I tried the Brick Street Bakery Macarons in the Distillery District a couple of years ago and remembered that is was DELICIOUS! The lemon flavour was extremely flavourful and the texture was cakey soft, the way I like the macarons.
I was excited to see that there was a Brick Street Bakery on the East End and was looking forward to a macaron treat. What was on display were two lonely mocha flavoured ones that I did not want to purchase, but the lady behind the counter surprised me with a secret tray containing additional flavours that peaked my interest. After careful thought, I went with one strawberry and one pistachio macaron. They were beautifully coloured, and the green one topped with bits of pistachio that added a nice garnish.
After taking a bite.... I was saddened by the texture and the quality of the baked shell. It tasted old, and kept in the fridge for way too long. There was definitely a gap between the top and bottom of the shell, leaving emptiness in the bite. It was too chewy to my liking, probably from over folding the merigne.
The strawberry had better flavour as I thought the pistachio to be a bit bland, but similar techniques have led to a second overdone pastry.
I was eying the giant almont croissant and wanted to switch over at last minute... which I went with my gut....