Benna's Bakery & Deli [Updated]

Bakery: Benna's Bakery & Deli
Address: 135 Roncesvalles Avenue, Toronto, ON
Website: N/A
Style: Polish
Price: $

A few stores down from Granowska's is what looks to be your typical, all-around Polish deli: grocery items on the shelves, various rye breads up front, meat and cold cuts on one wall and the "bakery" on the other half. The biggest difference is that when you take a peek at the back, you notice this place has got a full-fledged bakery in the back. Because of this, they not only have some pretty amazing baked goods you won't find anywhere else, but they've easily got the freshest, cheapest cakes by weight I've encountered.

They seem to be a big hit with just about anyone, and one of the reasons is that  these are already pre-cut into small slabs that are very affordable and get you, perhaps, three fairly generous portions. My fave from this is definitely they're poppy seed cakes which are just a small sliver of dough, poppy seed, and some lattice and glaze on top. For ~$6, this is amazing value, since it weighs a ton and is just... delicious. Sadly, I wasn't taking pics the last time I had it, so that will have to be added in the future.

Along the same lines are their absolutely tasty poppy seed twists (pictured). They have two varieties, one with glaze and one with powedered sugar. This, the former, is my fave of the two. Polish-style poppy seed mass twisted with flaky dough... *drools* I love this thing and these guys are the only ones I've ever encountered to sell this!

On the same day (sometime in July -__-) we bought the twist-ee, we also got picked out two cakes. My brother insisted on "something different", so that's why I couldn't get my fave poppy seed cake. *sighs* So, we got two things: the first was some sort of honey cake (~$3-4/half a slab). This was a small piece and we took it because honey cakes are always heavy and that means you'll be paying for it. ;) This one was a special kind (miodownik królewski -- if I remember correctly) since they're normally just with a layer of plum jam à la gingerbread cakes (pierniki) with layers of honey dough, jam, chocolate and coco on top, then an extra large serving of cream. Really good, although a tad bit dry (the traditional recipe is made with soaking the cake in honey liquor and obviously, you don't get the same here -_-).

The third item purchased was a cake with no name and with a tag saying "New!" next to it. So, we took the whole chunk (~$4) and so didn't regret it. This was really weird and even as I describe it, it probably won't sound like it works, but oddly enough, it really did. So, from bottom to top: chocolate cake dough, whipped cream, vanilla dough, mass made of poppy seed and coconut, more whipped cream, vanilla dough, orange jelly, vanilla dough, ladyfingers and sliced almonds coated in chocolate glaze. Yeah, there's four lines worth of layers for you. ;P This was amazing and much better than the honey cake. You had the softness of the dough and coconut, then the more hard and tough jelly and chocolate ladyfingers. Mmmmmmmmmm.... I'd have this again in a heartbeat. :DDDDDD

Final opinion: if you're on Roncesvalles and can't afford (or don't want to pay for it ;)) to get what Granowska's has to offer, go south for less than a block and pop into the back of Benna's. The variety, uniqueness, freshness and price won't make you regret it. ^__^v

Rating: ***1/2