Dish of the Week
Macarons at Michel Patisserie

That's macarons with one 'o', not two. The one with two o's is made with coconut and tends to be a heavy haystack of coconut and sugar. While delicious, it has nothing to do with the delicate French macaron. The French macaron is a bit like a fancy Oreo, with meringue-like cookies made from almond flour and a delicious filling. They're definitely not easy to make well - it's difficult to create the fineness of the almond flour and the texture of the cookie just right. And there is definitely an optimal filling to cookie ratio, falling somewhere between 1:1 to 1:2. No one likes a stingy hand with the filling. Why else would they make double-stuffed Oreos?

That's where Michel Patisserie comes in. With their finely ground almond flour and delicious fillings, these make a great little cookie for an after-dinner coffee. My personal favorite is the passion fruit, with its bright flavor and semi-sweet filling. Other favorites include the sprightly orange, slightly burnt fleur-de-sel caramel, French vanilla, pistachio, bitter chocolate and... well... it's hard to go wrong with any of them.

You can order from their website and pay to have them couriered to you, or you can pick them up from Artisan Confections in Arlington. If this has you jonesing for a macaron fix in the District, you can get them at Patisserie Poupon. But after you have the ones from Michel Patisserie, it's hard to go back.

Image courtesy Michel Patisserie

Small Bites
Cook's heaven (not hell) opens
According to a few Capitol Hill residents on the DonRockwell.com forums, Hill's Kitchen has opened its doors for business. The first floor of the rowhouse-turned-shop carries pots, pans, bakeware, cookbooks, and all the other accoutrements a home cook needs, while the second floor is being equipped with a kitchen for cooking classes. The shop will particularly come in handy after a day of shopping at Eastern Market.

Waiting for tots
We've mentioned it before, but it appears that the final word is out: Sticky Rice DC is having a soft-opening this weekend. Open walk-in seating for the public begins Tuesday at the H Street NE restaurant. Just a little longer and you'll have your very own plate of tater tots.

It isn't international, until it opens in D.C.
Word from craig is that an IHOP is finally slated to open within the District. Currently they plan to build the diner from the ground up as part of the of the Giant supermarket complex at 15th and Alabama Ave., SE. A tentative opening date is set for between June 30 and July 9. [via Apples and Bananas]