Camille by Manon
Caramel and White Chocolate Chip Flan
Apple Tart
Chocolate Almond Croissant
Bear Claw
Macarons – Salty Caramel, Peanut Butter, Pistachio, Cherry, Blueberry, Coffee
Located on Rainbow in a repurposed fast-food parlor complete with drive-thru and far more seating than Patisserie Manon on West Charleston my visit to Camille was largely a result of Bachi HLK’s changed hours and having not been terribly impressed by the original my disappointments carried right over with only two of ten selections proving memorable in the least. Copiously praised for their haphazard macarons, uglier than most albeit far cheaper, suffice it to say that artificial flavors and colors are the rule at Manon and although the caramel and cherry both offered a crisp break into creamy filling the others were frankly gummy and unappealing even for $1.10. Moving on to laminated pastry, a tiny bear claw proved neither French nor interesting with a dearth of filling while a pancaked croissant covered for artificial almond tones with too much chocolate and questionable freshness as it was cool to touch even seconds after staff opened the doors. Taking a cue from a young server for my final selections as they hadn’t yet made anything choux it was in butter pastry that I finally found some reprieve for Camille and although I’m rather certain the apples on my tart came from an HFCS-labeled can the lattice itself was lovely, a trend equaled in the base of the decadent flan with sweet eggy tones punctuated by pockets of cocoa and a ribbon of caramel.
ONE AND A HALF STARS: Clearly doing well enough to justify a second storefront there are simply too many good French pastry shops in Las Vegas to waste time or calories on most of Manon’s goods no matter how low the prices or convenient the location.
RECOMMENDED: Although not particularly French, the flan is excellent (and large enough to share.)
AVOID: Macarons and anything else that seems time or labor intensive.
TIP: Having watched the team prep for the morning there is little doubt in my mind that Manon carries stock over from day to day; perhaps taking staff recommendations to heart is the way to go.
WHAT THE STARS MEAN: 5 World Class, 4 Excellent, 3 Good, 2 Fair, 1 Poor
http://www.patisseriemanon.com/
