Ladurée: Parisian Macarons Land In New York

October 6, 2011  by Amy Thomas

Ladurée macarons in their sleek box (Louis Beche)

For years, everyone—especially New Yorkers—has been clamoring for the death of the cupcakes. Let those pastel-colored, frosting-slathered, sprinkled-adorned, oh-so-cute sugar bombs be over! Can we puh-leeze move on?? And it would appear, with Ladurée’s arrival on Madison Avenue, New Yorkers may finally get their wish: the macaron could soon trump the cupcake as the sweet du jour.

Ladurée’s new NYC store, and its line of fans (Amy Thomas)

Of course Parisians are well acquainted with Ladurée, the 149-year-old salon de thé that purportedly invented the macaron. But with the exception of savvy New Yorkers who used to raid the Champs-Elysées store for a box of Technicolor two-bite treats, and then proudly parade their pale green shopping bags around the Upper East Side, the French brand has remained an exotic import to New Yorkers. Which explains the two-hour queues.

Ladurée macarons (Yuichi Sakuraba)

To be fair, by the time I made it to Ladurée, three weeks after it opened, the line was down to a 15-minute wait. As if I were a macaron virgin, the dauntless teenager in front of me who had previously waited hours for a Ladurée hit, told me the sweets “were totally worth the wait.” Continue Reading »

Posted in Food, Travel | 12 Comments »

Paris: Tea Capital of the World

September 9, 2009  by Tory Hoen

Teatime at Laduree. Photo: 4.bp.blogpsot.com

by Sally Peabody, Your Great Days in Paris

We all know that Paris is famed for its alluring wines, rich dark chocolates, redolent cheese and buttery croissants… but fine tea? Who knew?

In fact, Paris’ numerous tea salons and tea shops offer the widest and best selection of top quality teas from growers around the world, carefully selected, served and sold with savoir-vivre. Choose from salons and shops that offer elegant second-empire style gilded decor, sleek contemporary spaces, or cozy stone-walled nooks. Tea-drinkers have their pick of memorable spots to stop and sample delicious teas from around the world. The Paris tea scene abounds with fascinating artisans who are dedicated to their chosen métier— and to offering the best-of-the-best to those who share their passion. Continue Reading »

Posted in Food, Parisian Living | 5 Comments »