| French macarons and pastries are a must try! |
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Reviewed By howie |
Oct 09, 2007 |
| Tags:
macarons
scones
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Opera Patisserie is notable for being the only place in San Diego to offer French macarons (as far as I know). French macarons are two light, glossy meringue cookies sandwiching a small amount of filling. The impression is that of a very high-end Oreo cookie, but that's not really doing it justice.
I first tried these little delicacies at The French Laundry. Even though I was stuffed after eating 12 courses, I couldn't resist the charming little treats. They were so light and perfect that I ended up eating three of them.
I decided to head down to Opera to see how their macarons compared to my first time. When I looked in the display case, I saw that they offered a dozen varieties of macarons as well as a small selection of pastries, desserts, and savory lunch items like quiche and French "pizza".
I ordered a French "pizza" with caramalized onions and bacon as well as two boxes of macarons to go. The pizza was a flat bread covered with a creamy, mild white cheese and topped with onions and bacon, and it came with a simple, lightly dressed salad. The pizza was very rich and delicious.
How were the macarons? The texture on the meringue cookies was wonderful - light with a pleasant little chew. I think I sampled every flavor they offered and some were hits and others were misses. I found some of the flavors (like the chocolate and the passion fruit) to be cloying. But others had a subtle flavor that allowed you to enjoy the light texture of the meringue.
On another visit, I went to try out some of their breakfast pastries. When I got there, the young lady behind the counter seemed unprepared, and when more people started lining up, things got a little chaotic with people pressing the counter out of order.
I managed to put in my order for a latte, a scone, and a croissant. I was a bit concerned when she started making my latte because she seemed very hesitant, and actually dumped her first attempt after sniffing it, but I can see that my worry was for nothing.
She produced a lovely latte with a dense, creamy head and a smooth espresso flavor. I can see now she was just looking out for my latte. I was similarly impressed with the pastries. The scone had a perfect texture for a cream scone - halfway between shortbread and biscuit. It might be the best I've had in San Diego (yes, better than Rebecca's, whose scones I consider overrated). The croissant was also light, buttery and flaky as a croissant should be.
So despite some quirks with morning service and some macaron flavors I didn't love, I think Opera is one of San Diego's best and unique bakeries.
