As much as we’d all like to ignore it, finals are less than two weeks away. After an entire semester of rotating between Lau, HFSC and Leavy, it’s time for a fresh study spot. Lucky for Georgetown students, Maman is a straight shot from the front gates. Even luckier? The food and drinks they’re serving can fuel some long hours.
Upon walking inside, I instantly felt calmer. The bright interior with white brick and greenery up the walls made the space feel like I was in an outdoor garden on a sunny day which was great because it was pouring outside.
A few steps more, I was face to face with a fully stocked pastry case. Maman was gracious enough to comp Spoon one pastry, drink, and savory item. But they were not making my choice easy! Between the vegan carrot cake, the crème brûlée cookie, and the strawberry rhubarb croissant bar, I had my work cut out for me. Worried I was holding up the line with my decision, I made a game-time decision to go with the vanilla mango croissant roll.
After watching my roommates devour the smashed avocado tartine at home, my savory choice was already made up for me - I was ready to understand why they get it delivered multiple times a week.
Admittedly, I’ve never been a coffee drinker, which initially intimidated me about coming to Maman as they are known for having great coffee. Seeing their milk chocolate macadamia latte and their honey lavender latte almost made me risk stomach issues, but luckily their menu doesn’t exclude non-coffee drinkers.
With the order placed, it was time to make the next difficult decision - where to sit. At the front, they have an area called “The Study” with a communal rectangular table as well as some counter seating. And outlets! In the back, there is a larger space with two longer communal tables and counter seating. In these areas, there were people both eating and working. Maman also offers more traditional cafe seating in their main room with smaller round tables designed for one or two people. Looking to get the perfect lighting for food photos, I chose a counter spot near a window.
Vanilla Mango Croissant
The vanilla mango croissant was delivered to my table first. I saved it for last because I like to end my meals with something sweet. But once I had tried it, I wished I hadn’t waited so long to eat it - I was just depriving myself of how incredible it was. Initially, when I ordered it, I was a bit worried the mango flavor would be too overpowering and not “go” with the taste of a traditional croissant. However, Maman married the vanilla and mango custards well. The flower on top was mostly vanilla with the center of the pastry filled with a mix of the mango and vanilla creams. I appreciated that the custard was not throughout the entire croissant and there were still pieces that had the traditional flakiness. I also believe that there may have been mango worked into some of the layers of the dough because there was an orange color in sections, but again the taste was so subtle I wouldn’t have known if I didn’t see it.
Smashed Avocado Tartine
The smashed avocado tartine left me feeling a bit conflicted. The avocado was so smooth it tasted a bit like guacamole, which isn’t my personal favorite for avo toast, but maybe that was the point. On top of the tartine there were chopped tomatoes and onions that resembled a salsa. My favorite part about the tartine was the presentation of items on the side. Maman gives eaters a handful of red pepper flakes, sea salt, and pumpkin seeds to put on the tartine DIY style. I appreciated this because there is nothing worse than an avocado toast that is too salty or too hot for your liking. Overall, the portion was great - with two pieces of perfectly toasted bread you won’t walk away from this tartine hungry.
Sakura Blossom Matcha
To wash it all down I had my Sakura blossom matcha. Another item that was almost too pretty to have! The matcha on the top of the glass and the pink cherry flavor layered at the bottom made for a perfect photo. Once the perfect photo was taken, I stirred the flavors together and gave it a sip. The Sakura flavoring gave it a slight floral taste that was not overly sweet. The drink itself was refreshing but I did find that as I kept drinking, the taste seemed to disappear and I was left with just matcha. Not a horrible thing as it was a very refreshing drink, but I was looking forward to a bit more Sakura considering the drink I ordered.
Maman is on everyone’s favorites list for a reason - Vogue, Oprah, Grub Street, The Wall Street Journal. It’s a reliable spot that provides a delicious option for every eater. On long study days this finals season, you will find me in the back room of Maman with a matcha and a pastry (maybe the carrot cake this time…).