Lower Mainland Dessert & Pastry Suggestions?

[maxmillan]

I'm planning to go beyond Vancouver to try out as many worthwhile bakeries as I can. Albeit, there are a lot of good bread and pastry eats here, the gossip of good bakeries in Abbostford, Whiterock, Chilliwack is beckoning me!

I hope to convince my friends to join me. But in case I can't, are there groups here or other clubs that does this sort of thing? I LOVE to talk, eat, sleep, read...about food, especially pastries and bread. I don't drink so a dining club is quite intimidating to me.

I understand there are high end restaurants that will serve desserts on a slow night. I've been to Cin Cin, Trafalgar, etc. Where else can you suggest?

I've tried almost all the desserts at Sen5es, Patisserie LeBeau, the breads at Terra and Cobbs (which BTW, the latter tastes like cardboard.)

I have a very flexible schedule and plan to go to the further locatons during off peak traffic hours.

Thanks for your help.

[lemon curd]

When you are visiting White Rock/South Surrey, I recommend you check out Fieldstone Bakery (Crescent Road & 128th). Their bread used to be available at Capers, but now they only sell from their store. I consider their bread to rival Terra Breads. Fieldstone's is closed Mondays, and on Sunday their hours are something like 10am - 2 pm. Normal bakery hours for the rest of week.

We also now have a Cobbs bakery in the neighbourhood. I agree with your cardboard assessment.

[Minko]

How about True Confections? There is one downtown on Denman but I don't know what the cross-street is, and there is another one in Kits, at Alma and Broadway. I used to frequent it often and they had a chocolate/orange cake that was to die for; six layers of chocolate cake with a wonderful Grand Marnier infused orange cream and then all iced with an incredible chocolate ganache. I am a chocoholic and it certainly satisfied me!!

[Jeffy Boy]

I've never been myself, but I've heard people rave about the pies at the Chilliwack Airport. Apparently, pilots will literally fly there to get them.

[jamiemaw]

A visit to Cin Cin last night for my fiancees birthday party confirmed that Thierry Busset continues to bake the best restaurant breads in the city, at least that I've come across. He's lightened up the rolls since his time at West--they're made from white flour now and served with a precocious tapenade, although I asked for some cold butter and gave a grind of salt. A lesson in one thing, perfectly done, and a finger in the eye of Dr. Atkins!

Even more stunning was the birthday 'cake' Thierry created--actually a chilled chocolate jewel-box with creme-filled bon bons inside. And neither pastry nor a birthday candle in sight. As delicious and guilty a confection as the cast of the Young and Restless who were dining nearby.

You should check out MIX bakery on West 10th, although for my money, Notte's Bon Ton on West Broadway is the mother of them all. Everything is beautifully crafted; their 'Special' Orange cake particularly light on its feet. But veterans order the Diplomat cake for celebratory occasions--its butter icing is rich enough to send shivers down your back, the internal texture the product of a thousand delicate layers. Their cheese-straws recall an earlier Vancouver, when there were many more local bakeries such as The Dainty Maid and The Cookie Jar, gone now, like their customers.

Jamie Maw

Food Editor

Vancouver Magazine

[mot juste]

Well, yes, all of the above is certainly true. But if you are looking for good bakeries outside of Vancouver, then Fieldstone, which specializes in baking organic artisan breads, is always a safe bet. Their breads are naturally levened, in that they use no commercial yeast. I really like their “Italian Pugliese” which contains just certified organic flour from Manitoba, water, malt and sea salt. The authentic item is traditionally baked in a giant wood burning oven, but James and Ingrid, the bakers at Fieldstone, manage to get pretty much the same effect from the stem-injected, stone hearth oven that they brought over from France. The shop is on Crescent Road in Surrey. They have been there for about five years now and yes, they are open Sundays.

Then another good option in Surrey (although I haven’t been to this one recently), is Straight from the Hearth. They used to have the only 100% yeast-free sourdough on the market but I’m not sure if they are still able to make this claim. Anyhow, all their breads are said to be yeast free, contain no oils and use only natural starters. And unlike most organic bakeries, they use natural spring water instead of filtered water. They are on the 2300 block of King George Highway.

[maxmillan]

Thanks for your suggestions. I have heard of Fieldstone but they were closed the one time I was able to make it there. Will try again.

I agree with Cincin. The four dessert I had one night there, uurrrp, was very delicious and well plated.

Pies! I love pies! I often hike in Chilliwack, gotta try their airport pies! One place I can suggest is Savoury Island Pie Company in West Vancouver. After much pie tasting around Vancouver, I think their apple pie is the best, buttery flaky crust with fresh apples. Sitting in their restaurant/cafe is also a treat as they decorate with odds and ends furnishings...and so rustic looking. They even have live entertainment on certain nights of the week.

I do like Bon Ton's diplomat but their snotty customer service attitude turns me off. I like the diplomat at Trafalgar (on 16th and MacDonald.) It has a richer buttercream infused with guava and I'm sure I can taste a hint of tea. But their specialty is lemon dacquois. Out of the four cakes I bought from them for a dessert party, the lemon dacquois was the winner.

Patisserie Bordeaux on 10th and Alma also has good pastries. There's a place on 10th (across the street) that has the best cinnamon buns. Ikea also has good cinnamon buns (they use puff pastry dough..mmmmm...lots of butter flavor.)

Oh, to heck with the Atkins diet!

[mot juste]

The place you mention across the street from Patisserie Bordeaux...is that the Bean Around the World coffee shop?

Speaking of good cinnamon buns, have you tried the ones at Solly's on West Broadway? I read somewhere that they are so big, and take so long to unravel, they call them the "Never Ending" bun.

The cinnamon buns at Viva Bakery on Yew street are also supposed to be pretty good. As for the Savary Island Pie Co., my vote goes to the organic rhubarb pie - delicious!

How come egullet doesn't come with a lip-smacking icon?

[Jeffy Boy]

Link for Chilliwack Airport pies, including menu, here: Airport Coffee Shop - Chilliwack

[plunk]

At the insistence of two friends (definitely not the egullet type) from the island, I drove them out to the Chilliwack airport just for pies. We got there around dinnertime so we all had an entree and a slice of pie each. The consensus was that it was standard diner type fare, and the pies are definitely not as good as homemade.

[Rhea_S]

My suggestions aren't exactly in the "beyond" category since they're both in North Vancouver and neither is a fancy French bakery. The first is the Danish Pastry Shop in Edgemont Village. I haven't been in years, but their copenhagens and kringles are excellent. The other is Westlynn Bakery in Lynn Valley Centre Mall. The savoury and sweet pies are definitely as good as homemade. I've never been disappointed and my mom buys items from there several times per week depending on the specials. Their apple strudel is also very good. I don't know if either of my suggestions is worth a trek, but they're worth visiting if you're in their neighbourhoods. Stop at the Danish Pastry Shop before tackling the Grouse Grind, or stop by Westlynn Bakery after exploring Lynn Canyon and the Headwaters. Can you tell I'm homesick?

[Coop]

If pie is part of your quest how about The Savoury Island Pie Co. I don't really think that american style pie is the hieght of culinary enlightenment but thier's is very nice.

Btw anyone see the wine list for that Chilliwack Airport place? Nice.

Edited May 6, 2004 by Coop (log)

[Keith Talent]

I've got a fifty that says you could stroll into the airport coffee shop, order a glass of wine cut with 7-up and filled with ice and not one single staff member would look askew, in fact I'd be willing to wager they'd respond with "if you want a Chilliwack, why not just ask for it by name?"

[gastropimp]

The Danish Bakery is now closed. Quite the institution as well.

The Harmony Donut shop would be well regarded for those missing 'the shore' as a place to get old fashioned cake donuts. Quite heavy, but it's honest and true, owner/operated, and a fun trip. Lonsdale and Queens.

I second the Savoury Island pie recommendation. White chocolate raspberry pie. 'nuff said.

[maxmillan]

I've bought a few things from the Danish bakery in Edgemont and it was very good. Too bad they're closed.

Gotta check out the Harmony Donut Shop.

There's also good donuts to be found in Deep Cove, a coffee shop, forget the name. The place is owned and run by previous South African residents. The donuts are heavy, sweet and comes plain or chocolate covered...very good as a meal in itself.

Also, at Safeway, Little Debbies are in town. I know it may be god-awful to most of you but I lived on it while hiking through the states. It was very cheap and comes in a variety.

The pies at Chilliwack airport sounds a lot like the pie places I visited in the USA and at Home Restaurant in Hope. They advertise that their pies are the best homemade blah blah blah. It was diner standard.

[Daddy-A]

There's also good donuts to be found in Deep Cove, a coffee shop, forget the name. The place is owned and run by previous South African residents. The donuts are heavy, sweet and comes plain or chocolate covered...very good as a meal in itself.

You're talking about Honey Donuts I believe ... best in the city IMO.

DA

[maxmillan]

Went to MIX bakery on West 10th and I am impressed. I bought a loaf of olive bread, a baguette, passion fruit custard tart, Oblivion (chocolate mousse) cake, ambrosia cookies and chocolate chip cookies...boy am I full.

I thought I'd died and gone to heaven when I bit into the passion fruit tart. The baguette had a thin crunchy crust with a velvety inside. The ambrosia cookies had apricots and white chocolate. The chocolate chip cookies weren't even warm and the chocolate was gooey and yummy. The olive bread had an intense fresh olive flavor. Their signature Oblivion cake was a mousse covered in Callebaut with a toffee-like topping.

They have much more desserts, breads and sandwiches which I plan to try but they only open Tues to Sundays 7am to 6pm. The clerk said they are looking into opening late night....o-boy! Maybe I should work there!

I went to Savory Island Pie Company looking for a raspberry and white chocolate pie that someone mentioned...and they don't have such a thing. So I tried their lemon pie with berries...very good. Bought a loaf of spelt bread -- need to reduce the sugar.

And, yes. I believe the donut coffee shop is called Honeys Donut.

[eatrustic]

There's a new bakery on W. Broadway near Waterloo (close to Alma) called the Transilvania Bakery.

It's as rustic as they get with a small barnwood type of facade (half wine barrels etc.) and inside there is a tiny wood burning oven in the middle of a handyman special decor. The owner and baker is called Nicolai and he has just started to make one or two kinds of bread- a yeast based, nicely crusted whole wheat with a rye to follow.

He's a character and he will tell you about dealing with city hall and his roots in Romania while he stokes his little oven. All he has to sell at this point is some mineral water and his loaves of bread which he makes throughout the day. Worth checking out.

[maxmillan]

Bought a whole-wheat loaf of bread from Transilvania. Not bad for $5. He also sells day-olds for $4 (bread pudding, French toast...)

I mentioned this site, as it is here where I found his place and he gave me one of the special mineral water to try for free. He claims that it's the best so we'll see.

BTW, I didn't see any rye bread, eatrustic, I should have asked. Does it sell out early?

Since it was close by, I had to buy some more cakes from MIX, key-lime pie (so-so), tiramisu cheesecake, raspberry dacquoise, framboise chocolate cake and, again, the heavenly passion fruit tart...very yummy! The tiramisu had me jumping with non-stop energy at the gym!

Edited May 28, 2004 by maxmillan (log)

[eatrustic]

I didn't see any rye bread 

That's his next project. I'd hope that coming from Eastern Europe he would have some kick ass rye breads in him.

By the way the most interesting bakery in B.C. (in my opinion) is Wildfire Bakery in Victoria. All their stuff is organic, from a wood fired oven. It may not be to everyones taste as some of the items are a bit heavy but the selection is always interesting (even focaccia with seaweed) with a nice repetoire of breads and pastry items.

They also have a little store on Saltspring -where the ferry from Victoria comes in- with a full selection of their breads and pastries. I believe they have built an outdoor wood burning pizza oven also at that location.

This is a company with a very strong organic and local supply philosophy that I find very admirable.

[Daddy-A]

They also have a little store on Saltspring -where the ferry from Victoria comes in- with a full selection of their breads and pastries. I believe they have built an outdoor wood burning pizza oven also at that location.

This is a company with a very strong organic and local supply philosophy that I find very admirable.

Are you talking about the Morning Side Cafe? It's either that or the Treehouse. Fulford Harbour is pretty small.

The Morning Side has IMO some of the best baking anywhere. Their cookies in particular ... amazing what you can do with spelt (sp?) these days.

However, there is one item on their menu I would actually swim Active Pass for. Their Veggie Burger is simply the most amazing meal between two slices of bread (foccacia) I have ever eaten. The patty is a deliscious collection of chick peas and other grains. But the killer addition is a piece of smoked tofu. I am a cheese lover, and I didn't even miss it on this burger. The flavour was very similar to smoked ghouda. Fresh tomatoes, mayo and pest round it out. Incredible!

They have a brick oven on the patio, and some really funky carved cedar benches and tables. If you check out the patio roof you'll notice its an airplane wing!

Damn! Gotta make a trip there soon!

DA

[eatrustic]

Yeah, thats the place. Even worth the drive when that humungous Saturday farmers market is going in Ganges.

[plunk]

Eatrustic, I'm going to be in Victoria next month and was planning to go to Wildfire. Do you know if they're open 7 days a week? I'm going to be there on a weekend. Do you have any other Victoria recommendations? I'm thinking of dinner at Cafe Brio.

[eatrustic]

I know that they are open for sure on Saturdays but don't know if they are open 7 days. Here is their number 250 381- 3473.

As for restaurant suggestions, I'm afraid I haven't been to Victoria to do the dining thing for a few years now. Check out some of the threads in this section because there are a couple on the topic.

[vogelap]

Although for my money, Notte's Bon Ton on West Broadway is the mother of them all. Everything is beautifully crafted; their 'Special' Orange cake particularly light on its feet. But veterans order the Diplomat cake for celebratory occasions--its butter icing is rich enough to send shivers down your back, the internal texture the product of a thousand delicate layers.

My colleague (and fellow chef) just brought in a slice of Diplomat Cake from Notte's (fresh off the plane, since we're in Cincinnati).

I love the texture, but am having trouble identifying the flavors. I'm told there is Rum in the mix, but what else is it that makes it impossible to stop eating this cake?