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.” Meanwhile, a well-coiffed, apron-outfitted mademoiselle regulated the door, not only to control the floods of groupies, but also to keep the inside of the boutique cool for the delicate douceurs.

The line in front of Ladurée’s new NYC store (Amy Thomas)

The maiden New York outpost is a more modest affair than the ones in Paris. There are 15 macaron flavors—including the only-in-America cinnamon raisin, seasonal options (strawberry-mint, green apple) and perennial favorites (lemon, cassis)—along with a small selection of chocolates; financiers and madeleines; plus packaged jams and teas. And although they don’t sell viennoiseries or gateaux individuels, you can bring home a candle, journal, tote bag or other branded accessory to prove you’ve broached the famed patisserie’s doors.

American macarons, still Ladurée (Vivian Mac)

Within another week or two, Ladurée’s lines shouldn’t be any longer than the ones in Paris. But when the full-blown salon de thé opens in Soho next spring (yes, really!), the macaron madness should be just as over-the-top as the cupcake craze has been.

Ladurée, 864 Madison Avenue, (646) 558-3157. Open Monday to Saturday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sunday, noon to 6. Macarons in 15 flavors are $2.70 each.

Related Links:

• HiP Paris friend Robin Locker (My Mélange) also stopped by the NYC store
• Refinery 29 also wrote about the opening, and they have a lovely slideshow of the store’s interior
• Here’s a little timeline of the macaron’s success Stateside

A trip to Paris without visiting a pastry shop – or 10 of them – is woefully incomplete. It’s not just the pastries that make the experience, it’s the shops themselves. From the romantic 19^th century charms of Ladurée to the 23^rd century design sensibilities of La Pâtisserie des Rêves , there’s never been a more varied and deliciously sucré landscape in the history of Paris. Although, if time is tight or if you’re attempting to not completely overindulge, arguably the shop not to skip is Hugo & Victor.

H&V for me, however, was the one major pâtisserie I almost missed on my last great pastry adventure. Months earlier, I’d landed at CDG with a detailed list of 20+ shops to which I’d make my rounds, bingeing daily on 3…4…5 (or more) of their goodies. As my extended vacation wound down and my pant size burgeoned 3 inches, a friend emailed me saying, “Have you checked out Hugo & Victor yet?”

Thinking I knew every pâtisserie of any significance, I barely took the time to Google them. The shocker was the photos that turned up, plus an address no more than 4 blocks from my apartment. It seems they had opened just shortly before my arrival in Paris. While I could be excused for nearly missing them, a visit was long overdue.

Walking through the sliding glass door of H&V, I felt like I’d stepped into a jewelry boutique. After all, half the pastries were individually top-lit and locked behind glass. I quickly struck up a conversation with the salesgirl and got the rundown on what makes H&V so special:

• They explicitly aim for using 1/3 the sugar other shops employ in their pastries.
• Every season features a range of new flavors – each done as a set: one classic pastry, one modern pastry interpretation, ganaches/chocolates made in-house, and get this . . . a bottle of wine selected by H&V’s sommelier to perfectly complement the pastries and chocolates.
• They have a small farm south of Paris, where they grow their own limes, verbena, and more.
• All pastries are created by co-owner, Hugues Pouget, 2003 French Champion du Dessert and former chef pâtissier of the Michelin 3-star Guy Savoy.

Impressed doesn’t begin to describe what I was feeling at that moment, and I hadn’t even taken a bite.

Within 5 days, I’d managed to eat all of H&V’s pastries. The pieces ranged from “delicious” to “This is the greatest thing I’ve ever had in my life.” Sugar, per the salesgirl’s explanation, was definitely used conservatively – the benefit being that the flavors of the fruits and crèmes were alive like you cannot imagine. There was one downside though. My expectations for other pâtisseries are so ridiculously high now that I worry nearly all future pastry experiences are doomed to fall short.

Related Links:

• David Lebovitz’ Sweet Life in Paris is out in Paperback. It is a sweet read indeed!
• Dorie Greenspan loves Hugo and Victor
• Chocolate and Zucchini makes Fondant au Chocolat
• If you want to learn to make some delicous patisseries while in Paris, La Cuisine offers baking classes you can join.

Written by Adam Wayda for the HiP Paris Blog. Top image by Adam Wayda; other images courtesy of Hugo & Victor. Looking for a fabulous vacation rental in Paris, Provence, or Tuscany? Check out Haven in Paris.

If you’ve spent even a small amount of time in Paris, you know that the macaron is ubiquitous. And in a city of fastidious eaters, it’s significant that a single dessert has managed to win the hearts and minds of so many. But the debate rages on: who produces the best macaron of all? While Dalloyau and Lenôtre both make a commendable run at it, everyone knows that there are only two real contenders.

In one corner, we have the elegant and established Ladurée, which has been turning out sweet confections since 1862. And in the other corner, we have upstart Pierre Hermé, the enfant terrible of the dessert world who worked at Ladurée before setting out on his own. (Word on the street is that the “oppressive” traditions at Ladurée were preventing him from exploring the crazy flavor combinations for which he is now world famous). Naturally, we wanted to get in on the debate, so Sarah (another Hip Paris blogger) and I gathered some friends last week for a comprehensive taste test. Two boxes of macarons later, we reached a nearly unanimous verdict!

du-sacre-au-sucre.blogspot.com

In the chocolate category, Pierre Hermé blew Ladurée out of the water. The flavor was far deeper, the texture smoother, the overall experience significantly more heavenly. Pistachio went pretty much the same way. But then we came to the most contentious category of all: caramel beurre salé (buttery salted caramel).

www.linternaute.com

This flavor is no joke in France. You’ll see some variation of it on nearly every dessert menu in Paris. In other words, this category is make-or-break. Initially, Ladurée lured us, as the filling of their macaron has actual caramel in it. Nice touch, but we decided the overall effect was a bit too sugary.

In the end, Pierre Hermé pulled through yet again. His filling is more buttery than caramel-y, but the overall experience is balanced and, to my palate, quite other-worldly.

So there you have it! Pierre Hermé comes up big in every category. Don’t get me wrong: I’m not going to refuse a box of Ladurée macarons if one happens to show up on my doorstep. But in a macaron head-to-head, my money is on Hermé.

So readers, what do you think?

Pierre Hermé. 72 Rue Bonaparte, 6th arrondissement. Tel: 01 43 54 47 77. Metro: Sainte-Sulpice (Line 4) or Mabillon (Line 10).

Ladurée. 21 rue Bonaparte, 6th arrondissement. Tel: 01 44 07 64 87. Metro: Saint-Germain-des-Pres (Line 4). For Ladurée’s other Parisian addresses, click here.

Feeling ambitious? Try making your own macarons with David Lebovitz’s recipe.

Written by Tory Hoen for the HiP Paris Blog. Looking for a fabulous vacation rental in Paris, Provence, or Tuscany? Check out Haven in Paris.

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.

The Dammann Freres tea shop. Photo: parisiensalon.com

What distinguishes the French Art of Tea from the British or Asian traditions? Simple. It’s all about style, attitude and attention to quality. There is the tea and the setting of course. But Paris’ tea salons are also uniquely social spaces, as central to quotidian Parisian life as cafés, wine bars, and bistros. Patisserie and food (if served) is reliably top-notch. Tables are generally well spaced. The ambiance encourages conversation and relaxation. And you can enjoy incredible pure and blended teas sourced from all over the tea-growing world.

These salons provide the perfect place to relax and enjoy a light lunch or an afternoon tea-and-patisserie. Some are sophisticated, while others are funky, friendly spots. After a long morning of site-seeing, families with travel-weary children would be wise to stop into a salon for some reviving tea or rich chocolat chaud.

Photo: flickr.com

Whether it’s Mariage Frères, the venerable Parisian tea purveyor with shops and salons in the Marais and St. Germain; Mme. Tseng’s serene La Maison des Trois Thés near Place Monge, offering well over 500 of the finest Chinese and Taiwanese teas (including some of the rarest and priciest in the world); Carol Neigar of Chajin, who serves and sells only revelatory first-flush Japanese green teas in an intimate shop just steps away from the Place de la Madeleine; or Kusmi on rue de Seine in the 6th, with their historic thés russes— these are artisans whose work is to be experienced and enjoyed!

So remember, there’s more to Paris than cheese and wine. Next time you’re in town, set aside some time to take a memorable and delectable tour de thé.

Sally Peabody is a Paris Specialist. Her company, Your Great Days in Paris, is dedicated to helping travelers make the most of their time in Paris. Her blog is all about enjoying Paris–on and off the Beaten Path: http://peabodysparis.blogspot.com

Edited by Tory Hoen for the HiP Paris Blog. Looking for a fabulous vacation rental in Paris, Provence, or Tuscany? Check out Haven in Paris.

photos courtesy of laduree.fr & chocolatezoom.com

There are many ways to experience Paris, but one of the more decadent ones is, simply, to follow the chocolate. Yesterday, I had the pleasure of doing just that when I tagged along on Context Tour’s “Chocolate Walk,” a chocoholic’s dream that took me to many of the Left Bank’s most delicious (and gastronomically prestigious) addresses.

We began the tour in front of the Saint-Germain-des-Prés church, where our docent, Camille Labro, pulled an actual cocoa pod (which she had recently brought from Brazil) out of her handbag and gave us a quick rundown on the plant’s important role in world history.  Over the next few hours, we would learn the ins-and-outs of chocolate production and consumption, from its historical roots in South America to its modern incarnations in Paris and throughout the world.

Labro, a food writer whose career has taken her from Berkeley to Provence to New York to Paris, is one of the four docents who lead Context’s “Chocolate Walk.” And while her route was well mapped out, she assured us, “all of my tours are customized.” True to her word, she allowed plenty of time for us to follow our individual gastronomical and cultural whims, whether that meant lingering over a truffle or taking a moment to marvel at a row of smoked Spanish hams in a nearby shop window.

Our first stop was Debauve & Gallais, a maison de chocolat founded in 1800, which claims to have been the chosen chocolate supplier of various French kings.

Upon entering the shop, housed in an old pharmacy, we could not resist their famous pistoles, chocolate coins crafted in remembrance of Marie Antoinette. We sampled a variety of flavors, most memorable of which was the chocolat de santé, or “health chocolate,” whose cocoa content was 99%. Though not easy on the taste buds, this particular pistole certainly conveyed the essence of unadulterated cocoa.

Our second stop was the sensational Pascal Caffet on rue Jacob. After tasting their Caramel Poire, caramel and pear liqueur surrounded by 70% Venezuelan dark chocolate, I quickly understood why this chocolatier has been distinguished as a “Meilleur Ouvrier de France”—a title bestowed upon food producers who uphold the highest standards in gastronomic quality and integrity.

From here, we made our way down the winding streets of the 6^th arrondissement, dodging in and out of shops to taste and gawk to our hearts’ delight.

No chocolate tour would be complete without a sampling of the famous French macarons, the preferred dessert of many French royals (long before they became favorites of hungry tourists). We hit up the elegant Ladurée to sample classic flavors—chocolate, salted caramel, rose-infused—and later made our way to the much-loved Pierre Hermé boutique to taste macarons with a modern twist. So, who makes the best macaron? The debate rages on. We will have to continue researching.

photo courtesy of: mieletcannelle.wordpress.com

Our final stop was the sleek shop of Belgian chocolatier Pierre Marcolini, whose address on the Rue de Seine felt more like an haute-couture clothing boutique than it did a chocolate house. Elegantly displayed in glass cases, his products evoke high art—though their visual appeal should not stop you from devouring them with abandon.

After a few hours of chocolate touring, I had expected to feel—at best—lethargic and—at worst—fatally ill.  On the contrary, I am now completely convinced of the cocoa plant’s much lauded benefits: mood elevation, anti-oxidizing powers, anti-bacterial effects, and all around magic. At the conclusion of the tour, I was left with the feeling that all was right in the world. An afternoon of chocolate will do that to you.

The approx. 3-hour walk takes place in the 6th arrondissement. Prices are 90€/person or 410€ for a private tour. Tours are limited to 6 guests.

The Chocolate Walk is just one of the many themed tours offered by Context Travel, whose docents are experts in various fields including art, architecture, history, theology, cuisine, shopping, and lifestyle.

photo courtesy of laduree.fr

For more information on Context’s Parisian tours, you can visit their website at: http://www.contexttravel.com/paris/.