We were down near Salem, Massachusetts a few weeks ago and after reading the glowing reviews of Caramel French Patisserie online for the past year or so, we decided to pop by for an afternoon cuppa and a sampling of their gorgeous pastries.
And gorgeous they were! The look of their french pastries immediately reminded me of my all time favorite french pastry shop, La Maison Navarre in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
I’ve had a lot of pastries over the years, and so quite honestly, the bar has been set pretty high by the really, really good pastry shops out there.
The two pastries I’m always on the hunt for though, are the lemon {or lime} tart and the almond croissant. I figure if a shop can get those two things right, the rest of their pastries are going to be pretty spectacular too.
There’s no doubt about it, Caramel French Patisserie does make some beautiful treats. And if you are a big fan of mousse fillings with not too much flavor in them, then this place is for you.
Smack dab in the center of Salem, and around the corner from the Witch House and a short walk to the Salem Witch Trials Memorial, Caramel French Patisserie is centrally located to grab a sweet treat.
Downtown Salem, Massachusetts… It’s an experience, that’s for sure. 😉
~Mavis
Brianna says
That looks so yummy! I think the paper plates do a disservice to those beautiful pastries as well as all of the non bakery foods piled on top of the display case and in front of it. They look delicious and I love a pastry that follows European standards, they are never overly sweet or too rich.
Shari Harniss says
Ok. Help me understand something please, Mavis. Why would you prefer a mousse filling to have very little flavor? Why would I buy something to eat knowing it lacked flavor?
I must not be in the know.
Jennifer Jo says
I’m guessing this is a veiled criticism? . . . Maybe?
(And Mavis, I want to see INSIDE that glossy apple!)
Suzanne Shaw says
I also want to see the inside of that apple!
Wendy M says
This is an incredibly confusing review. I’m not sure if it’s supposed to be good or bad. lol
KC says
It is possible that some people with very sensitive tastebuds prefer a lack of strong flavor, but mostly I think this is an attempt to be truthful while also being polite to something that isn’t a giant chain enterprise. (so people don’t buy things with mousse expecting them to be as jam-packed with flavor as some people might assume from the picture-perfect presentation; but also not just slamming them without the context)(personally: the more physically precise and visually perfect bakery goods are, the more I am mildly skeptical about whether the flavor is going to be worthwhile, from prior experience, although there *are* spectacular both-flavor-and-visuals exceptions sometimes. But 90% of the time, if someone has spent most of their effort on making something *look* pastry-perfect, it’s not going to taste as good as a pastry where the chef has spent most of their effort on flavor and texture; there are often physics/chemistry tradeoffs at play.)
eliz says
“And if you are a big fan of mousse fillings with not too much flavor in them, then this place is for you”
Ha ha! No.
Susan says
I live very close to Salem and always highly recommend the Peabody Essex Museum. Not only is the actual building stunning (as you enter, it’s light, airy and sunny), but the exhibits are incredible (ok, I’m not really into oil paintings of ships on storm-tossed seas, but there is so much more). I especially love the original part of the museum with displays of ephemera that sailors brought back from their travels and if you spring a little more $$, the tour of the Yin Yu Tang house is incredible (it’s a house from provincial China that was dismantled and rebuilt in the courtyard of the museum — it was no longer in use when it was taken).
Bonnie in GA says
That was a “tasteful” review Mavis. It is amazing how beautiful their pastries are!
Arbie says
Looks wonderful!
Yes I personally prefer the European pastries that are not riddled with sugar.
When in England I purchased a wacking great piece of Chocolate cake with frosting and let me tell you…I said to my British hubs, “there’s no sugar in this cake” the more I ate the more I loved…never to like American sugary cakes again. Less is more sometimes
Cindy Brick says
I’m curious about the inside of that apple pastry, too. Did it taste like apple?
(Maybe show it on your Sunday blogpost?)
Mavis Butterfield says
It tasted like nothing. 🙁
Sue S. says
All I can say yuh-ummm! I love that you sample great eats all over the place. Saves me the calories and we get to learn about new hotspots.
Sue says
That sort of review is called, “Damning with faint praise.” LOL
Alexander Pope said it first.
Wikipedia explains it: ‘Damning with faint praise’ is an English idiom, expressing oxymoronically that half-hearted or insincere praise may act as oblique criticism or condemnation.
Sue says
Also? “The apples are gorgeous to behold; buy the almond croissants.”
Hahahahaha!