Raspberry tarte is "okay" if you're fortunate to get a fresh one. I'm 1 for 2. We hear from a former employee that it's a challenging environment to work in, with no internal leadership and high turnover. Janjou is just too perfect to risk ordering from this ghost kitchen.
Diva M.
The cookies delivered by crave were totally inedible... gross and tasted... dare I say- freezer burnt?
Michele R.
Let's be clear on what Merite is. It is not a patisserie bakeshop with a storefront where one can walk in to make selections from a pastry case and either take away or linger at a table to enjoy the pastry with coffee or tea. If you're looking for that in the Boise area there are two excellent pastry bakeshops to recommend (one of them owned by a local two time Beard recognized professional pastry Chef) and I'll close this review with how to find these storefronts where the owners are at the helm in bakery and in front of house. But you will be disappointed if you expect Merite to be that because it is not. It is order via the Crave ghost kitchens and delivery app (you will need to download the app to place an order) and then delivered by Crave. There may be also an option to pick up your ordered pastries at the Crave physical ghost kitchens production site. CAN YOU SAY 'CHAIN' BOYS AND GIRLS?: Merite is not a pastry bakeshop led on site by a trained pastry chef using local ingredients. It is a chain extension bakery / pastry enterprise with formula pastry finishing productions coming out of one of the roughly 17 Crave ghost kitchens. The Merite production enterprise is headed by a pastry chef, Lincoln Carson, who was one time Beard award nominee. Chef Carson was also employed by the Mina group, the food enterprise headed by restauranteur Michael Mina. He may still be with Mina in this Merite endeavor, that I don't' know but I do know that Michael Mina's chain food enterprises are also distributed via these Crave app efforts as produced in Meridian located Crave ghost kitchens and include, but may not be limited to, the formula food chains of Tokyo Hot Chicken and Mac n Cue BBQ. Merite marketing materials say the Merite effort in Meridian ghost kitchen at Crave are 'overseen" by Chef Carson. That doesn't mean he is on prem in the ghost kitchen at Crave because Chef Carson lives in LA, I think. FIRST TRY HAD A TASTY OUTCOME: Setting the stage for what Merite is and is not, the production recipes finished at Crave ghost kitchen pastries seem equally as good as similar ones you might buy in the kiosk patisseries for take away in one of the big casino hotel lobbies in Las Vegas. We ordered the Meyer Lemon and Yuzu tart ($8) for our introduction to Merite and it was very good for a production pastry. Although my husband and I shared this after a Thai food meal also ordered from Crave delivery, these pastries are really sized to be an individual serving. If we were ordering from Crave in the future and wanted to add dessert, we would choose Merite again. BUT it would not be "destination ordering" via the app if we were ordering fine pastries for take away from a pastry bakeshop for others as gifts or to use at home for ourselves or serve guests. To select from a pastry case to takeaway or enjoy at a shop with coffee or tea, we would choose one of the two following locally owned shops. TWO LOCAL AND EXTRAORDINARY REAL PASTRY SHOPS WITH STOREFRONTS IN BOISE: A. JANJOU Patisserie - owned by two time Beard recognized and formally trained Patissiere Moshit Mizrachi-Gabbitas (originally from Israel and France) and her husband Chuck who are Boise residents and such nice people too. From incredibly crafted and delicious fine dessert pastries to breakfast pastries and quiche, this is one of the finest pastry shops we have found anywhere. Excellence is the Northstar here. B. SUNSHINE SPICE Bakery & Cafe - owned by three sisters (originally from Afghanistan) who are Boise residents and delightful, talented women. From tarts to cookies to petite cakes the selections are scrumptious. They have tasty savory options too.
Briane M.
Absolutely amazing cheesecake, probably the best I have ever had. Light and fluffy and not dense. The crust is very buttery.
Raspberry tarte is "okay" if you're fortunate to get a fresh one. I'm 1 for 2. We hear from a former employee that it's a challenging environment to work in, with no internal leadership and high turnover. Janjou is just too perfect to risk ordering from this ghost kitchen.
The cookies delivered by crave were totally inedible... gross and tasted... dare I say- freezer burnt?
Let's be clear on what Merite is. It is not a patisserie bakeshop with a storefront where one can walk in to make selections from a pastry case and either take away or linger at a table to enjoy the pastry with coffee or tea. If you're looking for that in the Boise area there are two excellent pastry bakeshops to recommend (one of them owned by a local two time Beard recognized professional pastry Chef) and I'll close this review with how to find these storefronts where the owners are at the helm in bakery and in front of house. But you will be disappointed if you expect Merite to be that because it is not. It is order via the Crave ghost kitchens and delivery app (you will need to download the app to place an order) and then delivered by Crave. There may be also an option to pick up your ordered pastries at the Crave physical ghost kitchens production site. CAN YOU SAY 'CHAIN' BOYS AND GIRLS?: Merite is not a pastry bakeshop led on site by a trained pastry chef using local ingredients. It is a chain extension bakery / pastry enterprise with formula pastry finishing productions coming out of one of the roughly 17 Crave ghost kitchens. The Merite production enterprise is headed by a pastry chef, Lincoln Carson, who was one time Beard award nominee. Chef Carson was also employed by the Mina group, the food enterprise headed by restauranteur Michael Mina. He may still be with Mina in this Merite endeavor, that I don't' know but I do know that Michael Mina's chain food enterprises are also distributed via these Crave app efforts as produced in Meridian located Crave ghost kitchens and include, but may not be limited to, the formula food chains of Tokyo Hot Chicken and Mac n Cue BBQ. Merite marketing materials say the Merite effort in Meridian ghost kitchen at Crave are 'overseen" by Chef Carson. That doesn't mean he is on prem in the ghost kitchen at Crave because Chef Carson lives in LA, I think. FIRST TRY HAD A TASTY OUTCOME: Setting the stage for what Merite is and is not, the production recipes finished at Crave ghost kitchen pastries seem equally as good as similar ones you might buy in the kiosk patisseries for take away in one of the big casino hotel lobbies in Las Vegas. We ordered the Meyer Lemon and Yuzu tart ($8) for our introduction to Merite and it was very good for a production pastry. Although my husband and I shared this after a Thai food meal also ordered from Crave delivery, these pastries are really sized to be an individual serving. If we were ordering from Crave in the future and wanted to add dessert, we would choose Merite again. BUT it would not be "destination ordering" via the app if we were ordering fine pastries for take away from a pastry bakeshop for others as gifts or to use at home for ourselves or serve guests. To select from a pastry case to takeaway or enjoy at a shop with coffee or tea, we would choose one of the two following locally owned shops. TWO LOCAL AND EXTRAORDINARY REAL PASTRY SHOPS WITH STOREFRONTS IN BOISE: A. JANJOU Patisserie - owned by two time Beard recognized and formally trained Patissiere Moshit Mizrachi-Gabbitas (originally from Israel and France) and her husband Chuck who are Boise residents and such nice people too. From incredibly crafted and delicious fine dessert pastries to breakfast pastries and quiche, this is one of the finest pastry shops we have found anywhere. Excellence is the Northstar here. B. SUNSHINE SPICE Bakery & Cafe - owned by three sisters (originally from Afghanistan) who are Boise residents and delightful, talented women. From tarts to cookies to petite cakes the selections are scrumptious. They have tasty savory options too.
Absolutely amazing cheesecake, probably the best I have ever had. Light and fluffy and not dense. The crust is very buttery.
Restaurantji Recommends