So I took a leisurely stroll into the city today.  Little did I know it was Macaron Day 2010!

My fiance had never had a French macaron, so we had planned a trip to The Macaron Cafe anyway.  Much to our surprise, however, we were presented with a free macaron to celebrate Macaron Day NYC.  The slogan: “Macarons: the new cupcake.”

The Macaron Cafe was lovely.  A cute little shop that sells sandwiches and other savories as well, their main draw, of course, is the macarons.  The flavor selection was unique (and colorful), ranging from black sesame to cassis violette; we opted for the pistachio, raspberry, matcha, white chocolate, wedding almond, and cognac.  Top flavor pick: the matcha.  But each two-bite pastry was wonderfully crafted: crunchy on the outside, a bit cakey on the inside.  I also loved how everyone at the Cafe had a French accent.  Tres bien, indeed.

The Macaron Cafe
161 West 36th Street
New York, NY 10018
(212) 564-3525

We didn’t shop-hop the city for macarons, however, because prior to ending up at the Cafe near Herald Square, we were in Brooklyn.  And what were we doing in Brooklyn?  Eating, of course.

Our first stop was Dewey’s Candy in Dumbo.  Dewey’s is a neato shop with lollipops hanging from the ceiling and walls lined with everything from old-fashioned favorites (Sky Bars and dot candy and the like) to chocolate-covered, well, everything.  (And yes, that’s a giant dog made out of M&Ms in the window.)  I was in the mood for some gummy candy, so gummy cherries and strawberries were what I got.  Mike, however, went for the chocolate-covered assortment: Oreos, cake batter, and espresso beans.  Top pick: the dark chocolate-covered espresso beans.  Mmmmmm.

Dewey’s Candy
141 Front Street
Brooklyn, NY 11201

We ended our trip to Brooklyn with a walk to the waterfront…and ice cream.  (Yes, it was a decadent day, indeed.)  Right down the street from Grimaldi’s (the pizza place famous for having lines down the block at any time of day), The Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory is in a picturesque locale, in the shadow of the Brooklyn Bridge and sitting basically right on the river.

The menu is minimal—no crazy Cake Batter or Cotton Candy flavors here—but all homemade.  We split a small scoop of strawberry, which was exactly as advertised: pure, natural…and delicious.  I like my Ben & Jerry’s just fine, but this was a whole new ice cream experience.  To describe in a sentence: it tasted real.

And with a view like this, it was worth getting my weekly caloric intake in the course of a single day.

Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory
1 Water Street
Brooklyn, NY 11201
718-246-3963