Skip to main content

Eclairons

I need sugar.  Face it, this lock-down requires a little (just a little) stress eating.  My attempts at baking Chocolate Chip cookies have not turned out well, so I headed to Georgetown to check out the new Levain Bakery.  The line was two blocks long.  So, I headed to Plan B, a new pastry shop in western Rosslyn.  Named Eclairons it doesn't have a website yet but is related to Pastry XPO, a cafe at Mosaic I had tried a year or so ago.  Despite opening issues (I was the only one there but the clerk took a while to ring up the order and almost overcharged me), the sweets here are better than the Mosaic version.  I purchased a lot of iems to get a sense of what worked and what didn't.  Visually impressive their "cookies" (two meringue wafers filled with a variety of fluffy stuffings) were the least yummy.  They are "okay" but not stunning and tend to crumble everywhere at the first bite.  More engaging were the cupcakes and eclairs which came in some nice flavors and were rich without being overly sweet.  Even better were the small cakes.  I had a Chocolate Bombe, a slice of Almond Cake and a Fruit Cheesecake.  Each had unexpected and nicely surprising layers.  The Almond Cake, in particular, had a rich marzipan flavor with no less than five different ingredients folded into the thick topping.  While they don't knock my favorite pasty shop, Randolph's, off the throne, this place comes close.  The return trip, however, will be for a single item -- the Rum Truffles.  I haven't had them this rich, this delicious, since my favorite source for them in McLean shut down a few years back.  I will return for the truffles ... and maybe get another treat or two.

Eclairon -- upscale bakery
1737 Wilson Blvd, Arlington

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Afghan Bistro

With family members moving to Springfield, it has been a struggle to find good places to eat so far afield.  After flirting with some chain restaurants near the mall, we tried a Pakistani restaurant (there are many, many Pakistani restaurants there), but it fell flat.  Finally, someone suggested this amazing place.  It's a little hole-in-the-wall in a strip mall.  With oilcloth table coverings, the vibe seems questionable.  For about a minute.  Then you are warmly greeted and given menus with a plethora of choices.  My party ordered a great number of items and every dish rose above expectations.  The staff are eager to please and checked in to make sure everything was okay, from food to drink needs.  When a member of my party dropped a piece of silverware on the floor one of the waiters swooped in with a replacement before we could even ask.   But onto the food.  We ordered the Potato and Leek turnovers, the Aushak (leek and sc...
Post a Comment
Read more

First Watch

Meant to invite some family members here but a friend beat me to the punch.  We compromised and went together.  Unfortunately, this is a place where it looks better than it is.  Across the board.  The funky design scheme makes it an echo chamber and, with the pumping music, very loud.  Conversation was difficult.  The menu is covered in glossy photos and descriptions of the food but ... I started with the Morning Meditation Fresh Juice, a pretty blend of citrus and beet.  Or I tried to.  Took three reminders to the waiter and when it finally arrived, halfway into the meal, it was 90% ice and 10% juice.  My companions opted for coffee.  It was ice cold.  Another long wait (about 20 minutes) to get new coffee -- and included a reminder to staff that they wanted fresh cups as well.  I ordered the Vegetarian Quinoa Bowl, which was described as having up to 12 ingredients.  It had three.  The quinoa, an egg, maybe two teen...
Post a Comment
Read more

RASA

The popular grain bowl trend gets a twist with this Indian-inspired takeout bowl place.  Same concept -- a base, greens, toppings, etc., but the options are mostly Indian inspired and the majority of offerings are vegetarian (although not vegan, given the heavy use of Ghee in cooking).  My take is mixed.  Some of the items were outstanding, some less so.  I got the Lemon Tumeric Rice, which was delightful.  Fresh and tangy, with a little bite, it was one of the best rice dishes I've ever tried.  On top of this I got the Tofu/Cauliflower protein.  It was half and half.  The cauliflower was perfectly roasted, the roasted onions delightful, and the nuts were a beautiful added crunch.  The tofu, however, was watery, and the green and red peppers well past prime.  Next, I added sauteed spinach, which was incredibly bland, and the peanut sesame sauce, which was "okay" but forgettable.  I didn't do additional toppings, although there were ...
Post a Comment
Read more