alacuisine.org/alacuisine/...
because it was the first thing that came up when I Googled "macaron recipe" a couple years ago, which is pretty much no-fail and never fails to impress.

Honestly: 1. Beat eggs. 2. Almonds into blender. 3. Add Icing sugar to each. 4. Bake.

[carswell]

Benelo, the café cum hair salon at 2145 Crescent, now has macarons as well as macaroons. Looked like there were eight or nine flavours. All are made "de façon artsanale" in Paris and flown in regularly by chef Alex. Price is $1.15 a shot. The lemon cookie I sampled was light, sweet and intensely flavoured, had a smooth and crunchy-crackly exterior and soft-bordering-on-gooey interior and made a delicious accompaniment to an americano.

[mainsqueeze]

I got some macaron at http://nicolosibistro.com/ the other day. I asked the girl at the counter how fresh they were and she told me "yesterday," so I bought three. And though the flavours were pretty nice (lemon cream, pistachio, almond), each of them was stale. One especially was hard as a rock.

Bad news.

[lambretta76]

I brought some back to my wife from the Pierre Herme in Tokyo. You have no idea what a rock is ;) But that is not very promising.

[Finn22]

Espace Euopea has a website for their macarons, go to www.macaronsexpress.com
It appears to offer shipping services for these tasty morsels. Also try Beniamo's on Viger (close to McGill) they are open until 9pm every night and they have good macarons!

[mainsqueeze]

Can anyone tell me the address or contact info of Beniamo's? I can't seem to find info online. TIA.

[lambretta76]

So is Europea the must-buy macaron in Montreal? I was underwhelmed by the ones offered by Les petites plaisirs d'Andrea - they had also been frozen. I'm not expecting Pierre Herme quality, but I'd like some solid options while up nort to tide me over until the Lauduree opens down here in NYC.

[mainsqueeze]

Europea's are the best I've had so far.

[foodie_mtl]

I had the same experience. I saw the display, and I went in specicaly for the macarons. However, I don't think they ever really made them there. Nocochi is a Persian word, which is basically translated as chickpea pastry. I don't think macarons are made out of chickpea paste...

[mainsqueeze]

Just because their names is Nocochi does not mean that they make only things with chickpea paste. They make lovely pate de fruits there - I love the black currant one. And while the chick pea cookies are delectable, they also make a great variety of cookies that are not made with chick peas.

I can vouch for the fact that they used to have Macarons there. I was always curious to try them but did not because I found them too expensive. I'm assuming that they didn't sell very well and they therefore decided to stop producing them.

[VivreManger]

Yesterday I picked up a box of 16 macarons from Patisserie de Gascogne in Westmount. First the good news. They were extremely well-packed. The plastic box in which they came was solid, with dividers, and survived the car trip to the States. Compared to Euro-pricey macarons from Paris, they were cheap, about Canadian $13.50 for the box. They do look good. And the consistency and crunch is not bad.

Now for the bad news. I have very little basis for comparison to other Montreal macarons. I may have tried one or two over the years and was disappointed, but in the interest of science I thought these were worth a try. I can only compare them to the Parisian product.

They were found in the frozen section, between the boeuf bourguignonne and the mango sorbet, not a promising location for a delicate confection. Perhaps the Outremont store has them fresh, but in Westmount they were only frozen. However the fact that they invested in an extremely durable package suggests that generally they sell them this way.

Now for the taste. There is simply no comparison between the Pierre Herme macarons and these. Laduree in Paris also makes them, but over the years I have tasted Herme, but not Laduree so PH provides the gold standard. What each PH macaron offers is a series of imaginative and delicate flavors, subtly combined in a fashion that surprises and intrigues. The PG macarons were cloddy, one dimensional, and lacked all subtelty of taste. True I have yet to try all 16, but the two or three I tried suffered the same problem. Don't despair however: the PG macarons don't meet the PH standard, but they are available for emergency purposes, and they are on a par with the standard Paris product.

The best news of all is that you can buy a box of them and save the box, but not the contents, for your next trip to Paris. That way you can bring the good ones home safely.

Patisserie de Gascogne, locations
237 ave. Laurier O., Montreal (near Park) (Outremont) 514-490-0235
6095 boul. Gouin O., 514-331-0550
4825 rue Sherbrooke O, (near Victoria) (Westmount) 514-932-3551
940 boul. St.-Jean, Pointe-Claire, 514-697-2622

[Fritzy]

Stopped by Noccoci Café twice, May 7th and 9th. I tried two macarons, almond and coffee, from a large selection of flavors. They were good but a bit dry and crumbly on the inside – not nearly as good as those at Benelo’s. I stopped by again two days later and tried the green pistachio flavor. This time the interior was soft and moist – a delicate and tasty delight! I guess the one’s I had earlier were a bit past their prime. Of course I couldn’t resist several selections of their chick pea based mini-cookies, which were wonderful as always. Their Illy based espresso was better than on any of my previous visits – smooth and well-balanced. As always, the ambience was very relaxing and the service very friendly. I have a hard time walking past that place without stopping in.

[tarteaucitron]

While we're on the subject, does someone know where you can find the large ones? They're not as dainty as the small ones (that I see more often) but I prefer them because they're more satisfying.

Thanks!

[isa1]

they have big ones at Peche Glace on Mount Royal, I believe near De Lorimier. I know it`s in front of the horrible restaurant Dans la bouche

[carswell]

In the Guy-Conc 'hood, the café front end of Bénélo Café Coiffure (2145 Crescent, 514 844-1410) had coconut macaroons the last time I was there. Not too sweet and more like the ones my mother used to make than the cookies you'll find in a fancy bakery.

[SnackHappy]

I don't think the OP is asking about macaroons, but rather macarons which are a French cookie-like pastry that come in different colours and flavours.

See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macaron vs. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macaroon

[carswell]

Could be but the ones I remember from Nocochi were more like macaroons than macarons.

[emerilcantcook]

The ones I saw on the display yesterday were more like macarons, with bright colors like pink and yellow. Still can't figure out why they were on display though. Should have asked.

[BLM]

It would similiar to the 'macaroons' shown in today's(Wednesday) edition of the NY Times food section(D2), of a new French pastry shop there. However they call it 'macaroons' instead of macarons.

[VivreManger]

While most of us know the difference between macaron and macaroon, the arbiters of the English language (e.g. the NYTimes and standard issue spell-checkers) have not yet recognized it. A macaroon is a horrid heavy coconut gullet catching concoction typically sold around Passover, available only in bipolar variation, black or white. A macaron is a light polychromatic delight, available in endless flavors of fruit, spice, and other ingredients. In Paris, you can find pistachio, rose, jasmin, safron, litchi, caramel, olive oil. The list is endless. The best of them, made by Pierre Herme, are incredibly good. Does anybody in Montreal make anything comparable to the Paris product?

Technically speaking however, macaron is simply the French for the English macaroon. In fact they are two significantly different pastries.

[phedre]

I'd be interested in knowing what you think of the macarons at Europea. Tiny jewels of bright colours, a nice assortment of flavours, and I find them delightful: not too sweet, with a very good texture. This is the only place I've ever had them though, so I'm not a good judge!

[VivreManger]

Does this place have two locations one on Mountain and the other on Notre Dame?

[BLM]

I think it's just one location(on Mountain street).

[swissfoodie]

There are two locations. The one on Mountain is the fancier restaurant while the one on Notre Dame is the take away counter.

[BLM]

Thanks, my mistake.

[phedre]

Yep. I go to the one on Notre Dame, it's close to work.

[jptimbaud]

Note that only the one on Notre-Dame sells macarons.

[mainsqueeze]

Upon the recommendations in this thread, I stopped by Europea last Friday and purchased one of each flavour of macarons. (There are eight). We were very pleased with them.

My favourites were:
Lemon
Pistachio
Rose petal
There was also an orange one that I believe was passion-fruit flavoured. It was great.

My least favourites were:
choco-mint
cranberry
moka

[emerilcantcook]

I went to Euopea earlier this week to try some as well. I have to put a disclaimer here about the fact that it was the first time I tasted this stuff (they don't exist in most parts of US), so I might not be getting it. In sum, I was a little bit underwhelmed. The texture was quite pleasant, but the flavors were too too subtle for my taste. Perhaps this is the nature of the product itself, but seeing the bright colors I expected a little explosion in my mouth. Instead, you really had to concentrate to get the differences in flavors. But then again, I might not be getting the whole macaron thing. Now I have to try the Pierre Herme versions now to see if they are really my thing.

[SnackHappy]

That's interesting because I thought they were quite flavourful. What flavours did you sample?

[emerilcantcook]

I did try 5 of them. Lemon, pistachio, rose petal, cranberry and something else that I can't remember (see I can't even remember the flavor). Perhaps my palate was off that day. I might give them another chance because I don't want to admit that I am a midwestern hick who doesn't get the subtlety of macarons :)

[SnackHappy]

I'll admit that the lemon wasn't as lemony as it could have been. Anything rose flavoured always reminds me of my grandmother's bathroom. I did however find the passion fruit, pistachio and choco-mint quite flavourful, although I'm not crazy about chocolate and mint together.

[MaxieGourmet]

Oh you bring back such amazing memories of Paris and standing in line for the difficult choice I inevitably had to make because I just could not afford one of each!
There is a wonderful blog on the topic with incredible images on Kuidoare....

[FoodNovice]

Just to add to the language confusion, I know them as Luxemburgerli, which is what they are called in German-speaking Switzerland. They are considered to be a specialty of some of the better-known confiserie shops in Zürich.

[swissfoodie]

I prefer laeckerli myself... They make some pretty good ones on Crescent street at this store (the Bern emblem is on the sign). The woman makes them herself and she is also from Bern.

[FoodNovice]

You mean Chocolaterie Suisse, 2080 Crescent.

http://www.chocolateriesuisse.com/English.html

They advertise in the magazine for Swiss expats. They told me they import their chocolate from Confiserie Tschirren (http://www.swiss-chocolate.ch/ - same photos of truffles) in Bern and they don't seem to have the biggest turnover, so I've hesitated on the chocolate.

But fresh Leckerli would be great later in the year, but more Basler than Bern, no?

[swissfoodie]

Ja genau! The Basler ones are the only ones to consider in my opinion. So you obviously get Revue Suisse as well... What's the deal - full Swiss or half Swiss? And the chocolate is pretty good - they sell the REAL milk schoggi

[hala]

pierre herme has the recipe for his chocolate macarons (with step by step photo in)structions in last month's issue of Regale.

Regale (sp?)isthe french (from france) food magazine people were discussing on this forum a couple of weeks ago. I was able to find it at the depaneur type store that sells magazines at marche atwater (near the atwater door on the second floor).

[Fritzy]

Benelo's had about a half dozen flavors of macaroons on display when I was there Feb 21st. I had the coffee flavored one to go with their nice light espresso. I am no expert on macaroons but it was a delightful two or three bites -- $1.15 per cookie, though. As carswell noted: not too sweet, just right.

[jptimbaud]

au pain doré has, but they're not so great

[phedre]

Europea on Notre Dame Ouest sells incredibly tasty macaroons. I don't think they make them on the premises, but oh tasty!

[celfie]

cafe autre monde on bernard and park make their own and they are so very delicious!