Restaurant Review: French Press & Pastries

 La Boîte Cafe is another recent discovery of mine that much like Walton's isn't exactly gluten-free friendly per se but it's a great "coffee shop and dessert stop" that offers one gluten-free treat that in my opinion is well worth a trip.

La Boîte, a cafe built into a former industrial shipping container, has a small, specialized menu full of things I can't eat.
(Side note: do you remember high school French?  Boîte = box!)
But that doesn't matter because to me as a gluten-free foodie the star is the daily fresh  macaron accompanied by a freshly made french press.

Normally I like sweetened and creamed coffee but this french press is made fresh and is so velvety smooth it needs just a splash of lait because I accompany it with this sweetness...

There they wait, lined up like little sucree soldiers waiting to meet their destiny, puffed and generously filled.

At $1.75 each (or 3 for $4.95) these macarons aren't exactly a lot of bang for your buck.  What they are instead is a special treat, a distinguished delicacy not reserved for every day.  When you feel like something different and exceptional, you want macarons.

And just look at that generous filling!  

Seriously it was like as thick as my finger!  Could that be the "secret" of making a killer macaron?  Generous filling!

Flavors L-R: cranberry, honey pepper and pistachio

The Mister and I shared three, one for each and half of the last one, which I think was exactly enough for us.  We're not for too much sweet and tempting as it is to to want to just gobble them up, they are better enjoyed by taking your time with them rather than just eating as many as you can.
The texture is what it should be: crunchy, chewy, airy and of course creamy.
Tasting these macarons definitely defined macarons for me and the next time I attempt to make them at home, heartbreaking as it always turns out, I now know what to aim for.

Generous cream filling

I tried it for the first time during our stay-cation but I inevitably had to bring my mom to experience the french press + macaron combo the following week.
This time I treated us to two each and like I theorized, two comes dangerously close to being cloyingly sweet.  I was also surprised by the pleasant almond taste and texture, which is strong but not overpowering.  I always see macarons pictured as being immaculate and smooth textured and am pleasantly surprised to know that this doesn't have to be the case.

Flavors L-R: pistachio and chocolate, two strawberry and a lavender

So if you are looking for an out-of-the-ordinary sweet gluten-free treat, give the french press and macaron experience you will find at La Boîte a try.