"A" and I (finally) got married last month and we decided not go to with a wedding cake, but we…read moreeach chose our favorite dessert instead. I chose macarons (of course) and he chose mini cupcakes. I'd been Instagram stalking Macarons A Go-Go for years, so our wedding was the perfect opportunity to finally order from them. And why just go with boring (but still great) round ones, but go with character ones instead? I'm a huge Studio Ghibli and tokidoki fan, so I requested Totoro and the tkdk honey bear, as well as a regular round one in salted caramel, lemon, and mango guava. They were super responsive and really patient when I couldn't make up my mind about flavors, characters, etc. They also delivered the macarons to our venue and set them in a display stand. They looked (and tasted) amazing! I am already looking forward to our next event so I could order more!!!

Hmmm what to say about Macaron a Go-Go (MAGG)? Well I'll be honest and I have an affiliation with…read morethe owner. I'm willing to admit this because well you want my honest opinion and you'll get it. But know this I'm no slouch when it comes to reviews even if I know you. As a matter of fact I'm giving MAGG their first 4-star rating (all are 5 at the time of this writing) You'll understand shortly. First off the creator behind MAGG, Van, is a connoisseur (bordering obsessed) of many things exotically sweet. If she decides to tackle things its with zest (like her Myer Lemon Macs) and reckless abandon (to my waste lines) but leaves you wanting more. Fortunately she did this with Macarons and now presenting it us so we are lucky for it. She's also a sweetheart to-boot. OK enough about that...now about these fancy cookies... At first the MAGG creations were so-so but after trial and error and hundreds of tastings later, I'm extremely satisfied to say that they are just a delight to enjoy. Every flavor I have tried has been on point. Myer Lemon, Spiced Pumpkin, Fleur Del Sel Caramel and Black Sesame were some of the standouts. The flavors stay true to their name and why wouldn't it be when it's fresh natural ingredients. She says she doesn't use food coloring and I'm just bewildered because they are not only a delight to eat but also look at with their vibrance and beauty (never thought I'd use those words to describe a cookie.) Texture wise the shell is crispy to a snap on initial bite moving inward to a chewy center and then finally the amazing flavored inner cream. I swear if I could "oreo" these cookies and lick out the cream I would but the eating them as a whole is what experience a macaron is about and MAGG does that well. Before I didn't even take notice of a macaron simply because they never really made an impression. Now that I have been re-introduced to them I have sought out and compared many others to MAGG and well they definitely hold their own if not blow out most Bay Area bakeries through the flavors. Now for the reason for the 4 stars, these damn things are on a rarity. You want to collect them as much as you want to eat them. Right now MAGG is only available through special order or in Burlingame Farmer's Market. I just wished there was more places to get them at or one place that had them available all the time since I'm not spoiled with tastings at gatherings anymore. If you are into Macarons then you will definitely need to check out Macarons A Go-Go. As a fringe benefit you'll also be supporting a local small business and great person. Highly recommended (when you can find them)!

First time at Maison Alyzée was on the evening of Thursday, October 26, 2023. Ray, Pete and I…read morewalked in shortly before 9 PM for some caffeine after our dinner event at Rise Pizzeria, just down the street. Maison Alyzée is a French fine pastry bakery café located on downtown Burlingame's main strip. Dedicated to providing customers with a Parisian escape through handcrafted elegant pastries and artisanal breads, the bake shoppe doubles as pâtisserie and boulangerie, priding itself on meticulous attention to detail. Upon entry, we were welcomed by a brightly lit and very clean venue. Ray and I were immediately drawn to the beautiful marble-topped white counter that encased a gorgeous variety of exquisite treats. The commitment to the elegance of French culture and modern creativity were evident in every luxurious pastry and cake on display. Maison Alyzée is an order-at-the-counter establishment, so we made our purchase with a friendly staff member at the register. Unfortunately, we were told that espresso drinks were no longer available that night since the staff had already begun cleaning the machines. Ok....I never understand businesses that start shutting down things before closing time. This just shows customers that team convenience of closing shop quickly takes precedence over customer experience, essentially omitting availability of items from the menu while they are still open. For this reason, I am docking a star. Luckily, they still had some cold brew available, so I ordered a Lavender Cold Brew with oat milk. Heads-up: Plant-based milks like almond and oat milk incur a $0.75 surcharge. I wish that the lavender was more like a simple syrup, so that the flavour was sweeter and less sharp. Maison Alyzée also offers a selection of breakfast, lunch, and brunch options. I definitely need to return to try one or two or a few of their ostentatious delights.

Living on the Peninsula, we have plenty of options for exceptional coffee and pastries, which is…read morewhy the overall experience matters. I visited Maison Alyzee in Burlingame on a Saturday morning, and while the pastries were good, the service felt cold and dismissive. There was no rush, yet the staff was not warm or welcoming. I asked for my raisin au pain to be warmed up, and after waiting outside for about 10 minutes with no update, I went back in to ask. The response was "It's in the oven" was delivered rudely, as though my simple question was an inconvenience. Even when a café is busy, basic courtesy and communication should not be optional. Good food deserves to be matched by good hospitality.

First time trying this out, my friends told me these cookies are delicious... well they were right,…read morethe cookies were so good! This shop is small, the service was great and I liked how they also write down on their menu if they are low on cookies and how many are left. They also have a small oven where you can WARM UP YOUR COOKIE(S)! Such a great idea, highly recommend checking this place out for their cookies.

Ambiance: A small cookie shop located on one of the side…read morestreets in Downtown San Mateo. The shop has a small seating area upon walking in with mainly a counter and the cookies on display for you to pick what you would like to refer. Wait time: Practically no wait time waiting in line or for cookies after placing your order. Service: The workers were nice and greeted upon entry and were quick to put the order together. Order via worker standing behind the counter. Cookies: The 66% chocolate chip had big chunks of chocolate which the bitterness helped balance the cookie. The cookies n cream was a little sweet for me but had again pieces of Oreos inside with a nice texture. The chocolate peanut butter again had both chocolate and creamy peanut butter which didn't leave the mouth dry. The honey comb was a unique and different taste with the honeycomb providing a less common sweetness but can be overpowering. The toffee cookie had bits of toffee which again provided texture without being overly sweet. The oatmeal chocolate walnut cookie was my second favorite after the 66% dark cocoa due to the oatmeal again balancing the sweetness of the chocolate with the saltiness of the walnuts. Overall would recommend for a solid cookie with a fair price and the day olds were also extremely cheap for a better quality than you could get at other places.

Renie's macarons are one of the best that I have ever tasted! I ordered three dozen, in the black…read moresesame, cookies and cream, and matcha lychee flavors. Not only were they scrumptious, but the texture and presentation was superb. 11/10 would order again!

Macarons are by far the best I've ever tried. The shells are perfect and aren't cracked when…read morereceived. The filling is so tasty and delicious. Certain flavors are not as sweet as the others. Best flavor I have tried was the Matcha Lychee! Their best seller. If you ever need any for an event or party she is the go to!

I recently tried a chocolate cupcake from The Cake Shop in San Mateo at a friend's birthday, and…read moreunfortunately I was really disappointed. The cupcake itself was quite dry, and the buttercream had an overwhelming buttery taste rather than the smooth, creamy, silky texture I expected from a professional bakery. There was also very little frosting on top, which made the presentation look unfinished. I'm honestly relieved this wasn't for my son's birthday, because I would have been extremely disappointed. I really wanted to love it, but it just didn't meet the quality I hoped for.

Prompt communication by email made it easy to get this cake ordered while dealing with other things…read more(at work!) It was well packed in a sturdy box for transport. This tall cake served twenty easily (I sliced it in two layers), and was an enormous hit with the newly four year old. The adults loved the chocolate cookie "hole" construction site, everyone wanted to know where it was from. The flavor and texture of the chocolate cake was excellent, much much better than a store cake. I had low expectations for the frosting flavor given the decorations and past experience with kid birthday cakes but this was outstanding. Overall a huge hit and well worth the price for what was also the perfect centerpiece for the table. I will happily reorder from this bakery whenever we need an event cake, it was just so easy and so rewarding.

Had a wonderful Foccacia class here with my mom! Everyone was so nice and it was organized very…read morewell. Rosaura was THE BEST! She was very knowledgeable and helpful and funny :) can't wait to book another class!

The class was absolutely fun! The Matcha Strawberry Roll was absolutely delicious ! They are very…read moreorganized in their teaching process and simply a fun place to learn! Thanks Rosaura & staff!

This place has all the olive oils and balsamics you can think of. It has a minimalistic no-fuss…read morevibe, and is always pretty quiet when I come in. I end up being the only customer there along with my dog since the shop is dog-friendly. Staff are accommodating and often don't hesitate to help out or fill up a bigger bottle of oil for me.

Play on words, get it, to crush the olives for olive oil?…read more Anyways, that's as much mansplaining as I'm going to do. I really like this place a lot for it's wide variety of olive oil, friendly service, and fresh pasta and sauces. I can't tell which olive oil to buy for cooking versus a salad dressing because I'm ignorant, that's why I like coming here because it takes the guess work out of everything. Anyways, step up your olive oil game, grab some easy to cook pasta and sauce and feel like you know what you're doing in no time, even if you don't.