Cool. Thanks.
Iām a huge fan of EuroPaneās macarons in Pasadenaā¦and not because they are larger than the rest of their competitors and cheaper. I think the cookie part is well madeā¦crisp with the right amount of chew, there are never any inconsistent air pockets/bubbles, and the filling is always just right. The salted caramel is like a revelation to me each time because of the flakes of Maldon sea salt that are sprinkled on top of each cookie before it hits the oven. The filling is just the right amount of caramelā¦so when you bite in, you get a real hit of salt. I dislike things claiming to be salted caramel and not having a bit of salt at allā¦worse false advertisement ever when it comes to caramel.
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I know this is on the late freight. But I just finished the article @js76wisco posted. One of the problems with Macarons becoming so mainstream - and sold everywhere - is if a person tries them for the first time from an inferior source, they think they donāt like macarons. My sister said she didnāt like them at all. I asked her where she had one. She said Wholefoods. Iāve had the ones from WF. Theyāre cold and mostly taste like the inside of a refrigerator. Itās not like having a bad chocolate chip cookie. You know there are better chocolate chip cookies out there. If you have a bad macaron, you just assume you donāt like them. It dilutes the market.
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Pizza seems to have overcome this problem.
Have you introduced her to a good maracon? I lucked out with my first foray into their perfection happening on a whim at Europane. Last time I went home it was with 48 macarons from there, at the request of family members. They were devoured in a little over a dayā¦by five people.
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@ElsieDee Youāre not aloneā¦I usually go home with about 2 dozenā¦and thatās just split between me and my sister or husbandā¦whoever happens to be around when I open the box.
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Not yet. But Euro Pane (Pasadena) looks great. She lives in Altadena and spends a lot of time on Colorado. Next time we go to her house weāll stop off and get some. Perfect.
48 macarons divided by 5 people in one day? They were holding back. I once ate 5ā¦ Okayā¦ 6 Lette Macarons in my car before reaching homeā¦ 25 minutes. Theyāre small! 
. Guess I probably shouldāve put that on PorkBellyās Confession thread.
Thanks!
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For a long time I thought I didnāt like macarons because I had only had them here in CA and in Las Vegas. Then last year, my boss went to Paris and brought me back a box of Herme macarons. OMG ā they were delicious! Totally changed my perspective on macarons.
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The macarons we had at Pierre Herme were the best weāve had anywhere in the world. So were the eclairs from that place in Paris whose name escapes me. Iād take many of the local SoCal macarons over the frozen ones from Laduree any day though.
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Pierre Herme > Joel robuchon > Laduree
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I was driving south on Beverly Dr toward Wilshire Blvd and look what I sawā¦
Iām not happy about this. The Grove is one thing. Laduree will add a missing element. But my beloved Lette is off of Beverly Dr. Even though Letteās macaron is delectable and has a 4.5 Yelp rating, theyāre at an awkward location (Charlesville) and are perpetually empty. Noooo!
Bouchon Bakery is also on Beverly Dr. Iām sure they can hold their own though. But Letteā¦ Iām not so sure. Itās like Laduree is the new bully in town!
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Oh thanks. Me neither! 
Since youāre going to be there anywayā¦
- Egg salad sandwich (just do it - trust me and a thousand other people on this - itās the most marvelous thing and definitely not what one thinks about when theyāre ordering an egg salad sandwich!)
- Meatloaf sandwich (in the days when I was eating meat, this was one of my favorite splurges!)
- Croissants (Iām not a terribly-experienced croissant connoisseur, but these are good!)
- Lemon bars (tart, rich, flavorful!)
- Sticky buns (pretty much perfect, especially if warmed a bit and served with unsalted butter!)
Enjoy!
(Apologies for the excessive use of exclamation points.) (Not really.)
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I know nothing about Laudree outside of this thread, but Iām kind of excited about having a swanky place to go for tea that doesnāt involve me going to hotel (and, no, I have no reason for my hotel aversion). 
+1 on the egg salad sandwich. I often get one in lieu of the breakfast treats they serveā¦and I donāt even like egg salad. EuroPaneās is sublime.
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No apologies needed. This is great. I can tell by your excitement and the yelps that itās great. Pictures of that open-faced egg salad sandwich look really delicious!
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I know. I hear yaā. I just donāt want them to gobble up my little spot .
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And not in addition to? Youāve much more restraint that Iāve ever possessed.[quote=āTheCookie, post:37, topic:4079ā]
Pictures of that open-faced egg salad sandwich look really delicious!
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The secret is that the egg is served still warm and barely cooked through - the right amount of a light, fresh mayo, the crisp greens, and the excellent bread (I go for the unimaginative baguette - I think others prefer the walnut bread) - itās sublime and completely unique. One of the foods I will miss whenever we leave the area.
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@ElsieDee That egg salad sandwich is the best thing on their menu next to the macarons. I can never finish it all, so I can justify a purchase of anything more than the egg salad and 2 dozen macarons.
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