Lette, Birmingham’s first macaron shop, opens in Cahaba Heights

There’s a rainbow in Cahaba Heights—a macaron rainbow that is. And it is charming and delicious. Find it at Lette.

Lette [let], is one of the newest shops to pop up at the Heights Village shopping center in Cahaba Heights. 

“Cahaba Heights was the perfect location because it has a great community that supports one another. And it’s conveniently located for people in Mountain Brook, Homewood, Hoover and downtown areas,” Owner, Crystal Lovelady said.

Lovelady first learned of Lette and its macarons when she lived in Beverly Hills, CA.

Upon moving back to her hometown of Vestavia Hills, Lovelady greatly missed the decadent little treats and decided it was a great opportunity for her to open their own Lette shop and bring macarons to Birmingham.

Macarons vs Macaroons

Is it macaron or macaroon? It’s a common misconception. And it’s not just the spelling that differs. The two are actually two totally different desserts, inspired by two entirely different countries. 

Here’s the difference:

A macaron—like the ones sold at Lette—are French-inspired. Pronounced “mah-kuh-ron” with a silent “e”, macaron’s are small sandwich-like meringue cookies made with almond flour and egg whites and filled with creamy ganache, jam or a cream-based filling.

“French macarons have been around for centuries. They just haven’t been here that long in the U.S.,” Lovelady said.

A macaroon [mak-uh-roon] on the other hand, is an Italian dessert that is a dense coconut-flavored cookie.

“Macarons embody all that is French. So here in the U.S., it’s a very different treat from the macarons more common and popular cousin found here in the U.S.—the Italian macaroon,” Lovelady said.

Inside The Shop

The interior of Lette is a crisp boutique white from walls to counters, which makes the vivid hues of the macarons on display pop like a brilliant rainbow.

There is a variety of flavors to choose from—each with a swoon-worthy color that adds to its charm.

Flavors include classics like chocolate, caramel and vanilla and fruit flavors like coconut, passion fruit and blueberry lemon.

There are also several unique flavors like earl gray tea, rose and violet cassis. 

While there is no poor choice when it comes to choosing a macaron flavor, Lovelady said that macaron newbies typically opt for the classic flavors for their first taste.

“My personal favorite is the sweet wedding almond,” Lovelady said.

Give ‘Em A Try

Grab a taste of the macaron rainbow at Lette, located at 3112 Vestavia Hills in the Heights Village shopping center.