Broadway Deli

Bakery: Broadway Deli
Address: 408 Broadway St W, Nakusp BC
Website: n/a
Style: Canadian
Price: $$ 

As mentioned in an earlier review, the small town of Nakusp doesn't have a real bakery; well, according to online research, there *was* a bakery, but that doesn't do much for me.

Still, in such cases, it's always nice to stumble upon a cafe with their own baked goods or sweet treats. Like Broadway Deli, which has a few, but not many baked goods like muffins and squares; that is, nothing really over the top or extraordinary. Just a simple treat to have alongside your coffee or for dessert, because, unfortunately for me, they are, of course, more a hot breakfast and sandwich-lunch place.

 But a Cake Tour at a cafe with limited baked goods is better than no Cake Tour at all. ;) So, from their limited selection, I picked out a classic Nanaimo bar. The bottom had more texture, almost like a mix between a classic brownie and some granola-like chunkiness. Compared to other Nanaimo bars, I thought the chocolate on top was a little too thick and should have been more like a sheet of chocolate... at least, that's how I like them. Good amount of cream in the middle, though; sometimes the cream layer is overpowering and it becomes too rich. Fairly good proportions and, most of all, good taste. Nice place to stop for those looking for something sweet.

Rating: **1/2

Klondike Rib & Salmon

Bakery: Klondike Rib & Salmon 
Address: 2116 2nd Ave, Whitehorse YT
Website: https://www.klondikerib.com/
Style: Canadian 
Price: $$

It was my last day in the Yukon and I wanted to treat myself to something special. This came in the form of dessert at Klondike & Salmon. Why yes, the name itself doesn't make this sound like a dessert place and I felt very weird and silly going there just for dessert, but I heard that one of the "must tries" when it came to local treats was this popular seasonal restaurant's "famous" Sourdough Bread Pudding ($9.95) -- though I'm wondering just how famous Klondike Rib & Salmon is without their own marketing. In addition to this, they also sell their bonanza brownie and bumbleberry pie. All made by them, fresh daily... or so they say.

Then again, I didn't need for them to tell me it's a "must-have exquisite delight" (quoted from the menu); all I had to do was read that it was a bread pudding -- add in the sourdough element for that authentic Klondike experience, of course -- with vanilla ice cream and Yukon Jack caramel sauce. Oh yeah, I was so ready for it!

 A gigantic piece on a somewhat creepy fish plate was placed before me. The picture doesn't do the size justice; it was a good thing I didn't eat anything for lunch that day! :D It's probably made for sharing, but why would I do that? Still, a big slab of bread pudding, chunky and chewy loaded with raisins and shredded coconut, then topped with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream that was drizzled with a runny caramel sauce that poured down the sides and got soaked up by the dough itself. I'm not sure if I could distinguish the Yukon Jack in there, but it was good. Very good. Even the shredded coconut was a nice touch; the one minus I could think of was there were far too many raisins, especially for those who don't like raisins. And yet, despite the raisins and the size, in the end the plate was licked clean and I was a very happy girl. ^-^

Rating: ***1/2

Brikk [Mimi's World Tour]

Bakery: Brikk
Address: Norðurbakki 1, Hafnarfjörður
Website: facebook
Style: Icelandic
Price: $$

The Cake Fairy sent me a notification regarding the opening of this (now relatively) new bakery in downtown Hafnarfjörður and I knew I had to check it out; it took a few months for me to well, end up in Iceland, but this was an exciting gem!

Given the fact there are already two bakeries pretty much across the street, it may seem like an usual choice of location, but essentially, Brikk is not quite a bakery and at the same time more than a bakery. Perhaps their subtitle "brauð & eldhús" (bread & kitchen) sums it up more nicely? With a small counterful of breads and baked goods presented next to bowls of various creamy salads, one could almost call Brikk a deli. The airy, open-concept space with large windows seamlessly looking out onto the harbour and white-painted brick walls along with goods served on long rustic plank would almost make it more at home in urban mainland Scandinavia than suburban Iceland. The equally more rustic baked goods also seemed to bring me back to the days of my Cake Tour of Copenhagen.

The selection isn't big, the prices aren't bad and the baked goods -- more unique, artisan takes than what you'd normally find in Iceland -- look delicious. And how do they taste? Well, I couldn't resist the one-of-a-kind caramel rhubarb danish (350 kr). Flaky, layered dough rolled round in a spiral with mildly tangy, homemade "real" rhubarb jam (not the dark brown stuff) and a drizzle of icing. Just looking at it, I knew it would be 3.5 stars, minimum. Taking that first bite, I gave it a four without further deliberation. This was insanely good; I haven't experienced a perfect 4 on my Icelandic Cake Tours in a while now and boy, did I miss the feeling. 

Another signature item seemed to be their cinnamon buns (320kr, I believe?), a take on the classic kanilsuður: fluffier yeast dough rolled with a drier cinnamon mass and topped with a nice swirl of thick icing. This wasn't on the same level as the caramel rhubarb one, but still delicious. It feels (and tastes) so good to welcome this newcomer onto the Icelandic bakery scene! 

Rating: **** 

Formosa Tea Cafe

Bakery: Formosa Tea Cafe
Address: 2070 Harvey Ave, Kelowna BC
Website: http://www.formosateacafe.ca/
Style: Asian
Price: $$-$$$ 

While not in any way a bakery, Formosa is a fairly quaint tea shop specializing, of course, in bubble tea. I myself was actually there to check out their selection of tea (all organic), to the surprise of the staff who seem to expect another order of bubble tea, and while I would have liked more choice when it came to Asian teas, I was surprised to find that they had a small selection of sweets to go along with that drinks purchase. I love it when I end up with a Cake Tour when I didn't expect one! ^^ Naturally, it's not a lengthy menu, but they have cake slices (in Asian-inspired flavours like mango, Japanese cheesecake and... chocolate oreo?), limited baked goods in the form of chocolate or plain croissants, and these plastic containers of tiramisu (available in classic coffee or matcha). Not bad.

Knowing me, the moment I saw the latter, I know I wouldn't be able to resist: a matcha tiramisu ($4.25?) it was! Coming in a little plastic container, this turned out being bigger than it looked. Perhaps "bigger" is not the right word; richer, more filling. Yes, one bite of that decadent, deep green cheesy mass with soft cookie and you're hooked. Sometimes matcha baked goods aren't particularly generous with that green tea powder, but here you had that delicious taste with every bite. It certainly is worth paying a little extra compared to the classic coffee version. Mmmm... in the end, the tiramisu turned out a lot better than my too-strong oolong tea.

Rating: ***

Yoko Cheesecake

Bakery: Yoko Cheesecake 
Address: 1455 Rue Peel, Montreal QC 
Website: n/a
Style: Japanese 
Price: $$

For those tired of the over-commercialization of Uncle Tetsu's in Toronto or are looking for something sweet and Japanese in Montreal, there is this calmer, more mellow Japanese bakery underground in the Cours Mont Royal, right by the Peel metro stop. Of course, it looks like it can get busy, but when I was there, it was well, empty.

Yoko Cheesecake, however, does not just have cheesecake. They do have very few items for sale, but they go beyond cheesecake, likewise selling giant cheese tarts ($16.50), "raindrop" cakes (a sort of jelly dome; $3.49), and a selection of cold drinks. Of course I wanted to try the cheesecake ($10); how could I not?

Available in either regular or matcha green tea, both are the same price and the same size. Packed in a cardboard box and tied with string, opening it up, you're greeted with a fairly petite cake stamped with the store's logo. My first glance told me immediately that the cake was without a doubt less green than the promo photos and display cake. Actually, it was pretty pale green and, accordingly, the taste definitely lacked any matcha flavour, which was a bit disappointing. Texture-wise, it was by far the most dense Japanese cheesecake I've tried. I mean, that's a good sign, because it means there's more cheese in it, but at the same time, it wasn't as fluffy. Still, once getting past the fact that I couldn't detect that much matcha, I did enjoy it. Good, but it couldn't beat my mom's fantastic matcha Japanese cheesecake. :P

Rating: ***

Muddy Waters

Bakery: Muddy Waters
Address: 328 Esplanade Ave, Harrison Hot Springs BC 
Website: facebook
Style: Canadian
Price: $$ 

I already did another coffee stop in Harrison Hot Springs; this one, on the other hand, is probably considered the hip one in town. At the very least, the long line seemed to indicate this was the case.

One reason for this is the fact that they pretty much have everything, so calling them a coffee spot is a huge understatement. The question should be what don't they have... burgers, ice cream, beer, hot breakfast, espresso, candy apples, sandwiches and hey! they also have a small selection of their own home-made baked goods such as monster muffins, brownies, scones, and other similar squares. Not that much, but then again, it's amazing they manage to sneak these in onto their repertoire.

I decided on the cranberry almond bar. It's something different and cranberry is, for whatever reason, not the most common fruit in a square. I always like it; they're a little tart and add punch to something more subtle like oats and granola. This one was pretty good actually; the chunks of almonds mixed in with the crumble top and then the cranberries which still had some shape to it (it wasn't just an overly sweetened jam) -- I was impressed.

Rating:  ***

Ceres Bakery [International Correspondent]

Bakery: Ceres Bakery
Address: 51 Penhallow St, Portsmouth NH 
Website: http://www.ceresbakery.com/
Style: American 
Price: $$

This past summer, I did a small road trip along the East Coast and went through New Hampshire and Maine, mostly. I wasn't really looking for bakeries; one of the days was a Sunday, so a lot of what I did see was closed. I just saw Ceres Bakery while taking a walk in Portsmouth and decided to go in and get something.

The bakery had classic stuff, a bit rustic; I'd say pretty (New) English. It was a traditional bakery with nothing fancy, no impressive pastries or anything like that. Lots of cookies (maybe it's their specialty?), things like hot cross buns, scones, brownies, etc. I thought it was a little boring; at first, nothing really popped for me, especially since I never think cookies are worth it.

Probably the most interesting thing they had for me was the raspberry rhubarb tart (around $4). I'd call it more of a pie. You get a slice and it has a pie shell bottom with a crunchy crumble. The fruit was really fruit. I don't know if I can say the same for everything else, but this was really good.

Rating: ***

The Deli

Bakery: The Deli
Address: 203 Hanson St, Whitehorse YT
Website: facebook
Style: Canadian 
Price: $$

The Deli may seem like an unlikely choice for a Cake Tour. After all, stepping into the store, you're greeted with scents of cabbage and sausage; yup, you've entered the European Hot Lunch zone. :D The headquarters of Yukon Meat and Sausage, I was actually here, because I was thinking of bringing back some sausage and/or jerky with me, but with the sausages being the raw, not smoked kind and the jerky just not managing to pull me in, I went away instead with a sweet. I love how these things work out!

Nonetheless, The Deli is well, a deli. (Thanks, genius) They serve hot food, sell sausages, prepared foods, and cold cuts behind the counter while the walls feature imported products from mainly the Netherlands and Germany. Because the world can never have enough salted licorice and sauerkraut. Still, in one fridge in the corner, they have a selection of about ten or so squares, sliced and packed in saran wrap. All are the same price at $2.50 and feature the classics. Right when you pay, there's also a small display featuring a limited selection of baked goods. As I recall, it was just muffins and... was it some sort of pound cake? Not much, nothing elaborate, but still something unique to add to my roster of Yukon reviews. :)

I had the berry macaroon square. This was pretty good with chewy shredded coconut on top, a nice chunky dough bottom, similar to a date square and a good amount of berry filling in the middle; good consistency, thick and fruity. All in all, quite tasty, though maybe not the freshest. Still, it's not a bakery, so you can't expect too, too much.

Rating: **1/2

Kaffislippur [Mimi's World Tour]

Bakery: Kaffislippur 
Address: Mýrargata 12, Reykjavik
Website: http://www.kaffislippur.is/
Style: Icelandic
Price: $$$ 

I want to wholeheartedly thank the Cake Fairy for this Cake Tour. :) In all honesty, I've walked by this cafe and self-proclaimed "deli" a few times over the years, though I really only noticed its existence only after watching a few movies at the Reykjavik International Film Festival (they seemed to be a sponsor). In both cases, it never really dawned on me that they would have a tasty array of baked treats! Whether they bake everything themselves or not is a question I can't find a definitive answer to, but given the fact that I have never seen anything in other similar businesses (which is always the most glaring of signs), I'll give them the benefit of the doubt. With this place being a little on the pricey side, they better. o__o

Kaffislippur is the laid-back, airy yet cozy cafe attached to the Icelandair Marina Hotel and is accessed from the little street facing the harbour. Nice views, nice vibe; stepping into it, you find most goodies presented on plates and glass cake dishes opposite the cash. Some are pre-packaged in little baggies at the cash. Baked goods are labelled and priced; some have a list of ingredients as well. As mentioned above, it is a little pricey, with many items easily twice the price of a traditional bakery. That being said, the treats are more... refined, elegant, especially in the case of the cinnamon bun.

 Let's begin: there, I had a cinnamon bun. It was actually my breakfast coming directly from the airport, so my pot of tea was 550kr (wish they gave more milk though...), but I don't remember how much the bun was. Slightly flaky dough with a nice bit of crunch on the outside. Inside, delicately spiced, not too sweet with a thin layer of icing poured over top. Oh boy... this was one of the best cinnamon buns I've had in Iceland!

The peanut square (650kr; unsure of the actual name) was labelled as vegan and gluten-free; it may have been raw too, but it's not stated. It's almost healthy! It was very nutty, but I think more texture/chunkiness and some other flavours would have helped. The components were in there, but with the dark chocolate on top, it tasted too much like peanut butter and chocolate... and I don't really like peanut butter. Okay, I don't like peanut butter; almond, oh yes, hazelnut, sure!

Last but not least, the Sarah Bernhardt (450kr). I've heard of these; I've seen them (mostly in Swedish bakeries) but I had never tried one. Why it took me so long... it beats me. This was the highlight. Chewy flour-less cookie bottom with a dense cream covered in chocolate. Whoever invented this was a genius. Whoa. Just whoa.

Rating: ***1/2

Winfield Bakery

Bakery: Winfield Bakery 
Address: 10017 Main St, Lake Country BC 
Website: facebook
Style: Canadian, German
Price: $$ 

Just outside Kelowna, this long-standing bakery ended up on my bakery radar when I was riding through the area on a Sunday and I vowed to return when it was open. One Saturday afternoon, I did just that. Winfield is a simple, no-frills bakery serving classic baked goods along with a nice selection of traditional German pastries, though without a doubt, the metal racks stock more bread than anything else. Still, between the shelves of doughnuts and apple fritters, poppy seed buns, cakes and squares, I had a hard time deciding -- and this was even with the empty spaces that gave the impression something had been there earlier on (whether that's true or not is unknown).

 In some ways, it is a miracle that I didn't pick up either the poppy seed bun or the larger ring. It definitely looked good and whenever I see poppy seed baked goods, you can bet I'm the first person there. ;D I'll have to try it next time...

But I really could not resist the plum cake ($6.75). After all, plum cakes aren't the most common sight and it was technically plum season at the time of purchase, so it seemed like the perfect opportunity, not to mention that I really do love plum cakes, if I can get a hold of them. Then, this one looked beautiful and delicious with tons of crumble and chunks of plums on top; cutting myself a slice, it definitely tasted delicious as well. Tons of fruit, but without it making the moist dough soggy, and that crumble.... Mmm!  An Okanagan highlight!

Rating: ***1/2

La Niçoise

Bakery: La Niçoise
Address:  769 Rue Beaubien, Montreal QC
Website: n/a 
Style: French 
Price: $$ 

This simple, rather no-frills bakery is an easy one to walk past. At least, even I, knowing exactly where I was heading, barely noticed it; I mean, you have to admit it resembles more a rundown coffee shop than a bakery, especially with the seating taking up most of the unpretentious space. Then, there's the fact that they don't really have a lot of either bread, baked goods or pastries, which make both appellations a bit of a head scratcher.

Still, La Niçoise has a few shelves' worth of traditional French baked goods right when you enter and then a little more on the other side of the cash register, including some cakes and slightly more elaborate pastries. Nothing overly fancy, but the more modest pricing reflects that, though it would be nice to have items priced and labelled; after all, visiting patisseries does add up after awhile....

This trip to Montreal turned into the one for almond croissants; it didn't happen intentionally, but nonetheless, I settled for one almond croissant and an abricotine ($5.25 for both, with tax). The almond croissant was certainly better than the one I had had the previous day (yes, I know... it's a bit embarrassing): wonderfully flaky croissant, rather plump and pretty hearty with good texture, nice baked-on almond top with slivered nuts, then stuffed with delectable cream. This was definitely the highlight of the two.

The abricotine was likewise good, with two apricot slices on either end and simple glaze on top, but I found the middle lacking in the typical cream; actually it was quite empty and you had the sensation of eating just plain dough. In both cases, the dough could have been more buttery and then that feeling of eating plain dough would be a lot more enjoyable. Good, affordable option in the area.

Rating: ***

The Green Star

Bakery: The Green Star 
Address: 182-196 Esplanade Ave, Harrison Hot Springs BC
Website: n/a 
Style: Canadian 
Price: $$ 

Right across the street from the public hot springs, The Green Star is a cafe with their own baked goods, though it is essentially more a sandwich and breakfast spot than a place to go for sweets. That being said, they were one of the less exorbitant places to stop in such a touristy town. At the same time they have simpler, "homestyle" food and a hodgepodge of products (ice cream, coffee, stir-fried dishes, sandwiches..); add to that the bilingual signs telling you how to behave and, after all, it's perhaps not the coolest place in town, but still for a lack of a real bakery, it definitely gets the job done. That job comes in the form of a display case featuring a limited selection of treats like slices of pie and cake, along with muffins on top of the counter. With everything saran-wrapped and pre-sliced, it didn't like as homemade as I would have liked....

Nonetheless, I picked out the carrot cake (I think it was $3.99?). This was what I'd call your standard piece of carrot cake: a not-too thick slab of spiced carrot dough and a decent amount of icing on top with a few walnut chunks. The dough was a little too homogeneous and didn't have enough carrots for it to be exceptional; you don't really get the carrot cake vibes, even looking at it. Good, but not great.

Rating: **1/2

The Claim

Bakery: The Claim Cafe
Address: 305 Strickland St, Whitehorse YT
Website: http://theclaim.ca/
Style: Canadian
Price: $$$-$$$$ 

A few factors made me pick The Claim as my least favourite bakery in Whitehorse; for one, this was the other place I applied to and didn't even receive a reply, so that always dampens things a bit (but I was overqualified for the position, so it's their loss they don't Mimi on their side! :P). It's hard to look at a place objectively when that happens... Putting that aside, however, I was unpleasantly surprised at the prices; one local lady I was discussing the Cake Tour with even mentioned that she found this place too expensive. With simple baked goods like cinnamon buns and brownies starting at $4.50, it's not cheap and the sweets are not fancy enough to justify it.

I came in on a busy afternoon and found the counter and display case stocked with various types of squares, simple cake slices, and a few baked goods on top, namely scones, muffins and cinnamon buns. I was disconcerted to find that all, with the exception of a bran muffin, were gluten-free, though the cafe-bakery doesn't bill itself to be exclusively that. Inquiring whether they had any baked goods that were not gluten-free besides that one bran muffin, the worker went to the back and returned with the answer that the gluten-free baked goods were made with mostly rice flour. O.o Um, but... that wasn't what I wanted to know....

Not wanting to hold up the line, I opted for my back-up pick: the strawberry rhubarb square ($4.75!?) This was a fairly traditional square in the style of a date square with oats and granola on top and a nondescript fruit puree filling. I could taste the tartness of the rhubarb which was nice. Upon first glance, I thought the bottom was some sort of cheese layer, but it proved to just be a spongier dough than on top. This was quite tasty, but the overall experience was a little frustrating.

Rating: **1/2 

Passion Reykjavík [Mimi's World Tour]

Bakery: Passion Reykjavík
Address: Álfheimar 6, Reykjavík
Website: facebook 
Style: Icelandic
Price: $-$$ 

With the focus in 2017 being getting as many Canadian bakeries reviewed as possible, I put the other pending reviews I had on pause. This included bakeries I did in my last two trips to Iceland. Passion is, in fact, the last bakery I had to do in Reykjavik proper; I'm missing a few in the suburbs (namely Kópavogur) but Reykjavik is now done. Passion is right in the neighbourhood and, as such, a bit off the beaten path, especially if you're walking it. Still, it's one of the most old-world bakeries in the city with dark wood accents, chandeliers, and baked goods presented behind glass partitions on granite counters. It's so pretty -- don't let the dated plaza detract you. ^^

Coming at fifteen minutes before closing is usually a disaster, but I was surprised at how much there was still there; I'd call it fully stocked with lovely pastries, baked goods and cakes, with varieties I've never seen before. What did they do with all that stuff? O.O Anyways, unlike many bakeries, nothing was labelled or priced and inquiring what one item contained got me a not very polite scowl and a flippant answer; suffice to say, the service was far from stellar (and got me questioning why I even bother practising my Icelandic...).

 Still, at 290kr for a danish, it's one of the cheapest pastries in Reykjavik! I can't remember the last time I paid under 300kr for this sort of treat.... Biting into it, I found it having everything I love in a danish: flaky, multi-layered dough with some weight to it filled with raspberry jam and sprinkled with slivered almonds. Then, drizzled on top with vanilla and caramel icing. This really was one of the highlights from an otherwise lacklustre trip; can't believe I didn't stumble upon this gem years before!

Rating: ***1/2

Ida's Bakery

Bakery: Ida's Bakery 
Address: 1980 Vernon St, Lumby BC
Website: n/a
Style: Canadian 
Price: $$ 

I'd heard of Ida's Bakery prior to visiting it; actually, someone recommended it to me, saying that "there's a really good bakery in Lumby". Of course, I didn't know the context behind the comment: were the baked goods particularly delicious? Or was it in reference to their sandwiches or breads? (Since then it wouldn't interest me all that much, though a bakery is a bakery needing to be reviewed~!) Some very quick online research -- basically just searching where it was -- revealed that Ida's apparently has amazing apple fritters. With that discovery made, I was so ready for this one! :D

That being said, I went to Ida's on a Saturday afternoon and was a bit devastated to find the bakery quite empty. First of all, there were no apple fritters in sight, not even a label. The area with sweets was either cleaned out or hadn't been stocked very generously that day. A few squares, a pack of day-old old fashioned doughnuts on the table and the choice between the last two blueberry turnovers and some sort of eclair.

The blueberry turnover ($2.00 each) it was. Now, it looked really good, but my one inhibition was that I'm actually not the biggest fan of blueberries. They're definitely not my preferred berry and I'm not a fan of the blueberry jelly they put inside jelly doughnuts, so I felt a little like I didn't end up with something I really wanted. This, however, went all out the door once I took my first bite. Huge turnover with delicious glaze, yummy blueberry filling and a soft, moist doughnut dough. Yummy!! Turns out Ida's really is a good bakery (well, to be fair, I would give it 3.5 stars for the baked good, but 3 for the bakery given they didn't have anything else...)!

Rating: ***1/2

Famous Doughnuts

Bakery: Famous Doughnuts
Address: 3043 Main St, Buffalo NY 
Website: http://famousdoughnuts.com/
Style: Doughnuts 
Price: $ 

Hey! Doughnuts is spelled right!! ;) Famous Doughnuts definitely qualifies as one of those doughnut institutions; they seem to have been around for ages (since 1938!) and this is usually a good sign. Nevertheless, as it may be clear just by looking at it, this is an old-school doughnut shop; stepping inside, doughnuts are served behind a small counter on plastic trays. The selection isn't massive, with maybe seven or eight different types of doughnuts, but all the classics are there: sprinkle doughnuts (the pink icing seems to be the signature item?), honey dip, Boston cream, jelly-filled, and chocolate, among others.

 For sampling purposes, I took two doughnut stalwarts, which also happen to be my favourite flavours: the honey dip and the apple fritter ($0.85 each; multi-deals available from 2-onwards). They were both fresh, a nicely fried exterior on the fritter; good dough consistency, but the real highlight was the smooth, thin icing, freshly applied and thin enough so that it crackles right upon contact -- as it should. Good, classic doughnuts.

Rating: ***

Pasticceria Alati Caserta

Bakery: Pasticceria Alati Caserta 
Address: 277 Rue Dante, Montreal QC
Website: http://www.alaticaserta.com/
Style: Italian 
Price: $$-$$$ 

Alati Caserta is actually part of a rare species in Canada: the traditional Italian pasticceria, or patisserie. Many place the title alongside others, but once you step inside, you realize it's actually more of a deli; more often than not, the place smells of pasta and pizza sauce. There's a hot food counter, there are loaves of bread, perhaps an olive and antipasto bar, of course you need the espresso... you know what I mean. Pasticceria Alati Caserta is none of that, and yet so much more with shelves upon shelves of cakes, cookies, pastries, and those famous cannoli.

Coming here on a November weekend, I found the line nearly out the door. Just for pastries -- mostly for those aforementioned cannoli; of course, this may have been due to the fact that, the entire month of November, as a way of thanking customers for 50 years, all cannoli were 50% off. Whether or not it's always this busy, it was busy then and workers were scrambling to keep up with the demand, filling and refilling trays with multiple flavours of giant cannoli, an amazing eight or so varieties: classic ricotta, pastry cream, chocolate, tiramisu, lemon, coffee, straciatella, Oreo... am I missing any?

So, how could I not take a cannolo ($3.50/each, $1.75 50% off November special)? I was thinking of the ricotta at first; after all, it's always good to judge something by the plainest variety, but then I couldn't resist the tiramisu. ^^; The dusting of cocoa on top kind of got stuck to the bag, but still, the idea was there: a hint of chocolate, a hint of coffee, and a rich, cheesy cream stuffed in a puffy, golden-fried roll. Mmm... the size was right. XD The cream delicious, but I personally thought the shell was little too airy for the amount of cream inside, though it was nicely fried. I'm just not sure if it's necessarily worth $3.50, regular price; that's kind of a lot for a cannolo.... 

Rating: ***