"Sweets And The City"

[Kentan]

Kei's Bakery on Burrard St. is temporarily closed for renovations. Sigh. Now where am I going to get my Mt Matcha buns??

[Kentan]

There will be a new patisserie called Thierry opening soon on Alberni. I don't know more than that but:

a) It's a patisserie, and

b) It has a French name, so

c) I will be there on opening day

Edited April 13, 2010 by Kentan (log)

[emmalish]

Kentan, where abouts on Alberni will this be?

[barolo]

Interesting, this sounds like the new venture describe at City Food:

Rumour: Is Chef Patissier Thierry Busset of CinCin restaurant close to finding the venue he has been seeking for a new pastry shop and cafe? Maybe so. One thing is for certain, his Top Table Restaurant Group boss, Jack Evrensel, won't be rushed. If one of the new venues they have been looking at is finally a go, then it will only be because the location is perfect for the purpose. Stay tuned.

Link here

[Kentan]

Kentan, where abouts on Alberni will this be?

It'll be at 1059 Alberni, where Kaplan's deli used to be. That's directly across from Kobe Japanese Steakhouse. I took a couple of photos today - work is underway on the interior:

[emmalish]

Nice! I work right around the corner from there (score!).

Edited to say that on second thought, this might be a very bad thing.

Edited April 13, 2010 by emmalish (log)

[barolo]

Very handy for me too. Ever since Senses closed, I've missed having a patisserie downtown.

I've read postive comments about Giovane in the new Fairmont: Giovane. Anyone here been there?

[Kentan]

I've read postive comments about Giovane in the new Fairmont: Giovane. Anyone here been there?

I've been meaning to try Giovane but haven't had the chance yet. Vancouverslop liked their desserts - link here.

Another spot that's just opened is called Baguette & Co, at 3273 W Broadway, a few blocks west of MacDonald. Here's the Georgia Straight's blurb:

"Owners Laurence Gatinel and Bernard Ho—she’s Parisian, he’s Lyonnaise—laboured nine long months before popping open the doors to pretty bakery Baguette & Co (3273 West Broadway) on April 1. French through and through (the baker is from Montpellier, the pastry chef, Ardèche), Baguette & Co delivers perfectly crusted baguettes ($2.50), irresistible mini pastries and financiers ($1), buttery palmiers ($2), and a showcase stocked with tempting berry tarts and cream-filled cakes ($1.75 to $5.75)."

Timetochow.com provides some dessert porn photos gives it a thumbs-up. And none other than author William Gibson likes their croissants!

[grayelf]

I've read postive comments about Giovane in the new Fairmont: Giovane. Anyone here been there?

I've been meaning to try Giovane but haven't had the chance yet. Vancouverslop liked their desserts - link here.

Another spot that's just opened is called Baguette & Co, at 3273 W Broadway, a few blocks west of MacDonald. Here's the Georgia Straight's blurb:

"Owners Laurence Gatinel and Bernard Ho—she’s Parisian, he’s Lyonnaise—laboured nine long months before popping open the doors to pretty bakery Baguette & Co (3273 West Broadway) on April 1. French through and through (the baker is from Montpellier, the pastry chef, Ardèche), Baguette & Co delivers perfectly crusted baguettes ($2.50), irresistible mini pastries and financiers ($1), buttery palmiers ($2), and a showcase stocked with tempting berry tarts and cream-filled cakes ($1.75 to $5.75)."

Timetochow.com provides some dessert porn photos gives it a thumbs-up. And none other than author William Gibson likes their croissants!

Baguette & Co (though I don't love the generic name) is worth a look after two tries. I particularly like the mini-pastries which are now $1.50 each or $4 for 3 (chocolate royale has gotten serious thumbs up twice from four tasters), and their tiny meringues are crunchy sweet goodness ($1.88 for 50 gram bag). I tried their whole wheat bread ($3.50) and milk bread ($1.50, more like a long bun) yesterday, both worthy, also.

[Kentan]

Baguette & Co (though I don't love the generic name) is worth a look after two tries. I particularly like the mini-pastries which are now $1.50 each or $4 for 3 (chocolate royale has gotten serious thumbs up twice from four tasters), and their tiny meringues are crunchy sweet goodness ($1.88 for 50 gram bag). I tried their whole wheat bread ($3.50) and milk bread ($1.50, more like a long bun) yesterday, both worthy, also.

Hi grayelf - great to see you posting again! I hadn't been posting when you were active before, but I've read some of your previous reviews.

Wow - the prices at Baguette & Co seem really good. And if their goods are tasty too, that's amazing. You didn't try a croissant though?

[grayelf]

Baguette & Co (though I don't love the generic name) is worth a look after two tries. I particularly like the mini-pastries which are now $1.50 each or $4 for 3 (chocolate royale has gotten serious thumbs up twice from four tasters), and their tiny meringues are crunchy sweet goodness ($1.88 for 50 gram bag). I tried their whole wheat bread ($3.50) and milk bread ($1.50, more like a long bun) yesterday, both worthy, also.

Hi grayelf - great to see you posting again! I hadn't been posting when you were active before, but I've read some of your previous reviews.

Wow - the prices at Baguette & Co seem really good. And if their goods are tasty too, that's amazing. You didn't try a croissant though?

Nice to be back! Both times I went the main mission was 'erts as we call them in the family. The breads were a bit of an add on. But now that you mention it I think this Sunday would be a good day for croissants. There is another newish French bakery I was reading about elsewhere, Sucre something, on Arbutus that also sounds promising. It is sooo nice to have choices for good French patisserie in Kits.

[Kentan]

There is another newish French bakery I was reading about elsewhere, Sucre something, on Arbutus that also sounds promising. It is sooo nice to have choices for good French patisserie in Kits.

It must be Plaisir Sucré - it opened around the beginning of the year. I have yet to go but it sounds great. I can't believe we might have two excellent French bakeries opening within months of each other! There's an article about it from the Vancouver Observer here:

Plaisir Sucré Serves Poetry in a Pan on Arbutus

What's sad for me is that I think they've replaced Hälsö Konditori, the Swedish bakery. I hope they just decided to move, but for some reason bakeries never seem to move. When they close, that's it.

[grayelf]

That's the one. I actually went by today on my way to work. I got an apple turnover, which was very nice with flaky pastry and apple filling the way I like it, cooked down and not too sweet. I also got a mille feuille (jeesh, I hope I spelled that right, so much for 12 years of French) which was not so successful. It was huge ($4.30) but it was frozen nearly solid! I went back after work (not to whinge but because I had left a book behind) and the fellow who I take it was Fabrice asked what I thought of his wares. I told him about the congele situation and he said that he has to freeze that particular pastry in order to be able to cut it. He takes it out of the freezer at 8:30 each day but sadly it had nowhere near thawed when I got to it around 11:45. He insisted I take an eclair to make up for it. I don't know much about eclairs (not a big chocolate dessert guy) but this one weighed about 250g and was entirely dipped in a thick layer of dark chocolate. Inside it had a large amount of chocolate cream (not whipped cream but the thicker, granular stuff). It was not to my taste but as I said I am not the best judge of such a chocolatey extravaganza. I will stop in again to try other things such as their croissants and maybe one of the tasty-sounding sarnies. The one thing that makes me a bit sad about nearly all French pastry shops here is the lack of savoury pastries. I love savoury pastries...

Edited April 23, 2010 by grayelf (log)

[emmalish]

There is another newish French bakery I was reading about elsewhere, Sucre something, on Arbutus that also sounds promising. It is sooo nice to have choices for good French patisserie in Kits.

Good to know about this one too. It's actually only a few blocks from my apartment, but for whatever reason I don't often venture up Arbutus. I'll try to check it out this weekend.