French Macarons with Cecilia.

Last weekend, we took a little trip up to Ann Arbor to visit Chef Cecilia Mercante at her kitchen.  We picked up a box the most delectable french macarons for our Parisian brunch.

Aside from the fact that the macarons were amazing, Cecilia is so approachable and friendly and wonderful that we will be back.  She is French, married to an American {which is what she's doing here in the US} and her English is impeccable.  She smiled and was attentive and chatted with me all the while cutting pieces of macron and lemon tarts for me to sample.  I can completely understand why she chose to attach her commercial kitchen to her house rather than having a storefront.  Her personality isn't hidden behind a counter, she is right there, inviting you into her kitchen, much like a friend rather than a customer.  She even whipped off her hair net to pose for a photo for me... if that doesn't say approachable, I don't know what does. 

Macarons aren't your style?  How about an individual lemon tart?  Biting into it reminded me of summer, I will be ordering several for my Meme's birthday.  Everything she uses is fresh from real vanilla bean, to lemons, to the apples in this gorgeous tart and you can really see the difference.

I'm a sucker for great packaging and everything in that department was lovely as well.  Handmade, tasteful tags are attached to each box with string.  *Insert me swooning here.*

I just can't say enough, truly.  I would love to get a group together here and have her come down to do a macaron class or cater a french dinner, both of which she does.

If you are in the Ann Arbor area, you must visit her.  She also makes trips to the Detroit area often.  For us, it was a 45 minute drive that I would gladly make time and again.  She is that good.  And aside from all of those U of M fans roaming around, {ha!} Ann Arbor is a fantastic town to shop.


{Full disclosure: This is my opinion.  Cecilia did not pay or compensate me in any way for this review, she is just so lovely, I wanted to share.}