On Bastille Day last week, I celebrated my love of French
culture at the grand opening of Maman Toronto, an enchanting French bakery and café. After
hearing wonderful things about their first location in Soho New York, I was excited
to see what this place would bring. And I was not disappointed. The French word for 'mom', Maman emits a unique Southern
France charm -- a certain je ne sais quoi that
left me smitten.
I was salivating at every turn, not only for the mouth-watering
food, but also for the gorgeous décor and delightful ambiance. It was picture perfect;
evident by the million photos I snapped all night. The interior of the
café radiates a warm and rustic feel, with a long wooden communal table, wisps
of flowers, and beautiful displays of baked goods and treats. Stepping onto
their patio is equally as lovely, with the prettiest blue tiled tabletops that
simply begs to be photographed.
We sampled a variety of their family-inspired
cuisine, all of which were fresh, delectable and bursting with flavourful
goodness. Melt-in-your-mouth red pepper and goat cheese quiche was velvety soft,
the cleverly named croque ‘maman’ with ham, cheese and béchamel sauce was
sinfully delicious, and a cross between a tuna and egg salad sandwich with
sundried tomatoes, olives and pesto were just a few of their savory bites. And
then the desserts arrived. Despite my impending food coma, I couldn’t resist
the mini tropézienne (a cream-filled brioche) and the cutest lemon meringue
cookies, all of which sent me on a satisfactory sugar high.
But what I can’t stop dreaming about are their chocolate
chunk cookies, a renowned treat that was undoubtedly my favourite of the night.
Crunchy on the outside, soft and gooey on the inside, my taste buds were ooh la
la-ing with creamy chocolate, macadamia nuts, almonds and walnuts. Served with a shot of milk of course, it was worth every insatiable bite.
I have yet to visit the beauty of the South of France, but
until then, I’ll let Maman whisk me away to a cozy, idyllic sanctuary, with a cocktail
and cookie in hand.
