Macarons, macarons!

What is a macaron: They're not pasta, first off. They're these annoyingly addictive little deserts, akin to a cookie, that come in an assortment of colors and flavors. At first I was a bit hesitant, as I am used to the variety of flourescent, possibly even glow-in-the-dark American boxed treats, which all pretty much taste like crap, and yet.... you still eat them. (And then you keep asking yourself why you eat these things. But then you eat them again. Like candy corn, for instance. The Americans, hungry and ingenious as they are, have discovered that you can make anything not just edible but even tempting by pouring a box of sugar on it). So in the US, the ratio of gram of dessert to gram of sugar is about 1:25 (magic I know), and the ratio of color to crap factor is one to one. All in all, these French macarons did not have a good precedent set out for them.

A few months later, as the macarons were recommended to me by locals over and over again, the time came to risk a toothache and dissapointment for possibly another guilty pleasure. We headed to chez Pierre Hermé, and were genuinely spectacularly surprised. Biting into a well made macaron is, as all fancy french things go, an experience to be had. The outside is a soft merengue-like shell, and inside there is an incredibly perfumed soft creme, which tastes exactly like the flavor it is supposed to represent. The raspberry macarons taste like raspberries, not like red. They're like no other little dessert I've tasted, they're the cookie every cookie envies. And for the sweet-teeth out there, completely unmissable on a Parisian trip.

Artsy plus: macarons are extremely photogenic, great addition to your food-porn collection.

Where to find them:

Laduree
This is the most famous of the macaron makers, and the inventor of the double-decker macaron, which is the form that is popular today. Avoid high-times as the lines are very long; try weekday mornings and afternoons. In my opinion, they have the best pistachio macarons.
http://www.laduree.fr/

Pierre Hermé (not to be confused with designer Paul Hermés)
Situated on the same rue as Laduree but farther south near St. Sulpice, the Pierre Hermé patisserie competes (in my opinion) with Laduree as the place to indulge in these colorful delights. The macarons here are a bit sweeter, which is a minus, but far more creative. While Laduree's macarons are made in the usual chocolate, pistachio, vanilla flavors etc. the Pierre Hermé macarons include interesting combinations: chocolate and cassis, white truffle and hazelnut, matcha and marron (green tea and chestnut cream). Yum! There are new flavors introduced every couple of months. Sitting on a bench in the St. Sulpice plaza is an added benefit to this macaron experience.
http://www.pierreherme.com/index.cgi?cwsid=5876phAC194316ph9528736

Almost every patisserie/boulangerie anywhere
Of varying flavors and quality. I would highly recommend trying the above two places, but going to a simple boulangerie may do the trick for a craving. Also, it is easier on the wallet.

Le Grand Epicerie
Sevres/St. Placide. If you're a foodie you should visit this place for the sake of wandering around food wonderland first, not for their macarons, but you can always try macarons here as well. Though not as creative as the two macaron houses, they're pretty good. Generally anything you buy here will please.

And as a little note of advice, always stick to the small macarons rather than the big ones. They tend to have a better consistency (for whatever reason) and you can try multiple flavors in one outing. :) Happy macarons!