William L.
Yelp
Great pastries, and exceptional sandwiches here.
When I lived in Paris (and 20 years later, I still cannot believe my good fortune in being able to say that phrase), I noticed that the locals passed on all the fancy, glossy confections, and also passed on even basic fruit filled croissants. The choice for almost every Parisian was almost always the same: an espresso, usually with a cube of sugar, and a plain croissant. Maybe--no, definitely--that's one reason I was and remain identifiable as American, with my too big belt and multiple Xs on my clothing labels.
So it is with Maple Street Patisserie. In my very unscientific mid morning survey, most of the patrons seemed to be buying sandwiches or croissants for takeout. I probably should have taken their cue, but hey, I'm a Yelp! reviewer and I really should sample more than just a plain croissant.
Right?
Right. The Key Lime Tart is small, but delicious. If you have a hankering for Key Lime Pie but don't want to wreck your diet with a ten-thousand calorie nine-inch round slab in your fridge, give that a try. The fruit tart was as it should be: fresh fruit, light clear glaze, a firm and sweet custard, and a flaky crust. A white and brown chocolate-accented tart was beautiful and bought on impulse. What it contained was a large dollop of chocolate mousse with a layer of a apple jam at the bottom, covered in think crisp coat of white chocolate. Very rich, and probably best shared with two or more others.
The blueberry turnover with its flaky crust and dark blue filling peeking out at the seams was irresistible visually. The blueberry flavor was strong, not overly sweet, and the crust was a light and flaky as it promised to be from under the glass.
My dining partner favors savory food for breakfast. She went with a turkey sandwich. Not one normally given over to hyperbole, she remarked that "this is one of the best sandwiches I've ever had" I took a bite, and she might be right.
That explained all the sandwiches at other tables (though by this point, it was getting close to 11:00 and moving into prime lunch time). Enough about who's eating what; if you like a good sandwich, and that includes fantastic bread, try one here.