The man at the front desk practically blew a question mark through his smoke ring the other morning, when a bicycle messenger carrying a box of not-alcohol arrived for me. Speechless, he slid be the handsome parcel from St. Honoré Boulangerie my way, squinting at the thing, committing this booze-less delivery to his mental gallery of curiosities.
- Chris "Flavor Hands" Onstad
- Preferable to a post-dated gift certificate for one free hug.
Inside the box, along with a few beautiful pastries, was an announcement from the talented Dominic Guelin, regarding the dulcet treats he was promoting for Mother's Day. It was a picture-perfect assortment, so I took one, using some old china I had just gotten at Goodwill as stand-ins for the spoils of a life of opulence. There, above, are the Strawberry Tart (heart), Mille Feuille (rectangle), and the real eye-opener of the bunch, the Raspberry Lychee St. Honoré. Any mother who doesn't forgive you the past year of radio silence when presented with one of these showstoppers ought to have her card revoked, but the lychee number is the real zinger in the bunch. I'd never had that particular fruit in a traditional French dessert before, and it churched up the rich, slightly rose-flavored gelee filling in an elegant, refined way. I'm going to recommend this tender pastry way ahead of the "Ding Dongs Melba" you were likely going to assemble at Plaid on the way over to her house.
