Blue Canoe Bakery & Cafe [RIP]

Bakery: Blue Canoe Bakery & Cafe 
Address: 121 Shuswap St S, Salmon Arm BC
Website: http://www.bluecanoebakery.com/
Style: Mediterranean, Canadian 
Price: $$-$$$ 

The second dedicated bakery in Salmon Arm is, like Shuswap Pie Company, more a cafe and sit-down spot than a place to pop in and grab baked goods or bread, though they sell both. Instead, Blue Canoe seems more of a lunch/coffee break destination with a fairly large menu featuring sandwiches, salads and wraps, although they do also offer an interesting, almost surprising array (especially given it's a smaller town bakery) of treats that include classic Canadian bakery staples (cookies, muffins and buns) with a more than generous dash of Mediterranean/Greek/Lebanese pastries thrown in there for fun. I'll admit I didn't expect to find baklava -- but it was pretty exciting I did.

 These baklava ($3.95) are bigger than usual, come in two varieties (the braided one pictured and a more conical version) and are made individually, almost like nutty danishes, so you don't get it sitting in a tray of sugary syrup, which just so happens to be the best kind of baklava. A bit pricey, it nevertheless had a lot of crushed nuts, raisins, and a smattering of pistachio as well. Pretty good.

The second item I couldn't resist grabbing was a single-serve basboussa (was it $3 or $3.95 as well? I'm not sure...). This Middle Eastern sponge cake made with semolina and sugar syrup was one I'd tried once before and really liked; the latter used Greek yogourt for a denser, richer dough and I don't think anyone can beat it, but this was very good in its own right: moist, semi-sticky dough with great texture and taste. It really is one of those treats you can't stop eating!

In short, if you're in the mood for something a little different, Blue Canoe is a friendly, interesting bakery worth checking out.

Rating: ***