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| - I have got to swoop in and write the first review for this place.
During a day trip to downtown Calgary with my family, my cousin's 2-year-old decided that running around in the water fountain/pool in Olympic Plaza would be fun. With his diaper on and no change of clothes readily available. We came by way of the C-Train and had to hop back on it to head to the CORE Shopping Centre. We made a beeline for H&M, where we knew we'd find garments that could cover our almost-naked toddler boy on the cheap. Once my little cousin was no longer damp, we headed upstairs to find some sustenance.
As I came up the escalator, from the corner of my eye, I spied "Monplaisir Delicacies." Umm, what? I did a double-take and dashed to the glass case to closely examine the colorful confections that I could see from afar. As I approached the case, my brain registered that aforementioned sweets were indeed macarons.
Yelp community, I have been stuck on the macaron for a good 3 years. Nope, I admit that I wasn't part of the avant garde that loved macarons before the "craze." My macaron story dates back to a trip I made to Paris in 2011. I tried the almond meringue cookie sandwiches, which resembled in the most uncanny fashion miniature hamburgers that were coated in the fine dust of a shattered rainbow. Clamping down my chompers on the delicate shell and feeling the sticky interior, which gave way to a delightful filling was nothing short of life-changing. If you have read any of my other reviews about macarons, you can probably see the effect of this experience sprinkled throughout. And you will most likely roll your eyes.
After that drawn-out story that you were not looking for, let me say that the macarons dished out at Monplaisir are the real deal. The macarons that I tried in Calgary are better than the ones I can get in my current home city of Atlanta. Montplaisir macarons are pricier than another pâtisserie in Calgary known for their French pastries and delights but location plays a major factor. You are downtown and in a premier shopping center. There are more than just macarons here, but since I had already made my mac selection, I opted out from trying. I took a vanilla pistachio nougat bar to bring home as a gift, but I didn't consume this myself.
If you are shopping and looking for something sweet to get you through your endeavors, go up to the Food Court level of the mall and try a macaron or two. If you are wandering near the CORE, come in and get a pick-me-up. If you are a tourist in need of almondy goodness, this is your place.
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