Farmhouse Pottery & Bakery

Bakery: Farmhouse Pottery & Bakery
Address: 307114 Hockley Rd, Mono ON 
Website: http://www.pacepottery.com/site/Farmhouse.aspx
Style: Canadian
Price: $$$$ 

Well, this is a rather unusual one. One brother was going hiking in the area and drove past this pottery studio that also happened to be a bakery (!). Given the off-the-beaten-path location, he thought it would make a good cake tour. Naturally, I always appreciate such effort. :)

Strange, I don't see any gold  leaf or saffron in it...

Besides the pottery, the bakery doesn't have that much selection and if it isn't classic butter tarts, they sell pies (both are not priced). Not wanting to take back an entire pie, my brother opted for the butter tarts.... and, if you want to set any records, this might just be the world's most expensive butter tart. At $4 each, it's a rather jaw-dropping record. I remember once seeing a butter tart for around $3 and thought it was needlessly overpriced. In such cases, there were only really two ways this can go: the butter tart can be good or awful. You either feel confused, somewhat disappointed, or completely ripped off. Fortunately, Farmhouse did redeem itself; this butter tart was good. It was thick-shelled like typical Ontario butter tarts, but even given the thickness of the shell, it was somewhat soft and easy to crack into and not doughy like they can be elsewhere. The filling was a wonderful compromise between runny and thicker butter tarts. You had a little bit of buttery oozing, but also some "meat" to it (so that the whole filling doesn't run away on you like it once -_-) . The filling was so good! It's kind of a shame it doesn't qualify, geographically-speaking, for the butter tart tour, since it would certainly rank pretty high. Excellent butter tart, but still not worth the price.

Rating: ***

NLPita

Bakery: NLPita
Address: 82 O'Leary Ave., St. John's NL (@ St John's Farmers Market)
Website: n/a
Style: Middle Eastern
Price: $$

While in St. John's, I decided to make a visit to the Farmers Market, having heard there was some good food worth picking up. Naturally, I was hoping that "good food" involved baked goods. And it did. :P In fact, I told myself I would buy one item and that would be that. I grabbed two and was forced to give up on a third. One of the items I did try were the sweets from the NL Pita table outside. In addition to your usual pita bread, they had a few sweeter selections, such as date croissants (which I would have so taken had I had a bigger budget; the attestation from the seller that they were very good didn't help -_-) and slices of basbousa ($3), the Egyptian variation of semolina cake. The woman in front of me was asking what they were and the seller was explaining what went into them -- though I have to say likening it to baklava may be somewhat misleading for someone who has no idea what semolina cake is.

I'll have another piece, please! ^^;;

Made chunks of almonds, and drenched in a sugar syrup, these guys also added Greek yogourt instead of the usual milk or condensed milk. The result was a denser, creamier dough that stayed together as one mass and almost had the feeling of a cheesecake, often difficult with semolina cakes, which crumble and are more sandy. This was then soaked in sugar syrup, but not too much for it to be soggy and then generously topped with chunks of nuts. Having had no breakfast, I ate it on the spot and enjoyed it so much I would have probably run to buy more if my budget allowed it (it didn't -- I had already spent too much at the market .__.) and if I hadn't bought the last piece. ;)

I'm generally not the biggest fan of Middle Eastern sweets, so even I was amazed at how delicious this was! Another high ranker from St. John's.

Rating: ***1/2

Bear's Paw Bakery [International Correspondent]

Bakery: Bear's Paw Bakery 
Address: 4 Pyramid Rd, Jasper AB 
Website: http://bearspawbakery.com/
Style: Canadian 
Price: $$ 

I read in more than place about the "famous" Bear's Paw Bakery, although I almost wonder if it's famous because it's the only bakery in Jasper, and because it's in Jasper it'll be famous no matter what. We went to Bear's Paw bakery for breakfast and, although they have some baked goods (the overstuffed photos on their website weren't very accurate, by the way), they look more coffee-oriented, but I can't say that their coffee was the best I had in Jasper either, but maybe I shouldn't say that.

Scone (bottom right) and bear paws

We got two things, the first was a scone. You can tell what the selection is if I end up taking a scone, which aren't generally my favourite. I think it was wild blueberry or some sort of dark berry. Maybe just plain blueberry? Anyways, it tasted okay: nothing too impressive or special.

I'd probably say the same for the signature bear paws. Going in, I was thinking of bear claws (the pastry that's dipped in chocolate on one end or something like that??), which I wouldn't mind trying. Turns out bear paws are yeast buns, sold with or without raisins. They're like a cinnamon bun, but without the cinnamon. Or a Chelsea bun without the extras. So I guess it was pretty much a raisin roll. It wasn't very moist and as dry as it looks, so I have to say I wasn't impressed.

Actually, I was kind of disappointed with Bear's Paw. I was hoping it would be better or at least more exciting.

Rating: **1/2

Cafe Haiti [Mimi's World Tour]

Bakery: Cafe Haiti 
Address: Geirsgata 7c, Reykjavik
Website: http://www.cafehaiti.is/
Style: Icelandic
Price: $$$

Right in the heart of the old harbour is the colourful, somewhat eclectic Cafe Haiti, which I had known about since my first trip to Iceland but which I had never visited until now. I came here with an Icelandic friend at her suggestion and thought that hey, I might as well make a cake tour of it. :P In fact, having covered all the bakeries-proper in Reykjavik, and certainly in the 101, I thought it about time to delve into the plethora of cafes offering their homemade baked goods and cakes located throughout the city. And do note that I'm not normally a coffee drinker, so well, we can just take out that part of the review, though I will admit that after coming back from my trip of coffee and cakes, I was offered a cup back home and bleh! was it ever disgusting compared to the stuff on my tour.

Nevertheless, while the coffee may come from Haiti, the origin of the Mrs. of the business, the  cakes are what you'll find in most Icelandic cafes (perhaps I would have appreciated some Haitian baked goods too .__.;;;). [Edit: Please make sure that the cake says it's homemade! While there a few years ago now, there were three varieties, two of which explicitly said were theirs; doing research for my Iceland bakeries tour guide, I went back on their website and the cover picture for their cakes showed cakes that were very clearly NOT theirs (I now have insider information) I have yet to return to verify if anything has changed/they still have homemade goodies]  However, I am a fan of Scandinavian apple cakes and Cafe Haiti does a mean version of it, though at 1040kr per slice, it seemed painfully expensive to me... a couple hundred kronur more and I'd have dinner. I'm not yet sure how much other cafes charge, not to mention the fact that Iceland is very quickly becoming very expensive, but with a generous cup of coffee thrown into the mix, it hurt. x__x

There is, however, a cake to be reviewed: homemade apple cake with a generous portion of spiced whipped cream on the side... oh yeah! Delicious dough with slivered almonds and a tasty apple filling at just the right consistency, neither too chunky nor too mushy. Really good! Not sure if my pocket can afford such an extravagance on future returns and we'll have to see how it fares with other cafes in Reykjavik, but as it was, I was impressed.

Rating: ***1/2

Uncle Tetsu's Japanese Cheesecake

Bakery: Uncle Tetsu's Japanese Cheesecake
Address: 598 Bay St, Toronto ON 
Website: http://uncletetsu-ca.com/
Style: Japanese
Price: $$ 

Well, I finally did it! I finally got my hands on an Uncle Tetsu cheesecake. And it required very little waiting on top of that (but more on that later). Ever since I was given the chance to try a little piece of Uncle Tetsu, I have oh-so eagerly been awaiting my opportunity to try those famous cheesecakes. I was determined to wait it out this time, especially since the line-up wasn't *that* bad as it had been in the past -- there were perhaps 7-8 people in front of me outside. Meanwhile, my partner in bakery crime that day stood by and, noticing that the Matcha Cafe next door was completely abandoned despite the fact that they advertised they now sold green tea and green tea & red bean cheesecakes, I told her to check if they actually sold the green tea varieties in the matcha cafe or you had to buy it in the cheesecake shop. She hesitantly went in and several seconds later, I got my cheesecake. ^-^ (Apparently I lucked out since when I came back to the streetcar stop more than an hour later, there were lines out the door to both stores) And hey, if I have the choice of getting matcha, I will so take it!

Horrible lighting... phenomenal taste!

Both regular and matcha/red bean varieties are the same price at $8.85 (an even $10 with tax), but the regular is larger, obviously to account for the high amount of matcha they use in baking it and matcha is not cheap. Of course, I didn't mind at all. I happily, eagerly made my way home with my little box in its smiling bag (ignoring the fact that some guy started taking pictures of it on the streetcar -_-) and lovingly unwrapped the towel to reveal a petite, bright green cheesecake. Oh boy!

Oh yeah, keep the slices of  cheesecake coming!

I've tried "Japanese" cheesecake at Chinese bakeries as well as imported-from-Taiwan ones from the Chinese supermarket and I thought them pretty good, but I had never really tried Japanese cheesecake... and I am never going back to the mediocre imitations. I'm not sure if anyone in that line up is there because the cheesecake is actually good and they appreciate it, but Uncle Tetsu's matcha cheesecake blew my mind. Holy-moly! I honestly did not think there would be such a difference. This wasn't any old cheesecake, this was light-as-air, matcha (with a high-quality Japanese matcha, not the somewhat bitter, standard sencha-tasting stuff they put in pseudo-Japanese baked goods) mousse. Heavenly is as close a word as I can find. Uncle Tetsu, I'm in love! *-*

[UPDATE] I knew the day would come... I chanced upon the original cheesecake shop with just one person inside and finally had my chance to try the classic Japanese cheesecake ($10). I thought the fad had finally waned (the wave simply moved down the street to Tsujiri), but then after lunch, the line had returned... anyways, the original cheesecake is just as heavenly as its green tea cousin. With Bake Code's take fresh in my mind, I experienced the pinnacle of cheesecake at Uncle Tetsu's: light and fluffy, it's like biting into a cheesy cloud. At first I was thinking that I would have to love the matcha version more, but after my slice, I'm not so sure anymore. Either way, the rating abides!

Rating: ****

Georgestown Bakery

Bakery: Georgestown Bakery
Address: 60 Hayward Ave., St. John's NL 
Website: n/a 
Style: Canadian 
Price: $ 

On a very rainy, very cold, absolutely miserable day in October, I decided to brave the elements and make the walk to Georgestown (also written Georgetown online; their store sign is with an -s??) Bakery, located in the historic neighbourhood of the same name. Stepping in on a weekday afternoon, I was pretty surprised to find the line to the door. Of course, the wooden interior worthy of a pioneer village is quite small, with most items laid out on wooden shelves behind the counter, but I hate to say that long lines at the bakery aren't (alas!) the most common of sights. At first glance, I was worried that my trip had been in vain: the bakery has a lot of rustic breads, but I couldn't see any see any sweets. Getting closer, I espied a tray of squares (date and some sort of nut and chocolate? ones), already wrapped individually in saran wrap and neither priced or labelled. The woman in front of me got the date squares and, turns out that at $0.75, they're a total steal! Ready to grab some for myself, I then spotted several spice cakes, wrapped, labelled, priced, and even including a list of enticing ingredients like real vanilla extract, unbleached flour, and some other good stuff.

Holy-moly... if only I could get these shipped!

Now, I love spice cakes and I was jumping at the super moist gingerbread when I spotted it: the date and rum cake ($4.30, taxes included). And oh yeah, there was real rum in it. How could I not take it? Too cold and wet to go any further, I soon returned to my room and instantly cut myself a slice. A-maz-ing! Fragrant and moist spice cake, some of the best I've ever had. My mom makes this fantastic date cake with date paste (actually, her baking beats most bakeries), so I already felt that I would love this one, but I especially liked how Georgestown threw in whole chunks of chewy dates right into the dough. The picture and modest loaf cake shape doesn't give this thing justice: I was sighing in pleasure after every bite. Insanely good.

Perhaps I had other places to visit that day and had to postpone them due to the fact my shoes were saturated and I was freezing, but nonetheless, I will say that the rainy trip to George(s)town was well worth it!

Rating: ****

Wild Flour Artisan Bakery [International Correspondent]

Bakery: Wild Flour Artisan Bakery 
Address: 211 Bear St #101, Banff AB 
Website: http://www.wildflourbakery.ca/
Style: Canadian 
Price: $$ 

Nanaimo bars are a good choice

This was on the list last year, but I never got around to it (actually, the first time I went, there was a long line-up and I wasn't in the mood to stand in it); this year, we were pretty much ordered to go here [editor's note: You betcha!], because Wild Flour is Banff's only bakery. Personally, I would call them more a cafe first; it's more breakfast/lunch/coffee oriented than the sort of place you go for baked goods, though they have a display case of them. The breads have this rustic feeling, but the things we got, the first thing coming to mind wasn't exactly 'artisan', but that's okay.

My first pick was the Nanaimo bar. I like Nanaimo bars and am always disappointed that they don't seem to be seen beyond Western Canada. The one from Wild Flour was pretty good: they used good chocolate. Maybe that's why it was harder than usual; it also had a nutty bottom with a good cream filling. I would certainly take it again.

Another thing we bought was the lemon tart, which had a good creaminess; I thought the appearance made it seem fancier than it was. In reality, just a lemon tart. One issue I had was that the crust (somewhat similar to the Nanaimo bar, though this was less problematic) was too hard and made eating this challenging and annoying, since slicing into the custard was so easy and then the crust wouldn't break off. Either a knife was needed (which we did not have) or you ended up with pure custard/plain dough.

Lemon tart and berry (cheese?)cake

The second "fancier" item was, I think, a berry cheesecake. Or some sort of mousse cake. Honestly, I don't really remember much about this thing and I only made notes for the other two things. I don't know how that happened... [editor's note: Ohhhh, I am going crazy!!!] I know that it had the same base as the lemon tart, but because the main part of the cake was denser and heavier, it matched more. I guess it was pretty good, since I don't remember anything bad about it. Pretty good -- I did three "Rockies" bakeries this time: in Banff, Jasper, and Lake Louise, and Wild Flour was definitely the best.

Rating: ***

Mosfellsbakarí [Mimi's World Tour]

Bakery: Mosfellsbakarí
Address: Háaleitisbraut 58-60, Reykjavik 
Website: http://mosfellsbakari.is/
Style: Icelandic 
Price: $$ 

It's getting increasingly difficult to find new bakeries to visit on my return trips to Reykjavik. I've done them all! This year, I was planning on doing a bit of a tour of the outlying towns in the capital area just for the sake of bakeries (I'm so pathetic, I know), but with visiting old acquaintances, I didn't manage to find the time on my four-night stay on the way back from the Faroe Islands. Mosfellsbakarí, a few blocks east of Kringlan shopping mall, is close enough by foot to have already been done, and somehow it wasn't. All the better for me, I say. :P

Poppy seed buns... *-*

While this bakery operates mainly from Mosfellsbær, a 'suburb' of Reykjavik and the reason behind their name, this lovely location a little off the downtown core is definitely worth checking out for their pretty, old-world feel and the large selection of delicious-looking baked goods, pastries, cakes, and breads -- they even make chocolate. Unlike most Icelandic bakeries which seem a bit cold and commercial with their simplicity, you can almost tell by looking at the place that the baked goods are going to be good -- and the prices are reasonable at that!

It was, I have to say, a hard choice. Should I take something with flaky Danish dough? Should I go all-out and try some cake? And then, I was lured in. I knew I would be. The Icelandic poppy seed bun (295kr). Not everyone has them, but when they do, I am so there! *-* This tantalizing bun was big, freshly baked, and has a delicious soft, slightly airy moist dough rolled with whole poppy seeds and then drizzled with both vanilla and chocolate icing. The rock sugar sprinkled on top wasn't needed, but it was a nice touch. Mmmm.... so good! This was an excellent poppy seed bun and certainly up there for one of my top bakery experiences in Iceland.

Rating: ***1/2

Rocket Bakery & Fresh Food

Bakery: Rocket Bakery & Fresh Food
Address: 272 Water St, St. John's NL
Website: http://rocketfood.ca/
Style: Canadian
Price: $$

And the Cake Tour has left the mainland! ^^ Yes, in my desperate search to find where I want to live most in Canada (a search proving more difficult and complicated than I imagined), I took a plane from Halifax to St. John's, which I had been itching to visit for years. Well, and somewhere along the way, there were bakeries! ;)

Let's begin! Rocket is *the* downtown bakery, though it is more than baked goods. In fact, it's divided down the middle with cafe-fare (salads, soups) on one side and the bakery-proper on the other. The latter features a variety of home-style baked goods like cinnamon buns, partridgeberry scones along with pain au chocolat and cake slices. Items are labelled and relatively well priced. They open fairly late, but coming there in the evening will leave you empty-handed; I actually popped in, saw there was nothing, and then returned the next morning for some fresh cinnamon buns!

Cinnamon buns always make my day!

I love cinnamon buns after all; I spotted these on the sign first ($2.75) and then saw these lightly iced, "Maritime" (others I've had in NB and NS were very similar and unlike buns from anywhere else) versions of one of my favourite classics. No messy cinnamon and icing here, and that's exactly like I like it: soft fluffy dough with a drier cinnamon mass wound round (and then got nice and gooey in the middle) with some icing drizzled over top. Oh yeah, this was a great one!

Rocket seems to be the natural start to a Cake Tour of St. John's and what a start it was: fresh and tasty baked goods, just how I like them.

Rating: ***1/2

Joseph's Food and Cakes

Bakery: Joseph's Food and Cakes
Address: 24 Martin Ross Avenue, Toronto ON 
Website: http://www.josephsfoodandcakes.com/
Style: Polish
Price: $$ 

Every now and then, Starsky (the supermarket for all things Polish and Eastern European) brings in products from new bakeries. Sometimes the bakeries don't last long; some are on an off and on basis; some are replaced. In other words, you can't really count on them if you happen to like something. The newest arrival on the shelves are poppy seed rolls (classic Polish makowiec) and walnut rolls, available in whole or half rolls, from Joseph's, which appears by its location in an industrial area that it's more of a commercial, order-only bakery? Given that the shelves are already brimming with not-so fresh poppy seed rolls from all over the GTA, I'm always left wondering why bring in a half dozen of the same thing and let it get it old... Anyways, not only did the fact that Joseph's poppy seed rolls look a little different than the usual dry dough and brown filling lure me in, but it actually, unlike other products, felt fresh(er).

A day isn't complete without... poppy seed!

I took a half-roll of the poppy seed ($4.99 for half; I believe $8.99 for the whole; walnut rolls are $12.99 for a whole). At first glance, it had a softer dough than the usual Polish variety -- unless it's simply that every time I've tried a traditional poppy seed roll, it's always been stale -- and generous on the poppy seed. The outside was rolled in a bunch of them and the poppy seed mass actually looked like poppy seed. Some places, I swear, dilute the filling with raisins and dough and whatever they feel like putting in until it's a light brown (hence the reason why I generally don't like Polish poppy seed rolls), but Joseph's was a beautiful black and wrapped in such a way that you got both dough and poppy seed in every bite. Not too much dough, not too much poppy seed; not saturated in flavouring ("aromat"), so you could appreciate the delicious taste of poppy seed a little more. It was still dry, I admit, and probably looked more "different" than the usual poppy seed roll than it tasted.. and I was pretty disappointed to return and find that they had stuck on an ingredients list that was easily twice the size (certainly not in a good way) of poppy seed baked goods from other bakeries. :/

Alright for the Polish version, but I feel that it would have been much better if it had been bought when made, but this is common complaint of mine when shopping in Starsky.

Rating: **1/2

Lakeview Bakery [International Correspondent]

Bakery: Lakeview Bakery
Address: 6449 Crowchild Trail SW, Calgary AB
Website: http://www.lakeviewbakerycalgary.com/
Style: North American
Price: $$


We spotted this bakery on our way back from Glenmore Park and thought we might as well stop in and see what they had to offer. Lakeview seems to specialize in breads and baked goods for special diets (allergies, organic products, low carb, etc.) However, we picked out some standard items from their selection of "Canadian classics" and some more interesting and unique products.

From left: caramel oat cookie, orange roll and rum ball

I like rum balls a lot. When I see a bakery with rum balls, I have to try it, so I definitely had to take this one. It was chocolatey with a good consistency and coated in the classic chocolate sprinkles. It was not very rummy, which got minus points from me, but good overall.

I also picked out the orange roll since it was something different, but neither of us really liked it. I thought it was okay. I can't say it was exactly what I expected, especially when it was pretty much a big chunk of chocolate, which was a little too much, even if I love my chocolate (see above).

The third thing, a caramel oat 'cookie' was good. It was a version of the sandwich cookie with two thicker oat cookies drizzled with a little chocolate and filled with caramel. Overall, I would say Lakeview Bakery was good; the more bratty sampler was complaining more than I was and said it was "okay", but I didn't think it was so bad. I'd say it's just a good neighbourhood bakery.

Rating: **1/2

Fjørukrógvin [Mimi's World Tour]

Bakery: Fjørukrógvin (@ Vestmanna Tourist Centre)
Address: Vestmanna (Second left from the main road)
Website: http://www.visit-vestmanna.com/ven
Style: Faroese, Scandinavian
Price: $$

Vestmanna harbour (before the downpour)

Note: Yes, this place does not have a street address. I searched various sites and only the town and postal code is given; Google isn't even giving me the street it's located on, so well, I suppose you'll know it when you see it. It's the red building to the left in the location shot at the top. :P

View from the window: the boat tour that never was

For those who may not know, one of the main sights that need to be seen while in the Faroe Islands is the famous Vestmanna bird cliffs, which are accessed by boat. These boat tours sail from the town of Vestmanna, and the tourist information centre in particular. As luck would have it, not only did I arrive upon the completion of one tour (and have tourists rave how amazing it was) only to be told that there would be no more tours that day unless I found 14 more people, but I went out to at least see the town and hike a bit and it started pouring rain. I returned to the tourist centre (I was asked to come back just to make sure no one came) freezing and soaked, and in need of some way to pass the time while consoling myself for a pretty much ruined day. So I went to the restaurant at the tourist information centre, which sounds a little tacky, I'm sure, but if you're spending at least a night in Vestmanna and aren't getting dinner from the supermarket, chances are you'll be coming to the restaurant too -- it's the only restaurant in town. Whether it was intentionally planned to be as Faroese as possible, or it's simply home-style food, expect traditional dishes of seafood... and home-made dessert!

Pleasant memories from Vestmanna after all~

So, I thought that if I'm not going to get my boat tour , I might as well get a *cake* tour. :) I ordered the "coffee and cake" (65kr), which I thought a bit much, but then realized on my subsequent trips that it wasn't too bad. You don't get any choice in terms of the cake -- either they always have the same one or it's on rotation -- but that was fine by me. I was asked to take a seat and wait for my cake to be heated up. Imagine my delight when I received a slice of apple cake with a side of whipped quark (a more sour creme fraiche). Given it's the tourist information centre, I'm a little saddened by the fact that this turned into one my favourite, even my most favourite Faroese Cake Tour. Mmm... this was insanely good! The cake itself was delicious, with its finely chopped apple pieces and amazing dough, but add onto that a dollop of the cinnamon and sugar-dusted whipped quark... *melts* I could probably have the whole cake. So good!

Rating: ****

Mid-East Food Centre

Bakery: Mid-East Food Centre & Cafe
Address: 2595 Agricola St, Halifax NS 
Website: n/a
Style: Lebanese, Middle Eastern 
Price: $$ 

This was my first of two attempts at getting baked goods for reviewing from the local market directly across the street from Mid-East; their website says that they make their own baked good with organic ingredients and the photos look pretty good, but every time I'm there, there's never anything there! I was hoping to get something before my flight this time around and found, in the morning, fully-stacked shelves with bread but no individual goodies. :(

I may not be sweet, but don't forget about me~!

Not quite sure what to do and devastated I wouldn't have a Cake Tour that day, I crossed the street and popped into this deli and adjacent cafe, which is located next door is the somewhat deceiving Fancy Lebanese Bakery (deceiving in that they're more or less a commercial bakery and this is their pita bread production facility). Having spent several nights in the North End, I'd walked by the windows of the cafe a few times and noticed with too sharp an eye that they had a sweets section, a whole case of various types of baklava and cookies along with savoury baked goods as well. Unlike the vast majority of Lebanese bakeries, items were individually priced, not charged by weight, which was greatly appreciated by me. At least there are no surprises: various styles of mammoul were $2.00 while baklava was $1.75 (if I remember correctly) per item. It still will add up if you want to go all-out, but at least it's a conscious decision. :P

Nonetheless, I got three items. The first was my makeshift lunch at the airport: a feta fatayer ($2.25), a small patty stuffed with feta and white cheese (presumably akawi). No, it's not sweet, but it was good, so I thought it deserved some mention.

Bring on the mammoul!

Not an overwhelming baklava lover and wanting something more meaty to get me through the day, I settled for two mammoul ($2.00/each), one date and the other walnut. The date variety melted in your mouth: lots of tasty date filling with a semolina-based dough and just the right amount of fragrance -- this is usually way overdone and too aromatic but this was perfect. The walnut variety was filled with a delicious filling of chopped walnuts with an excellent dough. I do like mammoul and these were some great examples; most of all, they tasted fresh, which was appreciated. More often than not, cookies taste a bit like they've been sitting there for weeks on bakery shelves, but these were neither dried out or stale. I probably would have bought more had it not been for this darned budget. *sighs*

Rating: ***

Schimmel's Dutch Bakery [International Correspondent]

Bakery: Schimmel's Dutch Bakery
Address: 139 Central Ave N, Swift Current SK
Website: n/a
Style: Dutch, Canadian
Price: $ 

Was this our second Dutch bakery? I think so. Anyways, we stopped at Swift Current on our way back from Calgary and, in Calgary, I was complaining about how "boring" Canadian baked goods were. Everywhere you go, no matter in what part of the country, it's the same thing over and over again (unless you get ethnic bakeries, but then it's pretty much the same few baked goods repeated): butter tarts, cookies, squares, and apple pie. I don't get why no one tries to be more creative or use local ingredients and actually invent something different for a change. If I had a bakery, I would think up my own baked goods so that I have something actually unique to offer people. Like in the Rockies, I would do something mountain-related, even in the name, or not sure if there's anything local growing, like wild berries. Is there? Still, it was like the same scones everywhere. Scones are so boring! That's why I was getting tired of doing these bakery tours. It's kind of annoying that no one really tries to stand out and make something with "wow" factor. Some places were good, but usually those that tried to put their own spin on things (like the cinnamon buns in North Battleford. Those were amazing). Everything else was just okay, except maybe that bakery in northern Ontario, next to the barbecue place.

Saskatoon berry turnovers were very good

Finally, there was Schimmel's. They had all the bakery classics, okay selection, and bread like anywhere else too, but they also had these saskatoon berry "turnovers" ($1.25 each). It was the most interesting thing in the bakery and finally it was something local, so I didn't bother with variety and just took three. Good thing I did: soft and flaky pastry filled with a nice jelly, and lots of it, that showcased the fruitful sourness and unique taste of saskatoon berries. These were very good. I don't know about the other correspondent, but my favourite bakeries were the ones in Saskatchewan, though we didn't go to that many.

Rating: ***1/2

Hotel Magenta [Mimi's World Tour]

Bakery: Hotel Magenta (adjacent bakery/cafe) 
Address: Jatnavegur 31, Miðvágur
Website: n/a
Style: Faroese, Danish
Price: $-$$  

It took me *forever* to find anything remotely resembling a name and address for this bakery and cafe in the centre of the small town of Miðvágur, where I spent one night upon my arrival in the Faroe Islands (though I certainly didn't have the budget to spend it here). I believe/hope that the bakery is in fact one and the same as the lovely old-fashioned hotel next door. At least, this I gathered from the Workaway post -- yes, this gorgeous hotel and bakery is on Workaway! ;__; If only I had known; I thought I already knew of everything worth doing!! Anyways, I really wish Faroese businesses would make it easier to get any sort of information on them; this is, after all, a hotel and pretty much the only cafe in town.

Walking around town...

Anyways, while wandering around town, waiting for the bus to take me to Tórshavn, I excitedly came across this lovely bakery attached to the Hotel Magenta (I don't recall it having that name while there, but nonetheless....). The selection is limited and, seeing as the worker ran in from the hotel front desk next door, I suspect they don't get that much business. The bakery has mostly sweets and those being larger varieties such as cakes and large Danish-dough logs. Behind the glass, there were marzipan treats and the classic spandauer (danishes) which I couldn't resist as my start to the Faroese Cake Tour. :) 

View from the main road

And while nothing is priced or labelled, I paid a rather reasonable (at least I would call it "well-priced" for Danish standards) 12kr. I came out with it packed in a paper "Miðbergsbakari" bag and assumed this to be the name of the bakery; however, seeing that another place in Tórshavn used the same bags, I highly suspect and was sorely disappointed that these baked goods seem to be produced by one main bakery outlet and shipped throughout the small country? Correct me if I'm wrong. 

All for the sake of my first Faroese bakery! :P

Back to my spandauer, though: despite eating it almost immediately, the dough was soft and even soggy in the middle while the custard centre was so thick you could stick a fork in it. It was okay. Given the fact I hadn't had a Danish-danish in quite some time, it brought back pleasant memories and, once it was all in your mouth, it still had a good danish taste. Not to mention the fact that it sure beats buying baked goods from the only other store in town: the Bónus supermarket.

Rating: **1/2