Katie D.
Yelp
I ventured off campus a little over a mile and a half to Marjolaine's Pastry Shop on State Street. It was worth the walk. The instant I walked into the shop, a young woman warmly greeted me. She emerged in her apron from the realm of the open kitchen. The shop is cozy--not overly decorated and ornate, rather friendly and approachable by the shopper. There is a coffee and tea station to the right of the pastry displays, which encourages people to sit down in peace or enjoy their pastry with company around the small boutique tables by the window.
The baker clearly enjoyed working there because she gave me heart felt descriptions of all the best selling and personal favorite treats. I found out that everything was made on premise and was put out fresh daily. They use only the nicest of ingredients and make everything from scratch. I was also impressed by what they do with the desserts that do not sell (I cannot imagine there are too many); she explained how they are donated to the men's shelter and to other nearby food donation places.
Beyond the in store appearance, I became even more impressed. First, the selection was enormous. There are cakes, tarts, pies, French cookies, Italian cookies, cupcakes, mousses, custards, crème filled pastries, spiced breads, croissants, and their newest addition of artesian chocolates. They all had a very gourmet aesthetic in the displays and on the shelves. When I was asking the baker about Marjolaine's desserts, she assured me that they are not overly sweet which allows one to enjoy the whole dessert, rather than a few saccharine bites. Many of them contain mousses and pastry creams--light and beautiful on the palate. No matter what you get, each item is perfectly sweet, airy, crunchy when necessary, creamy and moist otherwise.
As I am a fruit tart fanatic, I ordered the small one. The crust was crumbly and buttery, the cream was cool and fresh, the berries were juicy and succulent, and the glaze on the top had the slightest hint of citrus. An A+ experience!
I definitely will go back... and recommend that you all journey there too!