My New York City Love Affair ❤: La Maison du Macaron

One not-so-glorious afternoon, I wobbled down 23rd Street after a cold and painful run along the Chelsea Piers. It was freezing and not made any better by the now cold sweat sharing my workout coat with me. I thought I was going to fall right there on 23rd, frozen still, the day before Thanksgiving. Within a sea of walk-ups and random pharmacies and pizza parlors, I thanked my lucky stars when I spotted a cute little shop that looked like it sold some sort of hot beverage and yanked the door open with my frigid little fingers. Not only did I find something to warm me up (a piping hot cup of hot chocolate!), but I discovered something deliciously yummy that made braving the cold, yet again, a bit less miserable.

Located on 23rd street between 6th and 7th avenues, these may be the best macarons I've tasted. Ever. As soon as I walked in, I was greeted with the warmest chorus of "hellos" from the 3 women working that day. They were bustling about with a fresh batch of macarons but made sure to let me know they'd be with me shortly. The first thing I noticed was the wide array of colors/flavors. It probably took me 10 minutes just to choose which ones I wanted to try, but everyone was so patient, describing flavor after flavor and then repeating a few (hey, it was a lot to take in!). I don't recall all the flavors I chose, especially because she threw a few extra macarons in my bag that I should try because of their popularity. I do know that I loved the Rose and Salted Caramel flavors, even though truly each one was amazing.

On top of the plethora of macarons, La Maison du Macaron also has lots of desserts, including eclairs, tarts, brownies, lemon meringue cookies, and muffins. I was so distracted by the macarons that I didn't even bother with any of the other treats. But I can imagine that everything from this shop is just delicious.

I could've just grabbed my little bag of macarons and ran out the door. But the dread of the waiting cold air and the excitement to taste one of these gems lead me to sit for a while. The shabby chic decor reminds me of photos I've seen of Parisian coffee shops. It's quaint and cozy, but my favorite part of the decor is the cute twist on classic paintings. I thought it was so clever :)

The shop had all these little racks with the cutest take-away things. Perfect for gifts or souvenirs!

Check out that equation: Excellence = MaCaron2. Get it?! :)

I wanted to purchase for macarons just so I could get one of these cute cases.

If you are ever in the area, take a detour & stop by this wonderful little shop. Knowing that I'll be passing by here motivates me to get that ass to the Pier for a good run!