640233 Tue Jul 28 19:51:17 -0700 2009 9 23 Ontario (including Toronto) 0 4898888 Hotdamn they're good. They had three kinds, one with pecans, one with raisins, and one with chocolate. Best couple bucks I've spent in a while, truly exceptional. I have one left in my kitchen, and it's been calling my name all day. I am prolonging my enjoyment through anticipation. Tue Jul 28 19:51:17 -0700 2009 50992 SocksManly 1 4899456 hi socks, tks for letting me know ... i LOVE ma maison ... and while i want to support a neighbourhood business, i have to be careful b/c my waistline will pay the price! i can't go in there without buying a ridiculous amount of breads, pastries, etc. i haven't tried the butter tarts though ... so maybe that will be my next excuse to visit! Wed Jul 29 05:46:18 -0700 2009 4898888 79997 lilaki 1 4899495 I don't have the chance to head there very often, but everything in the shop is wonderful. Their quiches are perfect. I don't ever recall seeing butter tarts, but I haven't been there in about a year. Thanks for the tip. Wed Jul 29 06:08:19 -0700 2009 4898888 232011 Tatai 1 4899549 Not knowing where this place might be, I found it in the links. Wed Jul 29 06:28:40 -0700 2009 4898888 56131 jayt90 1 4899749 could you be more descriptive of what makes them so good? i find butter tarts are practically a personal thing depending on crust, texture/flow, sweetness, etc. Wed Jul 29 07:26:03 -0700 2009 4898888 10634 pinstripeprincess 2 4900101 psp, i can't describe the butter tarts because i haven't had any but i have had other pastries there ... for example, the tarte au citron is the perfect balance of mouth puckeringly tart and creamy. the crust is buttery yet not heavy. the baguette is as close to 'authentic' as i can get in the west end ... they are very comparable to what we had in paris last year. the brioche is light, airy, eggy, and flavourful. the croissants are also very light yet buttery - not dense, greasy, and oily tasting at all. they will sell a dozen croissants frozen (partially baked?) and you can bake them off at home. i can't even imagine how much restraint that would require ... i'd be so tempted to gobble up the entire dozen. there is also a section of prepared foods - think lentil salads, roasted vegetables, chicken etc. - everything is priced by weight. and then another little fridge where you can pick up cooked food that's been packaged and ready to be warmed up at a later time ... i.e. chicken in a cream sauce with mushrooms. damn - i'm hungry now. maybe i should make a detour tonight on my way home! fwiw - there is a cute little seating area that is always packed when i stop by on saturdays. i've been one or two times after work and it's dead quiet (they close at 6 pm, i think), but i still manage to purchase a ridiculous amount of bread/pastries/prepared foods. Wed Jul 29 09:09:06 -0700 2009 4899749 79997 lilaki 3 4900115 ma maison is very much out of the way for me and i included them in an extensive croissant tour i did a couple years back. they were fine, but not the best in the city for me especially considering the distance i would have to go for them. i think i also had a danish but i can't say it left much of an impact on me. i didn't realize though that they sold frozen croissant, i knew st honore did but it might be interesting to do a side by side test between the two considering st honore doesn't even have a publicized phone number! Wed Jul 29 09:13:59 -0700 2009 4900101 10634 pinstripeprincess 4 4900157 What's the purpose in not publicisizing your phone number? Do they want business or not? Silly. Ma Maison is usually excellent ( been there many times) however, recently I was having an afternoon cafe and tart there with a friend and I am sure that I detected a hint of freezer burn in the taste of the crust of my apricot tarte! Not so excellent that day! Wed Jul 29 09:26:36 -0700 2009 4900115 219019 froglegs 5 4900205 he is quirky... and that is all i will say. well i'll also say that if you're a butter fiend when it comes to croissants, his are fantastic. Wed Jul 29 09:41:02 -0700 2009 4900157 10634 pinstripeprincess 2 5000081 Hey, sorry for the late reply. I would say that the butter tart (pecan, yet not covered on top with pecans, sans raisins) was not overly sweet, and the pastry stood out as much as the filling did. The crust was thick, and I savoured each bite. I think the balance was the best thing about it, as things just melded together. I found this thread and was disgusted that it's 5:44pm and I'll never make it before 6... And if I tried, they'd probably be closed at 5 anyways. ;) Another day, another day.... Wed Sep 02 14:45:14 -0700 2009 4899749 50992 SocksManly