LadureeLadurée’s macarons.Before you say “Not another macaron shop!” consider that this newcomer to the Upper East Side from Paris brings almond meringue cakes with a pedigree like none other. Ladurée, which first established a tea room just steps from the Place de la Concorde in 1862, is said to have originated French macarons as we know them: not the little round cakes, but the idea of sandwiching a pair of them with a creamy filling.
That happened some 60 or so years ago. Pierre Desfontaines, a cousin of Louis Ernest Ladurée of the founding family, got this idea, and it took off. Since 1997, under new owners, Ladurée has been expanding, first in several locations within Paris, then to other cities, starting with London in 2005, and now New York.
The shop, which opened today, is a jewel box, done in pastel green with traditional decorative accents, mirrors and dark wood, meant to showcase chocolates, tabletop items, and macarons, of course, all imported from Paris. The macarons will be the small ones; the company makes a larger size but they will not be sold in this boutique. Ladurée will also sell ice cream and sorbet, garnished with a macaron and, like everything in the shop, imported from Paris.
The company’s chairman, David Holder, said that his family would have lunch at the original Ladurée every Saturday. When he found out that the company was for sale by descendents of the Ladurée family, he bought it, having convinced the owners that he would preserve its heritage. At that time, the head pastry chef, who had been with the company 34 years, made the macarons in only four flavors (vanilla, chocolate, coffee, and praline). He refused Mr. Holder’s request to add fruit flavors for summer. “He had tunnel vision,” Mr. Holder said. So he let the chef go, hired a new one, and they began making the variety of flavors that have now become typical of macarons.
“Macarons were not so popular until about 15 years ago, but they became a phenomenon,” he said. “I like to say that I woke up a sleeping beauty.” The opening lineup at the Upper East Side shop features orange blossom, strawberry-mint, lemon, green apple and cassis-violet.
Ladurée, 864 Madison Avenue (71st Street), (646) 558-3157, opens Monday to Friday 9 a.m.; Saturday at 9:30 a.m., closes at 6 p.m. every day except Sunday. Macarons in 14 flavors are $2.70 each. Ice cream and sorbet (six flavors of each) garnished with a macaron is $8.50 a serving. Chocolates start at $10 for a box of four pieces.