Paris Cafe: The Crumbling Cookie

Working from home, I couldn't think of something to eat, I was tired of cereal, and my kitchen had all sorts of food that would make strange combos that may or may not be digestible. Hungry, I ventured out for something to eat.

In my a'venturing, I happened upon Paris Cafe, a cute little place tucked away right by Pearl's (which has fantastic buffalo burgers). There, I was delighted by the warmth of the shop (literal warmth - my apartment's freezing!) and the moderate prices on the board. Delighted to be warming my rather chilly bones, I settled in for a turkey sandwich and chocolate chip cookie.

The turkey could have used some cucumber and a little less mayo. The cookie? Well, it would have helped if it would keep its shape... The body of the cookie was dry and hard. It also had the tendency to crumble with every bite, sending chunks of cookie pelting down. It was loaded with chips as if to make up for the dough's lack of character and flavor, and the overall texture bordered on crumbling crunchiness.

The people there were sweet, but I'm afraid I can't say the same for the cookie.

The hunt goes on.

Cookie Cookie Cookie Starts with "C"

I just moved to San Francisco this summer, which means - cookie hunt!

It took me half a year to find the perfect chocolate chip cookie for me in Palo Alto. It was at the Stanford University Law School Cafe, of all places. The staff knew me by name and would smile and grab me a piece of goodness whenever they saw me. Then I would grasp the precious white paper bag, willing myself to wait until I could bike to a more appropriate location to savor the soft bread-like chocolate chip cookie that had a hint of chewiness and perfect dough-to-chocolate ratio. Often, I would fail in that endeavor and end up consuming half the cookie before unlocking my bike. Well, unless the cookies were already sold out and I was leaving defeated.

Hard, chewy, soft, bready, M&Ms, chunks, chips. I've found that I don't stick with one type. Usually there's just this "ah-ha" moment as I bite in and chew the doughy goodness with chocolate chunks. It's instant recognition when I meet my match.

I can't believe I'm embarking on a new quest for a new chocolate chip cookie craving corner. The journey may be long (or short) and I am (highly) likely to sacrifice my legs and money on morsels that leave me unsatisfied. You wouldn't think that chocolate chip cookie hunting would be painful, but it's unsettling how many bad cookies there are out there.

Now, I know cookie judgment can be incredibly subjective so don't start hating on me if I don't like the same cookie joints that you do. That said, if you ever want to defend or advocate your joint with a guest feature entry, please do let me know. I'd love to hear other people's cookie quests and rewards. :)