paris and macarons

I just returned from my first trip to Paris. Of the many wonderful things about the city, many of the most memorable were of my eating experiences. Coincidentally, a few days prior to departure, I received the latest issue of Gourmet, which was entirely devoted to Paris. Needless to say, the September 2008 issue is now among my most rumpled of all (which is saying a lot, considering the food drippings, folded corners and notes in my archive). A number of our restaurant choices came right out of the magazine, and all were excellent. We particularly loved Bistrot Paul Bert, which was our last meal. I will say that I was disappointed not to have eaten their Paris Brest, as I have heard raves about it, and it is one of my most favorite desserts.

I made it a point to sample as many macarons as reasonable (for a tourist), as they appeared to have them all over. The first and last ones (we had to return and taste the remaining flavors) we ate were from Pierre Herme. I have never eaten such an extraordinary cookie! There were certainly other good macarons, but the flavor combinations were incomparable. Now, of course, I need to make a batch of my own. After having tasted these, I now realize that something was not quite right in my previous efforts. I am going to start with something basic, and perhaps one day I can progress to chocolate-passion fruit.

On a similar note, I was just served macarons as dessert to a work-provided lunch. They looked generally pretty (several were cracked), in pink, gold, green and brown; the flavor, however, was lackluster. I suppose after tasting the world's best macarons, what could I really expect?