Saturday, July 23, 2011

Quick break

Why is it that messing around in my life--not writing, not sleeping, not thinking about or suffering through allergies or doing the consulting thing, feels like eating a gazillion calories all at one time? A guilty pleasure.

I spent the day with my kids, driving up to Ballard. I'd always wanted to go to Honore, an artisan bakery with what I'd heard were the most fabulous macaroons in the Northwest. I'm a bakery geek, what can I say? I also yelp, and reading the reviews made me want to go even more. Ballard isn't my favorite neighborhood. Up on the other side of Seattle, through rush hour crowds that start at 2pm and move like sardines in glue. Potholes, narrow winding roads and broken down houses that would sell anywhere else in King county for 100k, but because they're in Seattle, sell for over 300k.

It didn't look like much from the road. Just a couple of Adirondack chairs, some double doors, a little plate glass with the logo and a counter. But omg--it was everything I'd ever wanted in a bakery. Macaroons to die for. Salted caramel coconut, spicy chocolate. Croissants with the texture of a thousand leaves and butter. A lemon tart better than any lemon tart I've ever eaten before. Not cheap, and no pictures. I brought my camera, but I ate everything before I remembered to take a picture. Just one macaroon, I'd said. Ha. One macaroon turned into many, and I wanted to turn back and get more despite being on the Alaskan Way viaduct Friday afternoon during rush hour.

Guess they didn't need a big fancy sign. If you know where it is, you're going to go there regardless. One macaroon the size of an oreo set me back more than two dollars, but it was worth it and the long drive out. We stopped at Maruta Shoten on the way back. Maybe sushi isn't the best thing to go with French patisserie, but you can't go by Maruta without stopping in to load up on sushi. They have the best selection of everything with none of the hype and jacked up prices you'd get at Uwajimaya's, neatly packaged 6 to a tray. I have this thing about flying fish roe and my kid loves eel.

There's something about a can of Hawaiian guava nectar and a tray of California rolls slathered in roe that makes a commute a hundred times better.

3 comments:

Hailey Edwards said...

Mmm. That kind of goodness is something I need to taste to confirm. :D

The bakery I used to frequent here went under a few weeks back. The owner, Brenda, made the best cheese straws. I'd eat them until I got sick.

It was one of those deals where you had to order them ahead of time, and I couldn't justify the expense (or amount) just for the heck of it. So Brenda would call me when she made orders for other people and pack me a box at a discounted rate. Heaven. And now it's gone. :(

Kaige said...

I love small local treasures like that! It's a shame to see so many of them failing because more people don't discover them by accident or some careful research. And the ones that get taken over by new management... never as good. *sigh*

Now that you've made me hungry for all the food I've given up eating... I'm off to raid the fridge for something I CAN eat. :)

Unknown said...

lol, Hailey. I needed to taste it to confirm too.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/honore-artisan-bakery-seattle-2

at least there are pictures, lol. My review is the first one in the list. (for now) And I love cheese straws. :)

lol, Kaige. Now I'm hungry too. :)