Today I finally tried La Gourmandine, and it was so good that it encouraged me to write my first review.
To frame my mindset, I'm training for the marathon and Saturdays are typically my long run day. Since it snowed I decided to run the Cathedral of Learning stairs for an hour and a half instead. Needless to say, I was famished and seriously needed some carbs. Fortunately, we decided to try La Gourmandine after my workout and I was about to get my fix.
When we arrived, there were people stretched around the counter--and for good reason. Everything in the shop looked (and was) amazing. I was dumbfounded between the culinary beauty and my ravenous state. With help I decided on the Opera (Almond sponge cake layered with cocoa chocolate mousse
and coffee flavoured butter cream, glazed with dark chocolate) and Religieuses (Two tiers of choux pastry filled with vanilla or chocolate pastry cream and topped with fondant). I ate the Religieuses first and thought it was great...until the Opera made my knees buckle. The Opera seemed to fill a void in my life I didn't know existed and I was in a complete state of serenity afterwards. And then the carb coma kicked in. Totally worth it.
They said there are usually people waiting outside before the shop opens. I think I'll join them.