Voyage Bakery & Cafe at LaGuardia Airport - Worth the Trip?

You check in, take off your shoes to pass through security and walk, what seems like endlessly, to your gate.  If you have traveled by plane, you know the drill.  Sometimes along your trek you're greeted with a welcomed surprise in the terminal.  For me that was Voyage Bakery & Cafe in LaGuardia Airport in New York.

As I approached the bakery, the rainbow of colors reflected in my eyes and I just knew macarons were straight ahead.  On this day, the iZone, or area lined with iPads and places to sit, was not especially crowded.  I found a place to sit off to the right of the cafe and browsed through the menu and added two macarons to my cart:  Nutella and lemon. When they arrived, I was informed that they were all out of lemon and I received passion fruit instead.  Excited and enjoying the experience, I agreed to the swap.  The macarons were $3 each but were actually fairly large in size, so the price was not unreasonable.

Nutella:  This macaron was filled with a nutty ganache.  It's shell was not bumpy, but the cookie part had a thickness to it.  I was so excited for these during my travels that I ate the macaron before remembering to take a picture out it! 

Passion Fruit: (pictured below) This macaron was filled with a passion fruit ganache and was actually extremely sweet.  The filling had a nice smooth texture.  Additionally, it had the right amount of filling for these larger cookies, especially because of how sweet it was.

Overall these macarons were okay.  Like many bakeries selling multiple treats, there's no guarantee that your macarons will be as fresh as you'd hope. It's a gamble but I enjoyed the novelty of the order and its convenience.  

Who should go here: This bakery is good for traveler looking to sit for a bit, charge their device and take a chance on a French treat.  Just browse the case first to make sure they have what you are ordering.  

Voyage Bakery Cafe

LGA - LaGuardia Airport

New York, NY 11371

Terminal C

Pierre's In Bridgehampton

On my way to East Hampton, NY, I dropped into this gem.  Right on Main street, although hard to miss, while inside it feels hidden and special.  I did not have the pleasure of eating in the restaurant, or enjoying their sidewalk seating.  I was on a mission, to sample some macarons in the Hamptons!  Beside their sit down restaurant is a delightful gourmet market.  I was excited to see that they did indeed have macarons on this day since I would not be able to stop back.  

Their macarons are sold as a 12 pack, with two of each of the following flavors: chocolate, vanilla, passion fruit, pistachio, lemon and raspberry.  The cost for the 12 was $22.

These macarons were a good size, had smooth shells and were very pretty. They especially grabbed my attention being sold altogether and sealed with ribbon.  It was like carrying around the most precious present.

While all of them had some positive attributes, there were some inconsistencies in regard to freshness.  For me, the definite highlights were the pistachio and lemon flavors.

Pistachio:  This macaron was soft inside with that perfect crunch to the shell.  The ganache gave more of a hint of pistachio, almost letting you in on its little secret with each bite.

Lemon: This macaron seemed pillow-like, and extremely fresh.  It was filled with a lemon ganache that was not overly sweet, but would have been the perfect taste for someone trying to satisfy a sweet tooth. 

Who should go here: Anyone in the neighborhood looking to try macarons or to bring a great present to a host if they are a guest.

I'll definitely be stopping by the shop to try: I would love to return and enjoy a bit more of the ambiance.  Next time I'll be enjoying a treat, or a meal, at this comfy bistro instead of just dropping by.

Pierre's

2468 Main Street

Bridgehampton, NY

Twitter: @Pierres_BH

http://www.pierresbridgehampton.com/

Chantilly Patisserie & Epicerie Boulud- Just a Peek!

There were two more notable bakeries who were selling French macarons for Bastille Day that I was able to try: Chantilly Patisserie and Epicerie Boulud.  For them, this was just a small sampling of what they have to offer and I definitely have to head to the bakery to try some again.

Chantilly Patisserie 

Chantilly sold three very mini macarons sold in a bag.  Even though they a small bite they pack a punch with flavor. They had smooth shells, were soft on the inside and were overall plump. The flavors were vanilla, pistachio, and caramel.  Each had a nice almond flavor while the vanilla, with a strong flavor, and pistachio, just soft and delicious, were the highlights for me.

I can't wait to try the bigger ones!

Chantilly Patisserie 

135 Parkway Road, Bronxville, NY 

Twitter: @ChantillyPastry

http://www.chantillybronxville.com/

Epicerie Boulud 

This vanilla marshmallow macaron was festive and beautiful for Bastille Day in its red, white and blue. It was a great preview of what's in store for me at the bakery: soft, fresh and delicious macarons! I loved how the marshmallow and vanilla were in perfect harmony. I tasted both flavors equally. I'm looking forward to trying some of their seasonal macarons in the future!

Epicerie Boulud 

1900 Broadway at 64th Street, New York, NY

Twitter: @EpicerieBoulud

http://www.epicerieboulud.com/