Mike and I left South Florida for good almost 2 years ago. However, we have a number of friends still living there, so we thought it would be a nice change of pace to have Thanksgiving down south. The day of the big Turkey was lovely and cozy, the fog kept the blazing sun at bay, and we were filled to the brim with stuffing and happy baby smiles.

Sub-tropical clouds. Quite different from the kinds of clouds we get in Seattle.

Two days later, we were looking around for something less American, more simple. More European, in fact. We also wanted great bread. Our friend Jay raved a few times about Côté France, a cute little bakery in Boca Raton.

Pistachio Tart with mousse

Pineapple Tart with Grand Marnier

Most excellent fruit tart

One of the owners, Claudine, was extremely friendly and delved into complete explanations of each of the desserts I pointed at. The pineapple tart grabbed my eye mostly due to the marshmallow-like globs on the top. Claudine said the topping was a mixture of whipped cream and custard. She also said that they used Grand Marnier to add more orange flavor. Yum!

Charming Claudine

Jay pointed out that fruit tarts are done poorly very often. You can find them in most supermarkets, the glaze clammy from overnight hardening and the fruit usually under-ripe. But when done right, just right, the simple fruit tart can be the star of any dessert display. I like how the apple in this tart is sliced to remind me of a parrot’s ruffled head-feathers!