For our first review, the original plan of attack was to try out the new Christian’s Cafe in downtown Kennebunk.  Like many other students, we had an extracurricular after school, in our case, mock trial. After getting out around 4:30, we sped over to Christian’s with the fervor of 1,000 rhinos. Unlike any other cafe in Kennebunk, we had history there. Some might remember the infamous “Shakespeare in the (nearby) Park,” which was where we met for the first time. Talk about an elite setting. Much to our chagrin, it closed at 4:00. Walking around downtown Kennebunk, we found that none of the other cafes were open either. This forced us to move all the way to the port, finding ourselves at Mornings in Paris. Elizabeth, being an invasive species to Kennebunk, had heard (but never experienced) the hype around Mornings in Paris. And might we say, despite its reputation, it didn’t deserve the recognition it’s been given. We can’t deny some of the positives; for one, it was the only cafe still open in all of Kennebunk and the port in the evening, perhaps making the mornings part of their title a misnomer. This is especially imperative for students looking to study who don’t get out of activities until mid-afternoon. 

When first walking in, it was exactly as expected. With a name like Mornings in Paris, your imagination can’t journey too far in terms of aesthetics. The overall vibe was quite nice; it was thoroughly decorated despite the slightly cheesy look. We took a considerably long time deciding our order because the veritable smorgasbord made it difficult to discern their most signature options. We ordered one of their staple drinks, salt, and silk coffee, as well as the pumpkin chai for a fall classic. Upon tasting the drinks, we were split in preference. Elizabeth preferred the salt and silk because of the strong, balanced flavors (but would’ve preferred it iced), and Maeve preferred the pumpkin chai solely because it “tastes like Christmas”. 

As for the food, we wanted to get the taste of a classic French dessert, inevitably choosing the macaron. Due to Maeve’s now unhinged desire to consume, we also bought an unnecessary chunk of lemon bread. Overall, this was a landslide win for the caramel macaron. While we both disliked the lemon bread, Maeve’s blinding love for lemon bread kept her from admitting that it just wasn’t good. The flavor was acceptable, but the dry texture held it back from really satiating our communal appetites. Overall, Mornings in Paris proved it could meet the expectations of classic french cuisine, but faltered in the extraneous pieces.