Macaron Day FAIL 2014

Yesterday was Macaron Day here in NYC, and I couldn't have been more excited. A lot more shops were taking part this year, and my friend Gina and I decided we would do a loop of six locations after school. Last year, we were able to grab two free macarons (read all about it HERE), so we couldn't wait for things to get bigger and better this time around. As you can guess by the title of this blog post, we were not so lucky!

• 4:00pm – Before we left on our sweet adventure, I checked the social media sites of the locations we planned on visiting. Unfortunately, two of them were already sold out. We knocked them off our list, and headed out. 
• 4:45pm – We arrived at our first stop: Mille-feuille Bakery. The crowd both outside and inside this tiny bakery was large, but we headed in and waited in line. Once we got to the register we were informed: "We're out of free macarons, but you can buy one at a discount." Disappointment. We left for stop two.
• 5:00pm – We crossed our fingers as we entered our second stop: Spot Dessert Bar. Guess what? They were out of free macarons, too. Man, this wasn't fun! We checked in on the other two locations – our third still seemed promising, but our last was down to 50 macarons.... 20 minutes ago. We decided to just go to the third place and hope for the best.
• 5:15pm – Our last hope. We arrived at the Macaron Parlour where we'd been last year. Thankfully, they still had some left! While sold out of some flavors, we were able to choose from a few macaron varieties. I scored the hazelnut, which was beyond delicious. At this point I was also parched from our grand walk around lower Manhattan, so I ordered a peach iced tea. Hey, I didn't mind spending $3 at Macaron Parlour – they saved our trip! 

• 6:00pm – Gina and I spent some time relaxing at Macaron Parlour, and we got there just in time. Crowds of people arrived after we did, and soon enough they were sold out. 

While our Macaron Day adventure was not as epic as we'd planned, I still had fun walking around the city in the beautiful spring weather. I'm very thankful we got at least got one free macaron! Of course, I can't be too disappointed about not getting something for free, but it was definitely frustrating that shops were selling out of the free macarons at such an early time in the day. For those of us who work or are full time students, we miss out on the goodies. It seems only logical to me that shops would have a larger inventory of macarons on Macaron Day. I'm more inclined to make a purchase at your shop or return in the future if you give me a sample, especially during an event that only happens once per year. 

If you're planning on taking part in Macaron Day next year, make sure you head to the shops early in the day. I even saw posts online about people who waited outside shops before they opened. Crazy, right?! And for the shops, please do us a favor and step up your game next time. People are hungry at the end of the work day, and if they take the time to come to your shop for a free macaron, they should get one. 

For more information on Macaron Day, visit the event's official website here: http://macarondaynyc.com

Macaron Day 2013

Today was Macaron Day here in NYC, and let me tell you, it was a great way to kick off the spring season! Macaron Day takes place once per year, and participating bakeries all over the city give away one free macaron to each person who enters their shop. I first heard about Macaron Day back in 2011 when I was interning in the city, but didn't get a chance to try out any of these treats. After class today, a friend and I made it to two of the locations on the map and indulged in these delicious cookies!

The first stop on our journey was Bisous Ciao on the Lower East Side. There we got a macaron that tasted just like peanut butter and jelly! It was oh-so-delicious, and I just had to take a bite before I snapped the Instagram photo below. The bakery itself was very nice and clean inside. We had great customer service, and I would definitely stop back there again. Of course, macarons are pretty pricey, and a half dozen will cost you $16.50. I also wish they had seating at Bisous Ciao -- it's more of a grab and run place.

Our next stop was the Macaron Parlour in the East Village. I was super impressed with this location! We had a full menu of macarons to choose from for our freebie, and I snagged Earl Grey. My friend got strawberry, and both of us agree that they tasted amazing! I love Earl Grey tea, and the macaron was even better than I could have imagined! Plus, this place is super adorable inside, and has a seating area in the back that is very clean and modern. It's definitely a great place for reading or having coffee with a friend. Oh, did I mention they also have tons of other pastries to choose from? The coffee (they sell Blue Bottle here!) smells absolutely amazing while it's brewing, too. A half dozen macarons here sells for $15.00, so it's a bit more affordable than Bisous Ciao. I am definitely planning a return stop to Macaron Parlour! 

Overall, Macaron Day is really fun and quite a yummy experience! It is also a great cause, because 10% of all profits made from purchases will go towards feeding the homeless in NYC. While there will only a couple locations downtown that I could easily make it to, there are many more participants uptown, especially around the Central Park area. Check out the Macaron Day website HERE for more information. I highly suggest taking part in this great event! I'm already marking my calendar for next year!