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The macaron is an unlikely feat of wizardry—tender and crisp in turns, a bright-hued confection every bit as stratified as Detroit economics. There is voodoo involved, folklore about whether and how long you must let the eggs and batter sit, and something about propping the oven open with a wooden spoon. Most attempts fail. In Paris the oldest makers remain among the best, with few challengers outside of Pierre Hermé.
Well, I will buy macarons from only one place in Portland, and it is Farina Bakery.
Each of Farina's macarons ($2) is a marvel of texture and a satisfying journey across the whole of the palate. In our blind tasting of local macarons last year, nowhere else came remotely close to baker Laura Farina's pastries—and that was before she even had her own kitchen. At the time, she was squatting at KitchenCru and delivering her creations to bank lobbies, able to serve only a few flavors at a time.
Now, at her cheerily appointed little bakery on Hawthorne Boulevard, with wood grain and streaming sun and murals of aprons painted by Daniela Repas, there's a rainbow of flavors—a double rainbow, even. The honey pecan tastes like I stuck my finger in a beehive, but without the sting. The marionberry is positively juicy, the coconut airily transcendent, and the salty caramel a wash of flavor that hits late and hard. The Nutella was just plain nuts. Only the strawberry was too sweet for my palate—although it was the favorite of another writer in the office.
Meanwhile, a brownie came with an equal layer of ganache on top, a treat so rich it almost hurt to finish because I knew I wouldn't feel that way again soon. If you screw up and ask for a macaROON at the register, there's a bird's nest cookie for that, coconutty and laden with jam. Farina also makes decadent cakes to order, and though we haven't yet sampled one, we have every confidence. Like Kir Jensen of the Sugar Cube and Kristen Murray of Maurice and almost no one else in town, Laura Farina makes magic, and we will eat anything she bakes.
- Order this: Honey pecan and marionberry macarons, ganache brownie.
EAT: Farina Bakery, 1852 SE Hawthorne Blvd., 971-340-9734, farinabakery.com. 7 am-2 pm Tuesday-Sunday.
WWeek 2015