Our destination is Laduree, a well-known tea salon and rumored to have the best macarons in the city. Started in 1862, Laduree was initially a bakery. Then after a fire several years later, the family turned it into a cake and tea shop.

Since we want tea, we push our way past the crowd waiting to buy macarons at the counter and head upstairs. We’re seated in a room with rich wood paneling and beautifully hand painted walls and ceiling.

Opening the menu, we’re greeted with numerous options – macarons, special cakes, tarts, ice creams, and of course, tea. I decide on a creation called Pampadour – two coconut macaron biscuits with vanilla mouse cream and a mélange of exotic fruits. I notice there’s the same dessert that I had at Pierre Herme a few weeks ago. I thought it was an original creation until I learn Pierre Herme used to work at Laduree and took the recipe with him when he opened his own stores.

While we’re waiting, I glace at the other patrons. Two stooped white haired ladies in matching white sweaters share tea and macarons. A twiterpated couple both dressed in black lean toward each other over a small round table. He reaches over and brushes the hair from her eyes. They rarely break eye contact, and I bet they’re oblivious to their surroundings.

Our orders arrive, and they’re quite spectacular. My Pampadour tastes like a far-off location someplace warm and sunny. The exotic fruit compote nestled inside the vanilla cream has lychees and passion fruit. The coconut macarons are crisp and light.

There’s a reason we chose this location over the more famous Champs Elysees one. One of our substitute pastry teachers works here. We ask the waiter if he’s working, and before we know it, Chef Arnaud appears with a smile. He’s probably in his late 20s and has worked here for four years. He offers to give us a tour of the “laboratory” where he prepares the macarons. How can we possibly refuse? Invitations like these don’t come along every day.

Chef Arnaud leads us through the kitchen as the wait staff looks questionably at the six of us. We walk down a set of very steep, stone steps and descend into the basement where the magic happens. During busy times, Chef normally has 15 people working but today there are only three. It’s hard to imagine all those bodies packed into such a small space.

We’re led past sheet upon sheet of macarons waiting for their cream fillings. It’s an awe-inspiring sight. Since they’re making hundreds of macarons each day, they don’t pipe them out by hand. Instead, a baking sheet is fed through a machine that pipes 60 perfect biscuits. A worker removes the tray, tapping it down on a counter to encourage the biscuits to spread. The macarons are then air dried to develop their crisp crust. Once dry, they are baked and then filled.

As a special treat, Chef makes a batch of chocolate ones while we stand speechless beside him. He mixes together a huge bowl containing powdered sugar and ground almonds. He adds the flavoring in one dollop and continues to mix by hand. In an industrial mixer, he whips the egg whites and then adds boiling sugar and water heated to 120 degrees Celsius (aprox. 250 degrees Fahrenheit). The hot egg whites are added to the dry ingredients and folded in by hand – using only a pastry scraper. Keep in mind the eggs are still at around 100 degrees, and Chef immerses his whole arm in the mixture to fold everything in. He tries to do it rather quickly to avoid burning himself seriously. When he pulls his forearm out, it’s bright red and looks slightly painful. But he’s used to it and doesn’t mind.

The Chef has to get back to work, so we thank him profusely and head out to the street. What a treat to see firsthand like that!

Our field trip is not quite over yet. Just down the street is Fauchon – a high end shop selling prepared foods, wine, tea, coffee, jam, and chocolate. We’re entranced by the window displays. We step inside and revel in the amazing array of prepared foods – a little plate of 14 different appetizers all the size of a quarter; a salad that looks like it’s been in a photo shoot; snails from Burgundy stuffed with garlic, parsley and butter; avocadoes stuffed with shrimp and crab. It goes on and on.

In the pastry section, we spy thin, elegant colorful éclairs. There’s one called an Éclair Aquamarine that has a blue, green and white striped frosting. Susan and I are too intrigued to pass it by, so we split one. The frosting is a light, delicate mint and it’s filled with creamy vanilla pastry cream. Although it sounds like an odd combination, it’s quite refreshing for a pastry and not too heavy.

Dominique and I wander into the wine department and find an enchanting gentleman who guides us through several red Burgundies, Viognets and Rosés. We both buy three bottles each plus a Champaign because they all sound too delightful to pass up. Guess we’re going have to think of a special occasion so we can drink them!

What an incredible day. Sure you don’t want to join me for our next field trip??

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