Farina

By Adrienne So

1852 SE Hawthorne Blvd., 279-5939, farinabakery.com. Breakfast daily.

They may have both been the victims of recent trends, but otherwise there is no comparing the cupcake—a splodge of fat and sugar, squeezed into a paper shell by a ham-handed wastrel—to the macaron, which is an airy disc of delight that pleases the eye as well as the palate. Expertly made in a small, charming, wood-paneled bakery, Laura Farina's confections have a slight firmness to the tooth that gives way to a moist interior and the lightest, creamiest fillings we've ever tasted. We prefer the brightness of the fruit flavors, like the incandescent Meyer lemon ($2), to the understandably popular chocolate and caramel ones. But sweetness, both in flavor and appearance, is best exemplified by the raspberry, whose top is adorned with a dainty string of hearts.

Check out Willamette Week's 2016 Cheap Eats guide here.

Willamette Week

Explore more on:

ce2016ce2016-directoryCheap EatsCheap Eats 2016Farina Bakerymacaronssweets

Adrienne So

Adrienne So

Adrienne So writes about travel, beer and gear for Cool Hunting, All About Beer and other online and print publications. She lives in a tiny house with her husband, her daughter, two dogs, and a more or less constant supply of beer, cheese and brownies.

Willamette Week’s reporting has concrete impacts that change laws, force action from civic leaders, and drive compromised politicians from public office.

Help us dig deeper.

Support