French Kiss

I loooove French macarons and ones like in Paris are hard to find in the U.S. Thus, I have begun a macaron search in the Bay Area. 

I have found that Bay Breads on Filmore in San Francisco is overrated, but maybe I just got there too late in the day; Miette bakery in the Ferry building has scrumptious macarons (except for the grapefruit flavor...not good, not grapefruity at all) without the color (saddening), and Masse's in Berkeley's Gourmet Ghetto has excellent colored (yes!) macarons in chocolate, lemon, strawberry, and pistachio. Masse's also has amazing fruit mousse and is not snooty or trendy place.

The above photo is faux Pierre Hermé macaron trinkets that came with Japanese Lipton iced "tea". Why does this stuff not exist here? I don't think I could keep one of those fake macarons with me without being tempted to eat it...forgetting that it is painted plastic.Real macarons above