All my desserts have been eliminated from Garden State Plaza over the past few years. I like to eat my dinner at Grand Lux Cafe there, then get a dessert to take home. I used to get a chocolate chip cookie cake slice from a kiosk like Mrs Fields. That place closed. Then they had a Woops kiosk for French Macarons that was there for a few years but now that's gone too. Even my jelly bean store is gone. I'm over Baked by Melissa, so I got nothing. I need dessert. My nights don't end without it. Like with everything else, I'm specific though with what I want.
Two or three weeks ago, as we were leaving the mall after dinner, I quickly looked up French Macarons because I was jonesing for them. This bakery basically on our way home came up. I'd never seen or heard of it, but saw it was open until 9pm, so I told B that's where I wanted to go.
It's a little off our beaten path up Broadway just past Fair Lawn, in Elmwood Park. We found it, parked and went in.
Wow. Good stuff. They have all kinds of French pastries, especially the kind I like, with just whipped cream vs custard. I hate custard and it's really hard to find bakeries that have anything without it. Cream puffs and eclairs should be made with cream, not custard! Or have cream as an option!
I had something the first time with both cream and custard- I just ate around the custard. It was still really good. But I had something this past weekend that was fantastic. It was some kind of puff pastry shell with hazelnut inside and hazelnut buttercream. THAT, is right up my alley. I could've eaten five more until I exploded. I wish I took a picture of it. I just didn't feel like explaining why I was taking pictures, so I snapped a few really quick of the whole display case.
They also have French Macarons. They are delicious and less expensive than anywhere I've gone. They have a decent variety of flavors and they're $1.75 each. Most of the places I've gotten them from have been $2-$2.25 each. That's a big difference when you're getting a bunch. When I get six in NYC at Macaron Cafe, it costs me $15. Here, it cost me $10.50. If you're like me and get into streaks of craving the same thing daily or weekly, cost is a factor, especially for six cookies.
I had the raspberry and I felt it was more flavorful than any other raspberry one I've tried. I tasted chocolate too, and it was good, but I'm not a chocolate person to begin with. E got some French Macarons too and fell in love. Now he's been introduced to this sometimes expensive habit.
I don't know what B had but he liked his stuff too. He doesn't really care about food though, so he's the wrong one to ask.
People come in just to take out, but you could sit there too. They have tables and real plates and silverware. It's sort of like sitting in someone's den. It's definitely kid friendly. They also serve coffee and other beverages. Go check them out!
Pierre & Michel
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