Who better to spend Macaron Day 2012 with than the man who brought us macaron day? We caught up with Francois Payard at his SoHo flagship where we talked macarons, the weather, and more.

We were greeted with a welcoming smile and an excitement for today you would have thought he was a kid in a candy shop, opposed to the man responsible for this oh-so-glorious of days!

FP: “You have to try this one, it’s delicious!” [As he plucked two Violet Cassis macarons from behind the counter for us himself] “It’s a little warm outside but these ones are the best!”

He said he had a line outside his bakery this morning extending 50 people deep and they’re still coming back for more.

FB: ”I think it’s my free giveaway bags! Look at all of the people in here.”

The patrons sitting in the bakery on this hot spring day aren’t only seeking a air conditioned oasis, they’ve visited a minimum of 12 macaron shops. By making FPB their last leg, they are able to walk away not only with a free macaron, but an additional half a dozen free macarons and a Payard reusable bag.

We spoke with one of the lucky owners of a new bag, Daniel, who claimed that while Payard’s almond flour confections were delicious, the pistachio macaron at Mad Mac was the best.

If you’ve been lucky enough to sneak away from work to indulge on these bite sited sweets, weigh in on which you think is the best! We may be biased but the Violet Cassis is hard to beat… Merci Francois!