All Macarons, All the Time (in France!)

It's no secret that I love to get my fix of French macarons whenever I have the chance.  My recent visit to France gave me all the more reason to indulge, as I had macarons available pretty much at my disposal.  Here, I'd like to present you with a macaron comparison or a taste taste rather than I conducted in Antibes, France at two establishments that were situated right across from each other.  The first is called Jean Luc Pele, which is a more refined, gourmet establishment, while the second is a more old fashioned sweet shop that has been around for years called Au Palais de la Friandise.

I imagine that the former presents big competition to the old mainstay and was placed pretty strategically in direct competition of the latter.  Wanting to root for that old fashioned artisan that has been in the community through and through, I was determined to try them both and evaluate them fairly.  Here's where I netted out:

Jean Luc Pele
Specializing in macarons, the selection here was enormous and a little overwhelming too. Boasting beautiful macaron trees, there was eye candy in every place you looked - even a large chocolate wall where self control really had to be practiced, for the strong propensity to just want to dip your finger into the sweet goodness.  But back to the macarons:

We tasted two flavors of macarons including Nutella and salted caramel.  Impressed by both flavors, the meringue was the best part, as it sported the perfect crunchy outside but a chewy delectable inside, which was a little fudgy.  The filling in both macarons was super delicious and not too heavy - the whole cookie went down like a delight, a perfect complement to our morning cappuccinos. 

Au Palais de la Friandise
To be completely fair, I went with a Nutella macaron here as well to see how it'd measure up.  The look of it was impressive (pictured above, first image all the way to the left), with a slightly speckled meringue and a thick Nutella middle.  However, unfortunately the taste just wasn't there and the macaron as a whole was seriously lacking in texture.  For one, the meringue was too hard and a little sticky in your mouth, which didn't make for the best experience.  While the filling was tasty, there was a bit too much of it, which left you feeling as if you've just eaten a whole lot of fudge instead of a delicate macaron.

The Verdict:
The winning bite went to Jean Luc Pele without a doubt, but in addition to a tasty product, I also liked their service a lot more as well as their competitive prices.  At 1.5 Euro a piece, Jean Luc's macarons provided better value whereas Au Palais de la Friandise's cost a whopping 2 Euro a piece.

Jean Luc Pele - 27 Rue de la Republique, 06600 Antibes, France
+33 (0)4 92 95 78 21
jeanlucpele.com

Au Palais de la Friandise - 50 Rue de la Republique, 06600 Antibes, France
+33 (0)4 93 34 20 98