Bruno's Bakery and Deli

Bakery: Bruno's Bakery and Deli
Address: 808 Innisfil Beach Rd, Innisfil ON
Website: n/a
Style: North American, Jewish
Price: $$ 

It's not often that a bakery just surprises me outright in a good way, but Bruno's did just that. Simply by picking out the name from a map search, I have to say I was expecting something along the lines of cannoli and perhaps some other cream-filled pastries, and while Bruno's doesn't exactly disappoint in this sense, I never really thought I would come across something a little more exciting. And there's nothing more exciting than... *cue the drum roll* poppy seed buns! Yes, poppy seed buns in an otherwise typical deli in small town Ontario. Wow!

 Granted, this take on semi-classic poppy seed buns and chocolate buffaloes seemed a more Canadianized one. Outwardly, they looked tantalizing, but the airy, somewhat stiff dough was more typical of your run-of-the-mill danishes and cinnamon buns and so the taste was a little unexpected and mismatched. Perhaps saying texture is more appropriate, since in taste, both buns were good: generous on the poppy seeds but lacking a traditional mass, the poppy seed bun was like a hybrid between the Eastern European bun and a German one (with whole, instead of ground seeds made into a coherent, flavourful mass), and thus a bit too grainy. The chocolate buffalo retained more of its traditional characteristics with plenty of chocolate, but simply not the greatest dough.

The least favourite, however, was the cream-filled choux puff, a large pastry stuffed with cream and topped with a drizzle of chocolate. A bit like a zeppola without the delectable addition of cherry. Cream was alright, but in the end, nothing did seem to beat that poppy seed bun. What a find -- and, looking back on the photo, what an absolute beauty of a bun! ^^;;

Rating: ***