Macarons from Tout Sweet Pâtisserie

Update Review April 2017

I've reviewed Tout Sweet, a local patisserie, many times before.  I've found some good desserts, and a really good cookie, but was never impressed with the baked goods or the macarons.  Not that I like macarons in general, but, I really never liked these ones.

So, why the update review?  I was at an event, they had macarons from Tout Sweet, so, I gave them another try.  And discovered one that wasn't so bad ...

Tahitian Vanilla Bean.

"We make this popular macaron by using six different vanilla beans to create the perfect chewy filling. "

The first one I grabbed was the plain white vanilla.  Vanilla filling, vanilla cookie.

I didn't like it at all.  The cookie was too chewy, not light and airy.  The filling was a thick ganache, kinda waxy, and although vanilla flavored, it sorta tasted like white chocolate, if you know what I mean.  Did not like.

Peanut Butter & Jelly.

"We had some die hard fans of this macaron who rioted when we took it out of rotation so we have now made it a staple at Tout Sweet! We roast our own Valencia Peanut Butter and fold it into a sweet Italian butter cream with a hint of sea salt. In the center is a surprise of sweet raspberry confit. Crunchy on the outside, it’s a favorite for sure!"

On my way out, I grabbed another, just to try ...

It fared much better.  I also had no idea what kind it was until I bit in, but once I did, it was very clear. PB & J.  Oh yes.  

The filling was peanuty.  So clearly peanuty.  I'm a sucker for peanut butter, so, I was sold, instantly.  The cookie had a bit of berry flavor, although that element wasn't nearly as strong.  The cookie was kinda crispy, not what I'd expect from a macaron, but, I liked it more than the chewy cookie in the vanilla one.  Still a macaron, but, for a macaron, it was one I liked.

Original Reviews, September 2012

The local food media has been abuzz lately, leading up to the opening of Tout Sweet.  It is the Pâtisserie by Yigit Pura, located inside of Macy's near Union Square.  He was the winner of Top Chef Just Desserts, and even though I didn't watch the show, I'm a dessert lover, and everyone seemed so excited about this, that I had to check it out.

I went to the grand opening, and Yigit was there to greet everyone.  He took the time to meet every single person, ask their name, and if they wanted, have their photo taken with him.  He was clearly on the top of the world, as he's been working on this project for a while.  As I wasn't familiar with him,  I wasn't swooning over him like most of the other people at the event, but he was pretty adorable, and his enthusiasm and excitement were infectious.

The shop had tons of amazing looking pastries and cakes, along with pantry items like flavored marshmallows (the next cupcake, I'm telling you!) and sauces.  The space is beautiful, sleek and modern, overlooking Union Square, with what seemed like not nearly enough seating.

I only tried the macarons, and ... I really wasn't impressed.  They weren't bad, but certainly were not better than average.  I hope to go back sometime and try some of the other treats, as I assume they must be good!

Frankie (?), Chloe, Melissa, Rebecca (clockwise, from back). $1.85 each.

• Frankie: Bing cherry and bourbon buttercream: I didn't really taste any cherry, nor bourbon.  The buttercream was very ... buttercreamy, and there was a lot of it.  I've never have so much buttercream inside a macaron before, making it seem like a strange cross between a cupcake and a macaron.  I love buttercream frosting, but it really just overtook the delicate balance of the macaron.  The cookie part was a good consistency.  But overall, I was not a big fan, as I still couldn't tell what flavor it was.  Least favorite.
• Chloe: Pasila chili infused dark chocolate ganache:  I didn't really get much spice in this, but I did like the chocolate ganache inside, it was very smooth and had a nice deep chocolate flavor.  It worked much better than the overwhelming buttercream.  Second favorite.
• Melissa: French lavender buttercream: Unlike the first purplish macaron, there was no problem determining what this one was!  Intensely lavender flavored, beautifully floral, yet somehow, it did not seem like I was eating soap.  Very sweet, and would have gone great with a cup of tea.  There was again a lot more of the buttercream filling than I'd expect, but since that is where the amazing flavor was, it worked better in this one.  The buttercream was very fluffy and light.  Really a nice macaron, my favorite of the bunch.
• Rebecca: Salted Caramel: And then ... back to another one with a fairly indistinguishable flavor.  I was excited for this one, since salted caramel, although such a fad, can be so good.  The cookie was just sweet, and the filling had a slight caramel flavor, but I didn't get any salt, and the caramel certainly wasn't very pronounced.  Second to last pick.

Jack-O-Lantern Macaron.  $1.85.

On another visit, I decided to try out the seasonal special, the Jack-O-Lantern, filled with caramel apple buttercream.  Like the others, the cookie part didn't really impress me.  The filling indeed tasted like a caramel apple, it was very sweet.

Plain Macaron.  $1.85.

Plain Macaron.  $1.85.

Both of these macarons had a beautiful shimmer to them.  It is hard to see in the photos however, but they were really shiny, I have no idea how they created that effect!

The macarons didn't really live up to their gorgeous exteriors.  The filling was plain, very sweet, buttercream, and like their other macarons I have tried with this filling, it just seemed out of place, and more belonging on a cupcake.  There was again seemingly too much of it as well.  It was really fluffy and good buttercream though!

The cookie part of each was again a disappointment.  They just didn't have the distinctive awesome texture that a macaron should have.  And no real flavor.  Meh, meh, meh.

El Unicorn Macarons!

For pride weekend, Tout Sweet gave out free macaroons, a special new flavor, the "El Unicorn" :)  It had a pearl jasmine white chocolate ganache filling.  Like all of their macarons, I just didn't like it.  The cookie was too dense, and the filling didn't taste like white chocolate at all.  It did have a really lovely subtle jasmine flavor however.  But, I give up on the macaroons.

Assorted Macarons: Salted Caramel, Tahitian Vanilla Bean, Sicilian Pisachio, Chocolate, Lemon-Yuz, Sour Cherry & Bourbon.

At an event I recently attended, they had a tray of Tout Sweet macarons.  Even though I haven't been a huge fan of the macarons from Tout Sweet, or really, of macarons in general, I still had to give a few a try.  I selected the green and pink ones, not knowing the flavors.

I assumed the green was pistachio, but it didn't taste pistachio at all to me.  It seemed to have sesame seeds on the outside?  Ojan thought it tasted floral.  Still, looking online at the guide, it seems it must have been pistachio, I'm really not sure why neither of us could figure it out.

The pink one surprised me.  Since I wasn't expecting sour cherry, the tartness of the filling was a real shock.  I thought it would be something light like rose!  The filling was quite intensely flavored, and it wasn't a cream filling, rather, it was more like a gel or jam.  I didn't care for the flavor, but I think that if you like sour cherry, this was really a unique one.  I'm sure Ojan's dad would love this.  I did however really like the cookie part!  It was crispy and light, and sprinkled with sugar which added an extra crunch.  I probably liked this cookie part more than any other Tout Sweet macaron!

Read More...

MacarOn Café, NYC

Macarons are high up there on the list of baked goods / desserts that I could care less about.  I don't actively dislike them, but I'd never, ever pick one over most other things.  But when people bring special things to the office, and have leftovers, I'm always incapable of not trying.  Even if they are macarons.  

"MacarOn Café was established to pay homage to the delicate French confectionery, the macaron. Our shops have been recognized as the connoisseurs of this delicious French pastry because of the wonderful variety of flavors from our master chef, Cecile Cannone."

 In this case, our macarons came from MacarOn Café, which I had never heard of before then, which is not a surprise as I never seek out these item.  No, I don't know why they capitalize the O.  They have two locations in Manhattan, one inside Grand Central, and one in midtown.  They get really great reviews in general, which also surprised me, given that Ladurée is nearby too.

Signature Box.

"From time-tested flavors, like Pistachio and Vanilla, to the seasonal and eclectic, such as Pumpkin Cinnamon and Cherry Blossom, Cecile Cannone and our pastry chefs are dedicated to pleasing your taste buds with our sinfully delicious gluten-free Macarons."

The macrons all come in attractive signature boxes with French motifs on them.  The macrons are all gluten-free and kosher as well.  All are $3.49 each or available in larger boxes for slight discount.

Macrons.

The shop seems to carry about 30 varieties at any given time.  We had an assortment, but none were labelled, so I sorta just grabbed two that looked quasi-interesting.  I later looked up a flavor guide and saw I had missed out on the pandan coconut, tropical guava, mango passionfruit, and other more fun flavors, but, alas.

I tried two, and was instantly impressed.  Some of the best macarons I've ever had, no question.

Lavender Honey.

"Floral infused buttercream which takes you for a trip in South of France Provence."

For some reason the color in this photo looks awful.  This was actually a lovely shade of light purple, and I hoped it would be ube (a girl can hope right?).  Alas, it was very clearly floral.  As my co-worker immediately identified, lavender.

Once my brain adapted to florals rather than ube though, I really enjoyed it.  Sweet but not cloying, floral flavor that wasn't too over the top, and lovely sweetness from the honey.  It all just worked really, really well.  And the macaron itself?  Flawless really.  I don't get excited about macarons, but, this shell had great chewiness, the buttercream was fluffy, the ratio was perfect.  

One of the best macarons I've ever had.  4.5/5 maybe?

Pistachio.

"Homemade pistachio buttercream. Rolled in pistachios crumbs. Nutty taste, less sweet, very subtle. Our best seller at MacarOn Café."

I knew this would be pistachio given the visible bits of nut on the outside, and I picked it as a clear safe option that would leave no guesswork. And I was kinda on a pistachio kick that month (and yes, they make a Dubai version too with chocolate shells).

This was very clearly pistachio in taste too.  Really no surprises here.  It tasted like pistachio.  Perhaps a bit fake, but relatively straightforward nuttiness.  I liked the extra texture from the nuts.  Great execution on the shell and filling ratio again.  Execution wise this was a 4/5, but I didn't love it, so only 3.5/5 for me.

Read More...

Cookies from Tout Sweet Patisserie

Do you remember, back in 2012, when Tout Sweet Patisserie opened in San Francisco, and I reviewed the macarons?  Or when I reviewed the cookies Yigit Pura (the pastry chef and owner) made at a cooking demo a few months later?  Or a year later, when I reviewed some assorted candies (including the best marshmallows I'd ever had?)  I intended to do a whole series on Tout Sweet, and totally forgot to publish the rest.  Oops!

So, fast forward a few years.  Tout Sweet is still there inside Macy's near Union Square.  Yigit is still around town, often showing up at cooking demos or charity events.  He is clearly a perfectionist, the master of subtleties of flavors and textures.  His creations are never too sweet, often balanced by tartness, bitterness, or saltiness.  For every creamy component, he has a crunchy counterbalance.

Today's I'm focusing on Tout Sweet cookies exclusively, not usually my dessert of choice, but, a staple for many of you.  And ... I'm pretty sure one of these is the first cookie I've ever declared awesome.

"Easter Cookie" ($4.00) and Vanilla Macaron ($1.85). 

The "Easter Cookie" was a walnut shortbread, with lemon icing.  It had a great buttery base, like any good shortbread.  The walnuts added some crunch and additional flavor.  The icing had a slightly lemon flavor to it.  Overall, very tasty, particularly for such a seemingly simple cookie!

The macaron was just a simple vanilla macaron.  Like all of the others I've tried, I thought the cookie wasn't that remarkable, but the filling had a nice vanilla bean flavor.  Overall better than most of the other macarons I've tried from Tout Sweet, but I still don't love them.

I win plating points for this one right?  They did not come stacked like this, but  I thought the macaron looked totally cute perched on top of the shortbread.

Price was a bit high for the shortbread, standard for the macaron.

The Naughty Peanut Cookie: Salted Peanuts, Corn Flakes, Marshmallow, Sea Salt.  $2.25.

Ok, this was kinda awesome.  It just had so many great things going on.  It sounds so simple, really, just corn flakes and peanuts held together with some marshmallow in a cookie base, right?

Imagine the love child of a peanut butter cookie and a rice crispie treat, uh, except where you ran out of rice crispies and used corn flakes instead, and then smushed it flat.  Ok, bad analogy.  It is unlike anything else you've ever had.  It is its own thing, and a delicious thing at that.

First, it was super crunchy.  Now, you may recall that I don't usually like crisp style cookies.  Nothing makes me sadder than chocolate chip, peanut butter, or sugar cookie that isn't a bit under done and ooey-gooey.  But for this type of cookie, it worked, and would have been really strange soft.  It was fun to eat because it was so crunchy, satisfying in the same way as eating potato chips.

Speaking of chips, the other reason they are addicting, besides the crunch, is ... the salt.  And this cookie had that going on too.  The peanuts were salted, and the whole thing was amped up on sea salt.  In the way that made you just want more and more.  You wanted more crunch, you want more salt, more more more!

Yet, it was also sweet, due to the marshmallow.  Salty and sweet. Crispy and crunchy.  Addicting.  This is a winner.

I'm also convinced this is a totally reasonable breakfast item.  Corn flakes? That is just cereal, check.  Peanuts?  Added protein, check!

Since my eyes were bigger than my stomach when I stopped in at Tout Sweet, I came home with far too many treats to consume in a single day.  So I had this cookie a day old (ok, of course I snuck a bite when it was fresh just to make sure it was good!), and it was still perfectly fine.  Next time you stop into Tout Sweet, I recommended getting an extra cookie, and having it for breakfast the next day ...

I also decided that these cookies would go really well with ice cream.  I'm really not sure what brought this thought on, as it was perfectly enjoyable on its own, but for some reason, it was just screaming "go get more of me and turn them into ice cream sandwiches!"  So, on my next visit, I stocked up on a few extra naughty peanut cookies.  I threw them into my freezer for safekeeping immediately.  One evening a few weeks later, when I was in "I need something to cheer me up" mood, I opened the freezer, saw the cookies, saw a pint of vanilla ice cream next to them, and I knew what to do.  About 20 seconds later I was eating a homemade ice cream sandwich, and it was amazing.  So I modify my recommendation further: next time you go to Tout Sweet, get an extra one for breakfast.  And then get a dozen more to stash in your freezer.  They keep totally fine and you can pull them out anytime.  Or for bonus points, stuff them with ice cream.

I've tried a zillion things from Tout Sweet at this point, and this was certainly a highlight.

Chocolate Chunk with Sea Salt Cookies.

I attended an event at my apartment building with Tout Sweet cookies (and other treats, stay tuned for  reviews of those!)  To say I was pleased with their choice of sweets provided is an understatement.

The chocolate chunk cookie however was exactly the style of cookie that I don't care for - hard and crispy, although I could appreciate the generous amount of chocolate inside, along with the big disk on top of each.  The sea salt was the winning element, flecked on top.  Salt really does just enhance the flavors of everything, even sweet desserts, and Yigit has figured this out.

Italian Soda with Lemon-Orange Simple Syrup.

At the event, they were serving perrier waters, with lemon-orange simple syrup mixed in.  This was far tastier than the flavor syrups you normally find to mix in waters, and I really enjoyed it.

Read More...

Somi Somi Soft Serve & Taiyaki

Somi Somi is a soft serve and taiyaki shop in Cupertino, part of a chain throughout California, with ambitions to expand more.

"Somisomi can be found all over the U.S., offering irresistible Korean-inspired soft serve in ornate fish-shaped cones. We were founded by two dessert enthusiasts whose love for ice cream led to SomiSomi. Our company delivers unforgettable, personalized ice cream experiences with a Korean flare."

Yes, another trendy ice cream shop featuring taiyaki cones.  Another place with ridiculously long lines.  Another place with everyone stopping to take photos before eating their creations.

I know, I know.  But I don't care if you think these things are made for Instagram, and aren't otherwise worthy.  Because Somi Somi has legit good soft serve ice cream.  And as a lover of soft serve ice cream, that is the part I care about.

Somi Somi makes 11 base flavors, although each shop only carries a few at a time.  They pre-announce the next week's upcoming swirls though, so you know what is coming up next.  The range includes a few basics ("milk", chocolate, coffee), a few fruity (strawberry, banana), a few interesting (Oreo, horchata) and a few Asian inspired (matcha, milk tea, black sesame, ube).

I sought out Somi Somi specifically for the ube soft serve, but I hoped that black sesame would be an option too (even better if swirled!).  I called ahead to make sure ube was on offer, and, I was told that this location (Cupertino) always has ube.  YES.  On my visit, the other options were matcha and Oreo (or swirled), and milk (which could swirl with the ube).  I sampled both the ube and milk on their own, and decided to get the swirl.  I'll cut right to the chase: this is the best ube soft serve I've ever had.

Soft serve is available on its own in a cup, or, as nearly everyone opted to do, with a taiyaki cone. They don't even carry regular cones.  One other interesting thing to note - if you get the taiyaki cone, you have the option of having it served "rightside up", e.g. in the cone, with the taiyaki as your cone, or "upside down", in a bowl, with the cone upside down on top.  I haven't seen other places so explicitly make this an option, but, I think I quickly saw why they do.  More on this soon.  And yes, this was also the best taiyaki cone I've ever had.

Taiyaki Making.

Like most places, Somi Somi has the taiyaki molds right in front of you at the store, and the aroma of freshly waffling cones fills the air.  It really does draw you in.

The taiyaki options at Somi Somi were the most extensive I've seen at places like this.  For filling, for the cone style, you could pick from fairly common custard, red bean, or Nutella, but they also had taro filling as an option, which made me quite pleased.  These are not made to order, but seemed fairly fresh.

For regular taiyaki, as in, just taiyaki, not the cone style, they also have a cheese version, which sounds pretty fascinating.  Unlike the cones, those are made to order, so the cheese would be melty, and I think would be great to try.  The little filled taiyaki are available in singles or trios, and seemed fairly popular too.  I'd love to try these next time, maybe split a ice cream version, and get at least one on the side?

Toppings.

The only negative I have to say is that ordering is a bit chaotic, as the place is just packed, and no one seems to really know where they should be.  The line went out the front, and down the sidewalk, but inside was filled entirely with people waiting for their turn to customize.  This is because when you get to the front of the line, all they want to know is your base flavor, and style.  Then, you pay, and shuffle off to the side, try to stay out of the way, until your name gets called to specify your toppings.  People seemed generally confused, and, in each other's way.

Finally, our names were called to pick our toppings.  The topping lineup is one area that Somi Somi did let me down.

There was not much exciting here.  Just a few cereals (cocoa pebbles, captain crunch, and fruity pebbles), a few crunchy things (graham cracker, coconut flakes, oreos), and rainbow sprinkles.  No drizzles (I was expecting condensed milk drizzle!).  No mochi.

But, toppings are included for free, although most people seem to just pick one, plus they add an option random mini macaron if you please.

Ube and Milk Swirl / Rainbow Sprinkles / Macaron / Taro Filled Taiyaki Cone. Upside Down. 

So, for my creation, I opted for the milk and ube swirl, even though I really did love the ube on its own too.   I was worried that it would get old after a while on its own, and thus, the swirl.

Both flavors were perfectly rich and creamy, very textbook high quality soft serve.  The "milk" flavor was simple, but not too sweet, and I think it was nice to have mixed with the ube.  The ube was very good, and a stunning purple color.  No complaints on this ice cream, at all.

For my toppings, I just went for the rainbow sprinkles, since I don't really like any of the other options.  I found this to be pretty boring quickly though, and really wanted some drizzle, some other crunch, some mochi ... or even, um, more sprinkles?  Because these ran out fast.  Luckily, I had more in my purse ...

The macaron was fine, but, I still just found it random, and I can't say it added to my experience in any way.

And finally, the taiyaki.  I haven't had that many taiyaki cones, because I haven't really liked the others I have had.  But this one was much, much better.  The cone was softer, and more mochi like.  I really liked the texture and the flavor to it.  No eggy quality to it, which was what I didn't care for at Taiyaki NYC in Boston.  I opted for taro filling, which was good, standard taro paste, and it was more generously stuffed than other places have been.  A good item, which again, made me interested in trying just the regular freshly made taiyaki.

I opted for the upside down version, so I could make my own cone, and add to it as I wanted.  Plus, I knew it wouldn't get soggy too fast that way.  My peers however went right-side up, traditional cone style.  And ... let's just say, their cones didn't hold their integrity very well, and they quickly became major messes.  It was a bit humorous to watch adults struggle so badly with ice cream cones, their shirts covered, their shoes covered, and the sidewalk quickly a puddle of purple.  As much as I think the taiyaki at Somi Somi were far better than other places, in taste and texture, they really did fail as cones fairly spectacularly.  I'd still pick taste over function though!  

Read More...

Miette Patisserie & Confiserie

Update Review, 2025

When I first moved to San Francisco, I visited Miette fairly regularly for the cupcakes, but somehow they fell off my rotation until last year.  It had been probably 10 or so years since I last had goodies from there, when I had a few cakes and cupcakes at my office and found them acceptable, but not memorable (as you read about then, below).  But another year has gone by, and I found myself drawn back to Miete one more time.

Rose Macaron. $3.25.

"This delightful little cookie is what put Miette on the map. Although macarons have enjoyed popularity in France for decades, they were virtually unknown in the States until we brought them back from a trip to Paris. Since then, they’ve become our most beloved treat.  Our macarons have a unique density and chewy texture that melts in your mouth. Crafted with coarsely ground almonds, we take pride in using no food coloring or processed flavorings, allowing the natural flavors to shine through.  We believe our macarons are among the finest in the world—fresh, natural, and distinctively Californian."

I'll never be super excited about a macaron, definitely just not my sweet treat of choice, but, I have to admit,  Miette makes a pretty exceptional macaron.  The shells are perfectly smooth and shiny, are slightly chewy inside, and have truly a unique texture that isn't quite soft nor crisp.  Reasonable almond flavor.  Pretty textbook.  Clearly fresh. 4/5 for execution, although again, not really the item I get excited for, so more like a 3.5/5 for me.

The fillings are another strong point for Miette.  The rose one blows me away every time I have it.  It is just such a lovely, complex, sweet but not too sweet, and definitely not too floral flavor.  My favorite flavor, always.  4/5.

[ No Photo ]

Dulce de leche Macaron. $3.25.

The dulce de leche is less successful.  Chewy, sticky, sweet, pretty basic dulce de leche, but I felt it overpowered the delicate nature of the macaron.  I wouldn't get this again.  2/5 filling.

Yellow Cupcake with Vanilla Buttercream. $5.25.

"Indulge in our classic yellow cupcake, made with rich butter and egg yolks for a moist yet light texture. Topped with velvety vanilla buttercream frosting, this delightful cupcake offers a perfect balance of sweetness and buttery goodness, making it an all-time favorite for any celebration."

It had been a while since I had a Miette cupcake.  

At first I was a little surprised by how relatively unassuming it was.  Just a standard, smaller size cupcake.  No elaborate decoration, no overly abundant frosting.  Just, a simple cupcake.  It looked almost like one that a really good home baker could make, or like you'd find in a grocery store.

It tasted however better than a home baker or grocery store cupcake.  It wasn't earth shattering, but a very enjoyable cupcake.  The cake was moist enough, well baked.  The yellow cake was a simple, basic flavor, no interesting tang, nothing particularly unique, just, classic yellow cake, done well.  The frosting was definitely my favorite part, and the reason I always did enjoy Miette cupcakes in the past, super smooth, sweet but not cloying, buttery, just, pretty fantastic buttercream.  

What amazed me the most was that even though I had not had a Miette cupcake, literally, in close to 10 years, I instantly felt compelled to rip the cake in half horizontally, and sandwich the frosting with it.  That is how I always used to eat these cupcakes, and it just felt ... right that way.  I think the ratios of frosting to cake are just ideal for sandwich style.

Anyway, I enjoyed this, and would get it again.  A classic, not too sweet, done well.  3.5/5, maybe 4/5.

Update Review, Late 2023/Early 2024 Tastings

Chocolate & Mocha Cupcake. $4.

"Double Chocolate Cake with a swirl of coffee buttercream."

It had been years since I last had a Miette cupcake, which is surprising given the proximity to my office.

This is a pretty good bakery quality cupcake.  The cake is moist and fairly light.  Not remarkable, not a super deep rich chocolate, nor any tang to it, but, better than a grocery store cupcake.  Average decent bakery quality.  ***.

I did love the fluffy sweet buttercream, sweet but not cloying, and no overly strong butter element.  Only mild coffee flavor however.  **** for consistency, *** for flavor.

Overall, a satisfying cupcake, but not one to go out of my way for. ***.

French Vanilla Birthday Cake.

"Of course this cake can be served at any occasion, but we wanted to offer a quintessential birthday cake, perfect with candles and an inscription. This cake is three layers of our tender Hot Milk Cake and frosted on all sides with French vanilla buttercream, made with organic egg yolks and pure Bourbon vanilla. And we know it will pair extraordinarily well with a chorus of Happy Birthday to You...!"

Hot Milk Cake sounds more interesting than this was for me.  For me, it was just, well, fairly plain cake.  Reasonable crumb structure, reasonable density, reasonable moistness, but, nothing really remarkable nor interesting about it.  The frosting was similarly a bit boring, although it was a nicely made buttercream, well balanced in sweetness and butteriness.  

Overall, just boring, but not bad.  ***.

Milk Chocolate Birthday Cake.

"Of course this cake can be served at any occasion, but we wanted to offer a quintessential birthday cake, perfect with candles and an inscription. This cake is three layers of our tender Hot Milk Cake and frosted on all sides with milk chocolate buttercream, made with organic egg yolks. We know it will pair extraordinarily well with a chorus of Happy Birthday to You...!"

The milk chocolate birthday cake is the same cake, just, different buttercream.  The cake was again fine, but not noteworthy.  Fairly plain cake.  The buttercream was very mild chocolate flavor, not particularly interesting.  Overall, just, boring.  Better than a grocery store cake, but, not special in any way.  ***.

Scharffen Berger Cake.

"This cake gets its name from Scharffen Berger Chocolate, the small-batch chocolate makers who were our original neighbors in the Ferry Building. We developed this cake using their raw cocoa powder because it delivers a huge chocolatey flavor. The cake itself is dense and moist, and we glaze it with two coats of smooth-as-silk bittersweet chocolate ganache. It's a lot of chocolate, yes, but it's never overwhelming because of the surprising variation in textures and flavors."

This cake was indeed very chocolate heavy.  The cake was dense and rich.  The ganache was thick and richer.  Definitely paired best with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.  But I still didn't find it particularly compelling.  ***.

Original Review

Miete is one of the first bakeries I ever discovered in San Francisco.  Er, patisserie & confiserie that is.  Even better.  Baked goods AND great candy.  My kind of place.

"San Francisco's Most Charming Pastry Shop including macarons, made-to-order cakes, licorice, candy, and artisanal chocolate."

Miette has a shop right in the Ferry Building that I used to frequent, and, given the proximity to my office, their macarons regularly showed up when co-workers brought in treats.  The macrons are their most famous item, but I was always drawn towards the cupcakes, and candy, which features a very pricey but well curated range from many other countries (not housemade).  They have the best salty licorice collection I've found around town.  The main location in Hayes Valley carries even more candy, and is really quite adorably decorated.

The baked goods all use high quality local ingredients when possible, like Straus cream and butter and Scharffen Berger chocolate

As more and more cupcake shops have opened I visit Miette less frequently, but it still holds a special place in my heart for all those early visits when I moved to the area.

Cakes & Cupcakes. 

Cupcakes are the main draw to Miete for me.  The lineup always has their famous gingerbread cupcake, along with basic chocolate and yellow cakes, and a carrot cake.  No other wacky flavors, besides sometimes seasonal icing.  $4 each.  Some are available as full size cakes as well.

The full size cake lineup also has a lovely Princess Cake and crowd pleasing chocolate forward Scharffen Berger cake, along with layered versions of basic cakes.

The chocolate cake base is "double chocolate", made from both unsweetened Scharffen Berger Cocoa Powder and 70% Guittard Chocolate, an interesting choice to mix and match, but, clearly, they found what they like!

Old Fashioned Cupcake.

"Double Chocolate Cake with a puff of sweet marshmallow icing and topped with a candy-coated peanut."

The old fashioned cupcake is my strongest memory of Miette.  My partner absolutely loved this thing.  He doesn't care for buttercream ever really, but adores the glossy boiled icing on this.  When we used to go to Miette as a large group, it was always a point of contention to see what style others would like - would they fall in his camp and love the Old Fashioned, or mine, and go for buttercream? (The answer?  Generally, split!).

Not that I don't like the Old Fashioned, don't get me wrong.  It uses the same chocolate base as the rest of the lineup.  The marshmallow-like topping is quite delicious, and I love the candied peanut, I just like the buttercream more.  I have to admit the boiled icing does look really, really tempting, so in the looks department, this one does win.  The icing is pretty sweet, so not a good choice if you are going for something less sweet.

This flavor is also available as a full size cake, which I of course got for his birthday one year.  That one has a cherry rather than a tiny candy coated peanut though, which is a better size, but, I missed the crunchy candied nut!

A great cupcake if you aren't craving buttercream.  ***+.

Chocolate Raspberry Cupcake. $3.25.

"Our double-chocolate cupcake with a swirl of vibrant raspberry buttercream made from fresh, organic berries."

I have had a lot of Miette cupcakes in my day, but I've never really been that excited by their chocolate ones.  Sometimes I get a chocolate base as part of the Old Fashioned, since they only put the boiled icing on the chocolate cake, but given the choice, I always pick Miette's yellow cake over the chocolate.

I'm not sure quite what it is about the chocolate cake that doesn't do it for me.  The cake is chocolately, very consistent, not quite moist nor dry, just somewhere in between.  Unremarkable to me, as I prefer moister, or a crispy top.  The vanilla cake is the same in that way, but has a rich vanilla flavor.

For buttercream frostings, Miette makes classic vanilla, chocolate, and a seasonal flavor, often raspberry or strawberry.  This one had a sweet fluffy raspberry buttercream.  Again, not that remarkable.  It wasn't too sweet, had good raspberry flavor, but overall, it was just there.   That said, the frosting to cupcake ratio on these is perfect for my liking.

I probably would not get this again, as I prefer the yellow cake.  ***.

Chocolate Chocolate Cupcake.

"Double Chocolate Cake with a swirl of chocolate buttercream. ".

I picked this up for my partner one day when they were out of Old Fashioned, but of course I snuck a bite.

The same base chocolate cupcake as the Chocolate Raspberry and the Old Fashioned, but this time with chocolate buttercream.

The buttercream was pretty tasty, slightly sweet, nice milk chocolate flavor.   Again, great amount of frosting for the amount of cake.  But I still just rarely go for their chocolate cupcakes.

***.

[ No Photo ]

Yellow Vanilla Cupcake

"Golden yellow cake with vanilla buttercream."

As boring as it sounds, the vanilla is, hands down, my favorite.  The cake is still a bit dry for my taste, just like the chocolate cake, but the flavor is buttery and rich.  A really great flavor in that base.

I love their vanilla buttercream.  Sweet, simple, creamy.

Yes, my absolute favorite cupcake there is the yellow cake with vanilla buttercream, by far the most basic one they make, and I always enjoy it.

****.

Gingerbread Cupcakes (back row). Carrot Cupcakes (front row)

Gingerbread: 

"Our all-time best selling cupcake.  Made with a dark stout beer, molasses, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon and cardamom then topped with a sweet cream cheese frosting." 

Now, I know people who go nuts for this cupcake.  Food Network dubbed it the "Best Cupcake in America".  I could care less about it.  

The cake flavor is rather mediocre, the frosting a bit sour.  I've tried it several times, and still haven't ever liked it.  To each his own right?  I still love the Yellow Vanilla!  This one is also available as a cake.

**+.

Carrot:

"A little cupcake chock-full of carrots, walnuts, & currants, topped with a creamy, tangy cream cheese frosting."

So, I have strong opinion on carrot cake (I LOVE my great aunt's recipe), so I didn't expect to love Miette's version.  I avoided it for years, until I was at an event with only gingerbread or carrot to choose from.  Since I hadn't cared for the gingerbread before, I figured it was worth trying the carrot.

It was a very boring carrot cake.  Yes, it had shredded carrot, some little bits of walnut, and little currants in it, but, the flavors didn't pop.  It wasn't dry, it wasn't moist, it just was what it was.  Homogenous, a bit oily, and boring.  

I did like the cream cheese frosting though, very, very rich, thick, and tasty.  This one is also available in cake form.

***.

[ No Photos ]

Princess Cake: 

“White chocolate fondant drapes over a sponge cake soaked in eau de vie syrup, layered with homemade raspberry jam, pastry cream and a mound of lightly sweetened Straus whipped cream.” 

I was excited when someone brought a Princess Cake in for a birthday at my office.  I had wanted to try it for a long time, but since only available as a full size cake, I wasn't ever able.

It was a nice buttery moist cake (super moist from the syrup), with layer of flavorful raspberry jam, subtle layer of pastry cream, and tons of whipped cream. These things all combine together beautifully.  The outer fondant shell was just sweet and gross though.  I understand that it is part of a traditional princess cake, but meh.  

***+ overall, only the outer layer brought it down.

$60 for a 6 inch cake.

Cookies

By now you probably know how I feel about cookies.  They are "ok", but generally more of a snack than a "real dessert", in my world.  I don't seek them out often, but I've still managed to try many of Miette's offerings, as they show up at my office frequently.  Miette's cookies are all a crisp style, not soft fresh baked cookies.  They make several flavors of shortbread, sablés, and snap.

Chocolate Wafers. $8.50.

"This cookie is based on the chocolate wafer cookie that is used to make the famous Icebox Cake. The Miette version is crisp and buttery, with an intense cocoa flavor that is highlighted with both sweet and salty accents. We use brut cocoa powder, a type that is especially dark, and it makes the cookie almost black. Each cookie is cut by hand, sprinkled with sugar, and baked to crispy perfection."

You may have noticed that I often review chocolate.  That is partially because I run a very informal chocolate tasting at work, where I bring in different chocolate, and make everyone try it with me.  I enjoy hearing other's reviews of the chocolate, and it also enables me to get through many more bars than I normally would on my own.  Anyway, one friend knew I was into chocolate tasting, so she brought me a container of Miette's Chocolate Wafers to feature at my next chocolate tasting.

These had a very rich dark chocolate flavor.  They were crispy, buttery, and sprinkled with sugar. Really quite good, and everyone enjoyed them.  They were actually a bit bitter, but so buttery that it cut the bitter nicely.  And then hold up for quite a few days if you keep them sealed.

****, and a nice surprise as I tend to go for softer style cookies.

[ No Photos ]

Chocolate Sablés: 

"Pierre Hermé of Paris is the inspiration behind this cookie. The Miette version replicates the same experience of biting into a crisp, sandy cookie with bits of pure, soft chocolate. This recipe calls for both cocoa and chocolate. When you bring these two ingredients together, you get a resounding chocolate taste, much more complex than if you were to use just one or the other. Each bite-sized cookie is carefully packaged by hand into our signature polka-dot bag."  

The sablés are thicker and less crispy than the wafers, but also have a deep chocolate flavor.  Basically a chocolate shortbread.  Not really my thing, but my mom loves them, and brought a package home after her last visit to San Francisco.

***.

Chocolate Chip:

"There are so many great versions of this all-American favorite, and here's ours: petite chocolate chips, crushed toasted walnuts and coarsely-ground oatmeal incorporated into a crisp, buttery cookie. Each bite-sized cookie is carefully packaged by hand into our signature polka-dot bag."

Eh. This was just a dry boring cookie, hard style.  I think fairly shelf stable, which just isn't a selling point for cookies for me.  Also, beware, it is oatmeal based, no traditional chocolate chip here.  **+.

Lemon Shortbread: 

"This cookie takes the tart, fresh flavor of lemons and contrasts it beautifully with the richness of butter. The zest for these cookies comes from the year-round supply of organic lemons we have in California. Each bite-sized cookie is carefully packaged by hand into our signature polka-dot bag."

Decently buttery, but I didn't really taste the lemon.  An ok shortbread, but not likely something I'd go back for.  **+.

Lavender Shortbread:

"Bite-sized and delicate, this buttery shortbread cookie has a restrained floral taste that will remind you of summer. The lavender is picked from the fields at Eatwell Farms in Dixon, California. Each bite-sized cookie is carefully packaged by hand into our signature polka-dot bag."

Like the lemon, decently buttery, crispy.  The lavender was subtle and nice.  But still, just a shortbread, not really my thing.  Would probably be very nice with a cup of tea! **+.

Macarons

A category of their own, the macarons.  Displayed in glass jars atop the pastry counter at Miette.  A centerpiece of the store, no question.

"This unusual little cookie put Miette on the map. Although it's been popular in France for decades, they were virtually unknown in the states. After a trip to Paris, we decided to start making them at Miette and they've been our most popular item ever since. Our macarons are dense, chewy, and meltingly light. They are made with coarsely ground almonds with the skins intact. We do not add any food coloring or processed flavorings, so they are distinctly rustic and natural."

The macarons are all assorted colors, available in a slew of flavors: chocolate, vanilla, hazelnut, pistachio, dulce de leche, rose geranium, raspberry, chocolate orange, lemon, and more.  I've had these many times over the years, but seem to have lost most of my other tasting notes.  

The macarons are fairly classic: the cookie part has a nice give to it, shiny on the outside, a little texture from the almonds inside.  The fillings are creamy and infused with flavor.  Yet somehow they never wow me.  Maybe that is because macarons in general are just not all that interesting to me (well, unless they it is a black sesame and foie gras mouse macaron!)  The only sweet macarons I've really enjoyed are from Sugarie, although La Boulange makes a few decent ones, and everyone's are leagues above the ones from Tout Sweet.  Even the famous ones from Confiserie Sprüngli in Zürich did not impress me. 

That said, if someone brings a box of Miette macarons, and there is a rose geranium one, I'll still go for it, my favorite.

Macarons!

One of my co-workers decided to randomly bring in macarons from Miette.  I tried a few:

• Raspberry: Classic almond cookie with raspberry buttercream filling. The filling had a really nice raspberry flavor if you had just the buttercream, but it was too easily lost when eating a whole macaron, the flavor masked by the cookie. ***.
• Rose Geranium: Same basic cookie, rosewater and geranium infused buttercream.  This is always my favorite!  Everyone else seemed to hate this flavor, saying they tasted like soap.  I continue to love the subtle flavor and the sweetness from the rosewater. ***+.

Other

The rest of the baked goods lineup at Miette is varied, with some tea cakes, puddings, tarts and tartlettes.  This lineup seems to have really dwindled in the Covid days, now I rarely see these available.

[ No Photos ]

Banana Cream Tartlette:

"A buttery pâte sucrée crust filled with chocolate ganache and ripe banana slices and topped with pastry cream." 

Wow! This was a pâte sucrée tart shell, covered with a layer of chocolate ganache, then a layer of fresh banana, a layer of pastry cream, whipped cream, and topped off with chocolate shavings.  It far exceeded expectations. 

The tart shell had a nice flavor, perfectly buttery.   To be honest, I expected to throw out some of the crust, since tart shells are always fairly boring, but this was just too good.  Perhaps the best tart shell I've ever had.  

The fresh banana had great taste, the pudding was super banana-y, the chocolate layer was subtle but added a nice chocolate component, and whipped cream was good.  This came together far better than I imagined! $6.50 for a tartlette, $27 for a full tart.

****+.

Lemon Tea Cake: 

“Our buttery, lemon pound cake is glazed with zesty lemon icing.” 

This had decent lemon flavor, was fairly moist, and was good for what it was, not something I'd normally pick, but someone brought it in, and I had a slice with a cup of tea.  There was lots of very sweet icing on top.  I wouldn't get it myself, but I'd eat another slice if if showed up in front of me.  $7.50 per mini loaf.

***.

Pumpkin Walnut Bunt Cake: 

Pretty standard and generic.  It was moist, good chunks of walnut, but nothing standout.  Then again, how exciting is bunt cake?

***.

Read More...

Alexander's Patisserie

Update Review, April 2018 Visit

Setting

I finally got to visit Alexander's Patisserie in Mountain View while open!

I had been in the space for their pre-opening party, but I haven't returned since (not because I didn't want to, just because I'm never in Mountain View).  I was finally able to return in April 2018 (yes, this review is dated, and somehow I never published it before).

Exterior.

The shop bears the familiar Alexander's ALL CAPS print, with big windows to easily spy in to see all the goodies.

Interior.

The furnishings are grand, as you would expect from the Alexander's restaurant group.  This is not a simple little corner bakery.

Dark wooden floors, mirrors, chandeliers  ... yup.  Very clean, very classy.

The majority of the seats are tables for two, one diner in a chair, the other on the white leather upholstered bench running along the wall.

Tables.

The biggest tables are round white marble beauties, with white leather chairs, wooden legs.  Real plants, in very fascinating holders, were placed on each table.

Our group of 5 was lucky to get one of these, and as the evening drew on, the place quickly filled up, with no seating even for singles.  I imagine earlier in the day has times just as busy too.  So, be warned.

Counter Seating.

Smaller parties can opt instead to pull up an equally nice high chair to the bar, overlooking Castro Street, where they can enjoy some people watching ... or just make passers-by enviouss of their goodies.

Box.

Items packaged to go come in black boxes emblazoned with a gold logo, put into beautiful bags with fabric handles.  My bag was pastel, I think from Easter, which was just the week before.

The Goodies

Our Loot!

During this single visit, I managed to try ...

• 2 pastries
• 2 tarts
• 2 mousse cakes
• 1 pudding
• 1 cake
• 3 take home confections

Everything was gorgeous.  Most of it was tasty, some of it fantastic.  And none of it simple, of course.

Dessert for Four People.  Oops.

We ... wanted to try everything.  This was only *some* of the bounty we tried.  Yes, there were only 5 of us, and actually, only 4 who were eating dessert.  So, yes we ordered 7 full sized desserts.

To be fair, I didn't realize only 4 of us would be eating desserts (even though the 5th told me, I didn't really think she'd opt out entirely!), and, another diner went rouge and added on two extra desserts after I placed the group order.  So, my plan was a more reasonable 5 items for 5 people, which is still a bit extravagant at a place like this, but, not quite as insane.

We also threw on some drinks (espresso drinks, tea, hot chocolate) as well, and settled in to enjoy.

I cut everything into 6 pieces, thinking all 5 of us would have a piece, and whoever liked an item the best could have the extra piece.  Since we had only 4 people eating though, and some people didn't try everything (!!??  who are these people!!), that didn't quite work out.

We did a decent job though, and finished all but three of the pictured items, two which we just didn't really like, and one which I took home and ate the next day.

Breakfast Pastries / Baked Goods

Our visit was in the evening, post 7pm, so breakfast pastries weren't really what we should have been picking for freshness, but, I wanted to sample everything Alexander's Pastisserie had to offer.  Plus, one diner, who had been in the morning many times, said the pastries and baked goods were amazing.

Danishes, Muffins.

Since it was long past morning hours, the selection was a bit limited.  This case had two types of danish, 2 types of muffin, and a single flavor of kouign amann.  Normally it is filled with more varieties of all of the above.

However, I wanted to try a pastry item, so selected one from here.  And ... so did my fellow rouge diner.

Croissants.

The second morning pastries case was just as empty, only containing plain croissants, pan au chocolate, and a single matcha croissant, and a sole monkey bread.

Normally this area houses the chocolate almond banana croissants folks rave about, and almond croissants.

I was tempted by the monkey bread, but wanted to pick between monkey bread and bread pudding, and, bread pudding won out.

Chocolate Dulce de Leche Kouign Amann. $5.50.

My first pick: the mighty kouign amann.  The best of all the morning pastries.  I had to get this, even though it wasn't really kouign amann appropriate time, and even though the one flavor they had left was pretty much the last I'd pick, particularly in the evening, since I don't eat chocolate (or caffeine) in the evening.  But I'd make an exception.

I was a bit concerned by how dark it looked (burnt?!), but then I realized that was just the chocolate nature, it actually used a chocolate dough, and chocolate bits between the folds, for the chocolate component.  And in the middle, the dulce de leche, just on top.

Chocolate Dulce de Leche Kouign Amann: Inside.

This one I only cut into 4 pieces, once I realized the 5th person really wasn't interested in anything, and once one other person said he wasn't having any chocolate.  Plus, it was certainly the hardest of the items to cut without destroying it!

At a glance, it looked like a pretty great kouign amann.  Soooo many layers.  Flaky.  But ... I didn't like it.

It was lacking the signature caramelization on the exterior I expected from a kouign amann.  It was crispy, yes, but not necessarily in a good way.  And while it was dark, and clearly had chocolate in the batter, you couldn't really taste that.  The little bits between the layers was more prevalent, but still, this was far less chocolate forward than I expected (which was fine, actually, since I didn't want chocolate at night, but still ...).

The dulce de leche was fine, but just sweet thick caramel-like fairly standard dulce de leche in the middle, not integrated in.  Which is also fine, and how flavored kouign amann are usually done, but, just not very interesting.

Overall, it just missed the mark for me.  Kinda boring.  Not caramelized.  Maybe better earlier in the day?

Luckily, it was one of only two misses, my second to last favorite.  No one else cared for this either, one chunk went unfinished.

**+.

Red Berry Danish. $5.

As much as I like danishes, I wasn't at all tempted by the danish selection, two flavors, red berry or cherry, both in totally different forms.  They just aren't at all what I wanted in the evening, and I knew they'd be far past their prime.  A good danish is good, but not worth trying by the evening (and to be fair, I had an excellent danish that morning from another patisserie, so, danish cravings I had not).

No one else voiced wanting any morning treats, so I picked the kouign amann only.  But then ... someone threw this onto our order.  He said the danishes are really good, and he hadn't tried this one yet.   Uh ok?  

This one I also cut into only 4 chunks, as I wasn't planning to have one.  I'd save my stomach space for the slew of other treats.

But ... some bits of the flaky pastry remained on the plate afterward, and I tried a bit.  Just to try.

Ok, wow, that was good!  Really flaky, buttery, crispy ... excellent.  Even hours after it was baked.

So I tried some filling too.  Cream cheese and red berry jam.  Creamy, fruity, nice compliments to each other, and to the pastry.

I admit this was pretty good, and I'd gladly come back in the morning to have one at a more appropriate hour!  My third favorite item, actually, and the others all gladly consumed it all, the first treat to disappear completely.

***+.

Bread Pudding. $5.

As a bread pudding affectionado, I had to try the bread pudding, right?  Even though I could see that it wasn't the style I like (e.g. it was a dense mass without distinct chunks, no custard visible, certainly no moist interior and crispy top), and even though it was served cold, unadorned (bread pudding should be hot! With ice cream or at least whipped cream!).

So, I did what any reasonable person would do.  I got it to go, so I could have it *my* way, the next day.

But of course I tried it cold, the next morning, for breakfast first.  It *was* made from breakfast pastries, after all.  And if I wasn't adding the ice cream, that basically made it breakfast, right?

It was ... ok.  As I could tell from looking at it, very dense, not the style I like.  It seemed to be majority made from the chocolate kouign amann dough that I didn't care for, with just a bit of plain in the mix.  It wasn't dry, but it certainly wasn't a moist custard.  The top was not distinct, besides a bit of powdered sugar on it.

Next, I heated it up in the toaster oven.  This was clearly much better, but, still, just a dense item.  Adding plentiful whipped cream, or ice cream to melt in, helped transform it a bit, and I did enjoy it, just more once I thought of it like croissant-bread, or perhaps cake, rather than bread pudding.

Overall, fine I guess, and just a different style than I prefer.  I wouldn't get again, and wished I had picked the monkey bread instead.  Overall, my fifth pick.  **.

(To understand what I prefer, specifically for croissant bread pudding, see my review of the one from Chaya ... that truly was the best ... ever.  Or the very very good warm custardy danish bread pudding served the breakfast buffet at Le First, at the Westin in Paris.  Or the inconsistently good one from the breakfast buffet at the Prince Gallery in Tokyo.  I really do eat a lot of bread pudding, even for breakfast it seems ...).

Desserts

The majority of the display cases are filled with more evening, or afternoon, appropriate items, real desserts.  Little tarts.  Mousse cakes.  Each stunning and elaborate.

Cases of beautiful treats!

Picking just a few items was hard, as the selection was beautiful, and extensive.

Individual Tarts

First, we went for two tarts, both vanilla based.  I'm not normally a tart girl, for sure, but, I had had the tart trio before at an event , and was impressed then.  We went for all vanilla mostly because I don't like lemon desserts, and the others have caffeine, that I was trying to avoid.  Plus, I knew their vanilla could be great!  Spoiler: it was.

This was not "vanilla" vanilla!

Tahitian Vanilla Bean Tart.$9.50.

"Vanilla mascarpone cream, soft caramel, vanilla bean ganache."

First up, the vanilla bean tart, the larger format of the mini vanilla bean tart I tried, and loved, previously at an event.  Oh, with caramel added.

I was very excited to dive into this one.

Tahitian Vanilla Bean Tart: Inside.

The base was a shortbread cookie-like, decent enough base (but when do you ever get a tart for the shell?)

On top of that was a thin layer of caramel, an element that wasn't present in the mini form, and did serve to make it a bit more interesting than just vanilla (although really, it wasn't necessary!).  The tart shell and caramel together reminded me a bit of banoffee pie (made with crumbled digestive biscuits and toffee).

The layer above that was thick and rich, intensely vanilla flavored, and reminded me of crème brûlée.  And then a lighter, also vanilla'ed layer on top.

Just like last time, I felt the components all worked together really well, rich, creamy, and somehow just sooo delightful, even though simple vanilla.  Two of us rated this our #2 pick, because, the next one was even better.

****.

Little Tahiti. $11.

"Vanilla mascarpone mousse, Vanilla cremeux, Vanilla sable."

The other "simple vanilla" item was called Little Tahiti, and I wasn't really sure how they'd be different, besides looks obviously, but still ordered both.

This one looked a bit more involved, with a glossy exterior and different piping on top.  The extra piped on stuff on top didn't really add much to the overall item, if anything, it detracted, as it wasn't as vanilla forward.  It added to visual appeal though I guess.

Little Tahiti: Inside.

The base of this was a vanilla sable, which tasted about the same as the tart shells used in the tarts, just, without rounded edges holding in the contents.  Again, fine, but the version with the caramel above it was slightly better.

Above that, more beautiful vanilla mascarpone mousse, fantastic vanilla flavor.  Surrounding that was the vanilla cremeux, which I kinda thought of like ... Fluff.  Just, well, 10000x more amazing.  It was super sweet and fluffy, and again, intensely vanilla flavored.  I loved it.

So while this sounds fairly similar to the vanilla tart, e.g. layers of vanilla mousse/cremeux/ganache/cream/etc on a cookie-like base, they really were quite different.  This one was far more intense in its vanilla flavoring, and, the fluffy layer really won it for me.  I loved that.

My top pick, third place for one other. ****+.

"Individual Pastries"

I'm not quite sure why these are known as "pastries".  I think I must not quite understand the term.  Anyway, this selection included many phenomenal looking chocolate based items, of which we picked one.

Chocolate Pillow. $10.

"Caramelized rice crispy / dark chocolate mousse / praline crunch / chocolate cremeux."

Our chocolate pick was the "chocolate pillow".  I personally would have picked the Bailey's Bar (!!!), but, the others thought this one was too cute to resist, and since they'd be eating most of it (chocolate! caffeine! night!), I didn't really voice my preference much.

It was quite the sight, the most stunning of an array of stunning desserts, a base of chocolate coated rice crispies, a glossy chocolate covered log, with a thin chocolate wafer on top.

We didn't quite know what to expect inside.

Chocolate Pillow: Inside.

I cut into it, to find basically a chocolate mousse.  But, a log shape.  With praline crunch layers.

The chocolate rice crispy base I really didn't care for, as I just don't like that texture.  I don't like rice crispies in .... anything really.

The chocolate mousse was fine, but I found myself thinking that it was just that.  Fine.  Chocolate mousse shouldn't be just fine.  It should be rich, creamy, amazing.  This wasn't.

I did kinda like the crunch the praline added, but at the same time, it also seemed a bit soggy inside.

The chocolate cremeux coating *looked* amazing, so dark, so glossy, but, much like the chocolate mousse, it just didn't taste extraordinary.  I kept wanting it to be richer, deeper.

The thin milk chocolate slice on top was great though, very smooth creamy quality chocolate.

So overall, this entire thing looked much better than it tasted.  It didn't taste bad, and it was clearly elaborate and showcased a lot of technique, but, if you are looking for a real chocolately dessert, this wasn't it.  My forth pick, and the dividing line that started the list of items I wouldn't bother try again.

***.

Mandarin Pannacotta. $9.

"Gelee of kumquat confit / vanilla mascarpone mousse / shortbread."

This was another item that I wouldn't have ordered, but, our rogue diner added onto the mix.  Much like lemon and lime desserts, I had no interest in mandarin (sorry citrus!).  My interest in this one lay only in the fact that it was called a "pannacotta", which struck me for two reasons: why was it one word, and also, um, it didn't look like a pudding ...

It was a shiny orange dome, with a dot of something on top, wrapped with a thin milk chocolate, much like the one from on top of the pillow (again, really quite excellent!).  It made me really wish I had purchased some chocolates to take home (they have a HUGE selection of chocolates, and we entirely skipped that section).  It too was just stunning to admire.

Mandarin Pannacotta: Inside.

We really had no idea what to expect with this one.

I cut into it to find basically a mousse, an orange center, and a crust much like the tarts.  But this was a "pastry" not a "tart" ...

Anyway, it is a bit hard for me to evaluate this since I don't care for citrus desserts.  The crust was fine, a shortbread.  The mousse was fine.  The center and top were ... citrus-y.

It reminded me of a Creamsicle actually, orange and cream.  Which I never really liked, and always considered the worst of the assorted ice cream novelties.  But if creamsicles were your thing, perhaps this would appeal.

My sixth pick, but two others rated it their favorite. **+.

Other

And last, a singleton of an item: a pudding.

Coconut Tapioca.

"Lemongrass & Mango."

I couldn't resist ordering this one.  I knew it wasn't very sharable.  I knew Alexander's is known for pastries, tarts, mousses, chocolates, macaroons, etc, and not ... pudding.

But, I adore pudding.  I like tapioca.  How could I not order it it?

Except ... I didn't like it.  At all.  No layer of it was great.

The bottom was lemongrass flavored gel (I think), only a little bit, and very difficult to get in the same scoop as anything else, since at the very base and in a small cup.

The coconut tapioca layer was, much like my critique of the chocolate pillow, just "fine".  Nothing special.  The tapioca weren't too hard, or too mushy, or anything, but, it was kinda plain, and not as creamy as I'd like.

On top was a fruit compote that none of us could identify.  I originally thought mango, but, it just didn't taste like mango at all.  It was heavily spiced with flavors we also couldn't identify.  One person was convinced it was pear somehow, just, orange colored.  Another said peach.  Another was "100% certain" it was apricot.  The guesses were all over the place.  None of us liked the flavor, but we kept tasting and tasting, trying to figure it out.  It was mango, I guess, or so said the sign (which one person smartly went up to look at).

On top was a dollop of what seemed like simple cream, no real flavor.  And a cute edible flower, that had a bit of I think lemongrass as the stem.

This made me sad in so many ways, my least favorite item. **.

Drinks

A few in the group also ordered beverages, mostly espresso drinks, which were clearly out for me given the caffiene.

Small Hot Chocolate. $4.

One diner enjoyed the hot chocolate, served much like a cappuchino.

Peppermint Tea. $5.

I opted for peppermint tea, boring, but I wanted a warm beverage, and didn't even want the caffeine in decaf coffee.

Take Home Goodies

Retail Shop.

In case all the cases of pastries, desserts, macaroons, and chocolates aren't enough for you, the patisserie also has a retail area with packaged confections.  I of course couldn't resist grabbing a few things to take home.

Marshmallows: Blueberry, Raspberry, Vanilla, Lemon. $8.

Ah, yes.  Fancy marshmallows.  The trend I've been talking about for years.  I rolled my eyes, but also quickly grabbed a tube to take home.  Not only were they fancy marshmallows, they were flavored!

They were not as exciting as I was hoping.  

The texture of the marshmallows was fine.  The size was fine.  They were ... fine.

Some of the flavors were more pronounced than others.  The vanilla was quite plain, which you might expect from vanilla, but, Alexander's vanilla pastries were so great that I expected more.  The pink one honestly had no flavor, I couldn't detect even a trace of raspberry.

Blue was a bit better, some flavor to it, although I wouldn't have known it was blueberry.  

The best was yellow, actually quite distinctly lemon.  I'm not generally a lemon sweets fan, but I appreciated the flavor.

Overall, just, well, marshmallows, and certainly not $1.14 each marshmallows!

**+.

Chocolate Covered Caramelized Popcorn.

Another impulse grab on my part as I headed to checkout.  You know how much I love popcorn, particularly coated popcorn!

The little plastic container was really quite small though for the price, I kinda gulped at the price tag and fact that I could see ... 10 kernels?

Chocolate Covered Caramelized Popcorn: Close Up.

I plucked a few out and examined them.

Hmm.  Yellow coating, hard, shiny.  I assumed it was white chocolate?

Chocolate Covered Caramelized Popcorn: Cross Section.

I broke into one.

Double hmm.  There was a thin chocolate shell, the pale yellow shell, and the actual piece of popcorn.

The chocolate was milk chocolate, not remarkable.  I'm still not sure what the yellow layer was, I guess just white chocolate, it was slightly sweet.

I'm also not really sure where the "caramelized" element was supposed to be.  I didn't really detect anything caramelized.  I thought the popcorn itself would be caramel corn then wrapped in chocolate, but, it certainly didn't seem to be.

The popcorn kernel itself was ... fine?  Well popped?

There wasn't anything wrong with this item, but it certainly didn't turn into anything even equal to the sum of its parts.  Just, some chocolate and a piece of popcorn.  Too much coating to appreciate the crunch of the popcorn.  Not craveworthy.

***.

Chocolate Pop.

And last, we call this an impulse buy, no question.  Above the cases of beautiful house made chocolates were a couple pre-packaged chocolate based items.  I grabbed one, the only one I saw using dark chocolate, "for later".  I couldn't resist.  I didn't know what was in it, I hadn't read reviews on it, but, I suddenly needed it.

It was a very random choice on my part.

Chocolate Pop: Inside.

It seemed to be filled with hazelnut based cream. It was covered in Valrhona Dark Chocolate Crunchy Pearls.

I don't particularly love hazelnut (sorry Nutella fans!).  But ... I wanted to try Alexander's chocolate, and didn't want to place an order or agonizingly select one from the large assortment of options on display in the chocolate case.  I also kinda thought it was a cake pop, to be honest.

It was fine.  Good quality Valrhona dark chocolate, crunch (that I didn't like, but that is just me) from the pearls, hazelnut filling.  Not the item for me, and not what I ever should have picked, really.  Oops.

***.

Original Review, April 2017

It has been a long time since I've written about the Alexander's family of restaurants.

Going to the Alexander's Steakhouses, in Cupertino and Mountain View really is what turned me into a bit of a foodie (and, ok, a bit of a monster for a while during the foie gras ban days).  "Alexander's" was one of the first labels I added to my blog, which I added explicitly because I was writing about the same place so often.   

I still visit the San Francisco Alexander's Steakhouse a couple times of year, although now I reserve it for special occasions.  Since I last wrote though, the restaurant group has radically expanded.  The original location in Cupertino moved.  They opened more steakhouses; in Pasadena, Tokyo, and Taipei (!).  They introduced a seafood focused restaurant, The Sea, in Palo Alto (which makes so much since given how often I rave about the seafood dishes at the steakhouse!).

And ... they opened a patisserie (ok, two now, one in Mountain View and one in Cupertino).  Oh, be still my heart!  Yes, my favorite restaurant group opened a pastry focused establishment.  They brought in a very accomplished pastry chef from Belgium, who worked at the famed Pierre Herme in Paris (which of course I've reviewed), and Joel Robuchon in Las Vegas.  Let's just say I was excited to try it, particularly after the accolades started rolling in.

In October 2014, I was invited to the pre-opening event for Alexander's Patisserie in Mountain View.  To say I was excited was beyond an understatement.  At the time, Alexander's was my absolute favorite restaurant, which I clearly visited way too frequently, and you know me, baked goods are always my favorite, so, this was a dream come true for me.  However, they weren't able to be fully operational at the time (read on for more!)

I still haven't actually been to the store while in operation, but I've tried their treats on several occasions.  I now know, definitively, that I need to go to the store.  I *need* to try their kouign amann, and I need to try their banana chocolate croissant. This place, as expected, has quality products.

Pre-Opening Event, October 2014

I gleefully accepted an invite to the pre-opening, even though it was in Mountain View.

But ... quasi-disaster stuck.  I went all the way down to Mountain View to find that ... their final permit did not come in in time.  They couldn't use the kitchens yet.  Doh.

They served coffee and macarons, and showed off the space, but, they weren't able to offer anything else.  The coffee was fine, and the macarons were all decent (good cookies with slight give to them and proper chew), but, macarons are really not my thing, and I'll admit, I was pretty sad.

Decaf Coffee. $2.75.

They served Equator Coffee at the time, but have since moved to Stumptown.  I had decaf.  It was strong, dark, and particularly good for decaf.

Coffee Macaron. $2.25.

I started with the coffee macaron, filled with coffee ganache.

This macaron somehow made coffee taste delicate.  It was clearly coffee flavored, but in a really light way.  My third favorite variety.

Pistachio Macaron. $2.25.

Next I had a pistachio macaron, filled with toasted pistachio ganache.

It was a beautiful green color, with decent pistachio flavor throughout.  My forth favorite.

Chocolate Macaron. $2.25.

Next came a chocolate ganache filled macaron, with in it nibs too.

I loved the rich, dark chocolate ganache filling.  The cookie was slightly chocolate flavored.  My second favorite, and I really just wanted to eat a big bowl of the filling.

Vanilla Macaron. $2.25.

And finally, simple vanilla, with Tahitian vanilla bean ganache inside.

It was my absolute favorite.  Super sweet filling, it reminded me of frosting, but I really did like the sweetness.  The thick filling was balanced by delicate cookies.

[ No Photos ]

Lavender:
Lavender is a flavor I don't generally like, so I didn't take one myself, nor take a photo.  But I couldn't help myself from stealing a bite of Ojan's when he had one in his hand, it was such a beautiful light purple color.  I don't generally like lavender flavors, and this was no exception, but, if you like floral desserts, the flavor was nice, and fairly subtle.  Second to last favorite though.

Passionfruit:
Another flavor I don't tend to like is passionfruit (although I love the real fruit!) so I only took a bite of Ojan's, hence no photo.  Very strong quasi fake passionfruit flavor, which, predictably, I didn't like.  Least favorite.

Tarts, April 2017

In April, I was invited to a pre-opening event for Total Wines & More, in Mountain View.

I was there to admire the store and sip on wine, and, let's be honest, I was excited to check out the food.  Savory bites were provided catered by places ranging from Michelin starred Chez TJ to casual Pokéworks, but my eyes were on the Alexander's Patisserie table from the moment I walked in.  It took a lot of restraint to wait to go for the sweets until after I had some savories first.

Easter Themed Display.

They easily had the best looking display, decorated for Easter, with tactful, not plastic, "grass", chocolate eggs, and bunnies (and yes they made all the larger chocolate creations too!)

Tarts!

Their offering was mini tarts, beautifully presented perched on top of a "soil" of cocoa nibs, in clear glass "planters".  It might sound tacky, but really, it wasn't.

The crew did an impressive job of keeping the display perfectly stocked throughout the event.   While other tables ran low, they never did.

I guess I expect no less from an Alexander's establishment, but they were true professionals, and, I believe the head pastry chef himself was there at the event.

I have a confession though - just like I don't really like macarons, tarts aren't really my favorite either.  I like pie crust, I like puff pastry, I like many other vessels for fillings, but, tart shells?  Meh!  So, I wasn't thrilled to see tarts as their item offered.

The tart shells were about as good as a tart shell is going to be.  Buttery, nice texture, a bit crumbly, not too hard.  And at least they tasted like something.  As Ojan put it, "you don't need to just eat the insides out of them".  But let's talk about those insides.  Spoiler: swoon!

Chocolate, Vanilla, Lemon Tarts.

On my first round, I tried all three.  Yes, all three.  And yes, I said my first round.  I'm sorry, I like my sweets!  In my defense, I *did* ask if it was ok when I went back for seconds.  The tarts were too good to listen to social norms about acceptable levels of consumption.

Chocolate Tart: cocoa nib praline / 66% dark chocolate ganache.

Those who have been reading my blog for a while might notice something here.  Chocolate.  I don't eat chocolate at night (caffeine).  I rarely make exceptions.  I don't even really care for chocolate desserts that much (but, I *always* have dark chocolate in the morning alongside my coffee).  So, I wasn't excited for the chocolate one, really.  Still, I knew my opportunities to try Alexander's Patisserie were limited, and I wanted to make the most of it.

It was glorious, just like the chocolate filling in the macaron.  The base layer had cocoa nibs in it, a surprise to me, wonderful bits of crunch.  On top of that was dark, thick, decadent chocolate ganache.  I'd say that I'd love to eat a whole bowl as pudding, but actually, it was too rich to want to do that.  Maybe a *small* bowl, with some whipped cream on top?

Anyway, the amount here was just right, and it was a fantastic bite.  It had a cap of more dark chocolate and a touch of edible gold leaf for some bling.  My second favorite.

Vanilla Tart: Tahitian vanilla ganache / vanilla mascarpone cream.

This. Was. Amazing.

I had zero expectation for this.  "Vanilla", aka, bo-ring, right?  No way.  (Side note: I wished I had re-read my notes from the macarons to remember that they made an amazing vanilla ganache, and perhaps I would have been more excited!)

Anyway, the vanilla ganache was a thing of wonder.  It was thick, sweet, and intensely vanilla flavored.  I'll be honest ... I didn't think vanilla *could* taste this good.  It was incredibly rich, even more than the chocolate.  There is no way you could have a bigger bite of this.

On top was vanilla mascarpone cream, also glorious.  Also wonderfully vanilla flavored, also sweet and rich, and somehow complimentary to the ganache.  How does one rich sweet vanilla element compliment another rich sweet vanilla component?  I don't know, but, it did.

One could take three bites to eat each of these, if he or she had restraint.  And I did, the first time, as I didn't know it would be so wonderful.  But when I went back for another, it was all I could do not to eat it in a single bite.  I settled for two wondrous bites, knowing I'd actually appreciate it more that way.

Seriously, fantastic.

Lemon: lemon cream / lemon zest / lemon segments.

And finally, lemon.  I almost didn't take this one, and really, I shouldn't have.  I do not like lemon desserts.

And this ... well, it was a lemon dessert.  The lemon cream tasted like lemons.  I did not like that.

However, the meringue on top was excellent, sweet, fluffy, light, airy.  And I give them kudos for the perfect execution of the toasting of each and every one, and the fact that these delicate treats were not damaged at all in their display!  Still, I wouldn't want another of these.

Read More...