The Gossip – Coffee and Baked Goods
Since we moved to Mount Pleasant a year and a half ago,
we have seen various establishments go under, or get torn down and redeveloped,
usually into more appealing venues. And often, the focus is on coffee and baked
goods. And with the success of so many of these places so close together, it is
obvious that Vancouverites covet their coffee and sugary treats.
Within about a year, and within seven blocks of one
another, six different places opened to serve caffeinated drinks and sweet
fare. One of my top choices, Forty Ninth Parallel, is a gourmet coffee roaster with delectable donuts
to boot (try the peanut butter and jelly, they are to die for). This place is
always bustling with customers, so be ready to wait in line on the weekends,
and to clamor for a seat. They often play their music loud, so if you’re
looking for a quieter place to work, try another venue such as Gene Café or JJ Bean at 14th
and Main.
French Made Baking,
located on Kingsway between 8th and Broadway, is another new bakery
worth a pit stop. Owned and operated by men and women who are authentically
French, it is small and unassuming; and the sign does little to communicate the
charm within. They specialize in the now trendy macaron, but also boast other sinful treats, such as the real pain au chocolat, layers of delicious
pastry surrounding little surprises of dark chocolate. Their café au lait also merits a taste – it is
rich and creamy, and begs for regular croissant dipping. Be prepared, however,
for the strange hours French Made Baking keep: 11 a.m.-6 p.m. throughout the
week.
Only a few stores down the block from the French bakery
is La Petite Cuillère, which in many ways is an homage to typical British tea
houses. Despite the oddity that an English tea house has a French name, and the
French bakery an English one, La Petite Cuillere is recommended for its savoury
lunches and sweet dessert offerings. Try the quiche and salad, or the pesto
chicken wrap (a great to-go option), along with one of their many inspired tea
options. One of the most memorable things about this place is the women who run
it: they are two sisters with their mother, and they all exude kindness and
positivity.
Across the street and connected to the Mount Pleasant
Community Centre is the newly refurbished Pleasant Beans, a good place to stop
for JJ Bean coffee after one of the many activities on offer at the centre. The
coffee shop often has homemade granola bars (yum!), and also make grilled
cheese (for the kiddies, but who’s kidding who, we adults love them too).
I have yet to try newest additions The Last Crumb, a mere
block and a bit from Forty Ninth Parallel and JJ Bean, or Bonchaz Bakery at the
corner of Main and Broadway. Although Bonchaz may be next on my list, as they offer
a free muffin with coffee before 11 a.m., or so local legend claims. Let me
know if you’ve tried either, and what you think!
Check in soon for the latest gossip on restaurants,
breweries, and clothing stores in Mount Pleasant!
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