The popularity of Pix speaks more to the dearth of good pastries in Portland than anything else. Many of these desserts look the way they should, but are a disappointment when it comes to taste. The Big CherylsGhetto cake was probably the worst thing I have ever had here. It was rubbery, tough, and bland. The Amelie had some very nice flavors of chocolate and orange, but the pieces of praline crisp were a bit of a shock in a jaw-breaker way, because they were huge and hard. This dessert would have been delightful if the praline pieces had been finer, providing a subtle crunch instead of a jolt. The Jane Avril, which includes raspberry mousse and pistachio cake, sounded wonderful, but ended up being quite bland. The presentation here is always wonderful, and I would happily pay the high prices if the desserts lived up to the expectation. Oddly enough, two of my favorite things from pix are the least beautiful. I buy the pixies on a regular basis. The pixie is a pistachio bar with almond paste and raspberry jam. It is simple and delicious. The macarons at pix, especially the creme de cassis ones, give the Parisian ones a run for their money.
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