Treat Yourself

I have to stop walking by this stand so much because every time I read the cute little «Treat Yourself» sign I think, «Sure! Why not?» and then spend a small fortune on their adorable and absolutely delightful macarons.
My boyfriend works in the area and every now and then he would surprise me with a bag of these delightful treats. Now that I work in the area too, I will occasionally swing by and grab some for myself.
They have the largest variety of flavors that I have ever seen, and the flavors change occasionally: that’s good if you like to try new things. Not so much if one of your favorites happens to be a seasonal flavor.
All of the macarons are this fantastic balance of crisp-​chewiness. The shells seem pretty firm, until you bite into them and they crumble and give way to a delightful chewiness. I’ve enjoyed quite a few of these yummy treats. Here are the flavors I’ve tried (at least, what I can remember):
Chocolate– Chocolate outside. Chocolate inside. It’s chocolate! What’s not to love?
Strawberry– good, but would’ve liked the filling to be a little more fruity.
Rose– one of my favorites. It’s almost impossible to put into words how perfect this one is. When you bite into it, it’s like a little taste of Paris.
Lavender– Oh la la! I did not expect to like this one as much as I did. This is my other favorite. The floral taste is subtle but pleasing to the palate.
Lemon– subtle citrus flavor, but just a bit too sweet. I would have preferred a little more sour in the filling to compliment the sweet.
Blueberry– wasn’t a big fan of this one. The flavor was a little strange.
Green Apple– tart and sweet, with a hint of buttery richness. Mmmm. really like this one!
Caramel (?)-rich, sweet with just the faintest hint of saltiness. Very nice balance of flavors.
Tiramisu– tastes EXACTLY like the dessert. The shells on these were just a little firmer than the others and offered a really nice crunch before the chewiness. I could have eaten a dozen of those, easily.
Pistachio– delicious, but I didn’t get «pistachio» from it. Rather, the filling was sweet and buttery with an almond flavor. The shell was soft and delicate: I hand to handle this one with care.
Cherry– another one with an indistinguishable flavor. It was sweet and a little tangy, but it didn’t taste anything like cherry.
I think I may have had a coffee flavored one as well. Not sure.
They are also little pricey: each macaron is about $ 2.50 a piece, but they are wonderfully indulgent little treats that you just have to try. They also make a phenomenal gift… trust me. :)

I’ve been on the hunt for macarons in DC ever since I had them while in New York City for thanksgiving. I found out about this macaron stand so I decided to check them out when I came to union station for a walking tour. The manager was very nice and explain that they are authentic French macarons and they are made daily. She said that the owner was trained in Paris. I came with two other people from my group and we were hoping to get six but she was out of the box that held that amount. We decided to just get two just to try them. I got a caramel and a passion fruit.
Roses — the texture was spot on; it had a slight crunch but was chewy at the same time. There was no crumbling. The caramel was yummy.
Thorns — these macarons are smaller than I’m accustomed to. They were slightly bigger than a half dollar and the passion fruit tasted nothing like passion fruit. I’m Caribbean and I know the taste of passion fruit and that macaron wasn’t it. I can’t even describe the taste, all I know is that it was super sweet and it just didn’t work. However, it was clearly a popular choice as there were only a few left of that flavor.
All in all, it’s not a bad macaron spot, I might try them again, the next time I’m in union station.

I had time to kill until the next Marc Train. I was looking for an «I’m sorry I have been late» gift. The woman was beyond helpful and friendly. She even gave me a bag with tissue paper.
$ 16 for half dozen, comes in a cute box. She loved them and they tasted delicious. They were definitely fresh. I’ll be back for more special occasions gifts or next time I am in trouble.

Best macarons we’ve tasted in years and that includes selections in New York City, Dallas, and other bakery establishments.
The macarons were fresh and delicious. They cost about the same as others we have had. If you are in the neighborhood of Union Station on the first level near the Metro stairs entrance, stop for these treats. You won’t be disappointed

5 stars for the macaron shells and 1 star for the filling and the price :(At $ 2.50 a pop, they were TINY! It’s like 2 bites and they’re gone… At that size, I think that $ 2 or something under that price point would be more appropriate, or they could make them a tiny bit bigger. As someone else mentioned, they were spot on with the consistency and texture of the shells. The shells had legs and the outside was crunchy but had a little bit of chewiness to it too. However, the filling was waaaay too sweet. I got the pistachio and the mango and both had sort of an artificial flavor to it (perhaps it was because it was so sweet?). Maybe it’s simply a preference thing, but I do like them more with the creamy filling rather than jam…

I have always wanted to try macarons so I figured why not try these and Im glad I did!!!
These taste just how Gordon Ramsey described how macarons should taste on masterchef. A nice crunch in the cookie and the filling was amazing! I tried strawberry, banana and other ones that were available. I LOVED THE BANANA! So good.
The young woman was very friendly and helpful because I had no idea what to expect. Lol. They were packaged wonderfully as well.
The price was a little high ($ 14.00 half dozen) but then again everything is high in DC. I am much more satisfied than I would have been if I had gotten a cupcake. I almost ate all of them on the way home and had to stop myself.
This is definitely a must try and I be stopping by again.