Out and About with Auntie: La Duree, Manhattan

Question: What do you call a day spent strolling across New York with your wonderful auntie?

Answer: Absolutely lovely!!!!!


We toddled around Central Park listening to the musicians and sitting in the sun, and then wandered through the amazing Metropolitan Museum of Art.  And along the way, we also fit in a little pilgrimage to La Duree in Manhattan.  Somehow, I've never been able to make it to the one in Paris, but now that I'm in New York, how could I let the opportunity pass!

LADURÉE NEW YORK

864 Madison Avenue
10021 New York

You see, macarons have a special significance to me- they mean friendship and generosity.  When I was living in Paris, my best friend asked me if I'd ever eaten a macaron, and I answer "Oh yeah, I love coconut!"  She was perplexed by my answer because while she was talking about macarons, I was talking about macaroons.  Totally different!  

That evening she explained to her father that her poor American friend had never had the pleasure of biting into a French macaron.  The very next day, her father brought home a box of left over macarons from the restaurant where he worked, and my friend brought it to me.  What a sight!!!!!  Lifting the lid of the little white box and seeing all of the pastel colored macarons nestled within- yellow and green and pink and violet! 

I was living in a little, run-down boarding house at the time, and that night all of us tenants feasted on this unexpected treat in the communal kitchen.  They were delicious, and ever since, I think back to the generosity of my friend whenever I enjoy a macaron.




So at La Duree New York, my Auntie and I had a very lovely time carefully picking out our macarons.  I had a lemon one, and Auntie had a seasonal ginger spiced one.  We took them along in a little paper bag until we found a sunny spot in Central Park to sit and enjoy our treat.

Thank you Auntie for a wonderful day!  And another lovely macaron memory!

~Mersydotes

P.S.  Did I mention they are gluten-free?!