Dufflet Pure & Sweet: Cranberries & Blueberries in Pure Dark Chocolate
Cost: $10.99
www.dufflet.com
Everyone knows the name Dufflet. It's synonymous with heavenly baked goods. If you haven't had a cake, tart or pastry from Dufflet, then there's something horribly wrong with your life. And you don't have to visit a Dufflet store to buy the cakes (although, it is fun 'cause you get to buy miniature treats for yourself other people). Dufflet cakes are available at many grocery stores such as Loblaws, The Kitchen Table, Rabba's, Longo's and Grocery Gateway (online). For a full list, go here.
But the reason to go to a Dufflet store is so that you can buy 'small indulgences' like the one pictured here. Cranberries and blueberries drowned in pure dark Belgian chocolate! No artificial flavours...really. I looked.
I bought this tin at 25% off, which is still pricey, but worth it if you really want to indulge. Just have a little handful..it's better than, say, having a whole cake.
Locations:
Riverwalk Marketplace, One Poydras, Suite 27, New Orleans
Open Mon-Sat 9am-6pm, Sun 9:30am-6pm
French Market, 800 Decatur Street, New Orleans
Open 24 hours a day, closed 6pm December 24, opens 6am December 26
Cost: $4 for 3 Beignets and a Cafe Au Lait
www.cafedumonde.com/main.html
"What are beg-nets?"
"Ben-yaaaays.."
"Oh. What are they?"
"They're French doughnuts, covered in icing sugar...you MUST try them."
"Will do. Sounds amazing!"
And. They were.
Everyone kept telling us that we'd have to try the beignets while we were in New Orleans, so imagine my excitement when I came across a Cafe Du Monde at the Riverwalk Marketplace! The timing couldn't have been more perfect. It was of course, tea-time!
There was a terrific line-up when we jumped in, but it moved along swiftly and as we got closer to the menu board, we realized the only items you could order were beignets and cafe au laits. And the beignets came in three's (for $1.82) which was perfect as far as I was concerned.
One of the difficult things to avoid while eating these outdoors, as we did, is getting the icing sugar on yourself!
At the Cafe Du Monde in the French Quarter, the atmosphere was much the same...carefree, easygoing staff but an ordering system a bit different from at the Riverwalk. You place your order at your table and the beignets and coffee arrive to you.
The icing sugar behaves the same way no matter where you are....
I fully understand now why they're called "benyays"...I found myself exclaiming "YAAY!" whenever I saw a Cafe Du Monde. And, I know it's touristy but I had to bring back a box of beignet mix and a tin of Cafe Du Monde's original coffee. Needless to say, they've both been opened and the joy has been spread as quickly as the icing sugar on the top.
Location:
548 King Street West, Toronto
Cost: $8.50 average
www.zoesbakerycafe.ca
A great girls get-together should revolve around (I think) good food and drink....if those two components aren't there, it's almost as if one of your girlfriends is washing her hair.
Our plan was to meet at Zoe's for lunch and despite the TTC strike everyone was able to make it out (mostly thanks to my considerate friend and her fancy new wheels).
Zoe's is on King street near Brant; it's hard to miss the giant black signage on the front and side of the cafe.
During the summer climate bright red umbrellas line the sidewalk in front of the cafe, under which enthusiastic patrons munch on enormous gourmet sandwiches and hearty salads.
Being slightly lower than ground level, the interior of Zoe's is dimly lit although there is enough light streaming in through the many windows to make you feel warm and cosy. For a quick bite during the week there are round tables and high chairs in the front room and for longer, leisurely lunches there is additional seating to the right of the counter. Further down the hallway is a giant conference room (not pictured) for lunch meetings as well.
If you're not one to break out in goosebumps at the slight bite of something cold, you'll enjoy biting into the sandwiches at Zoe's. I, for one, prefer my sandwiches toasted. I like toasty bread slices, melting cheese, warm grilled chicken----you get my drift.
Alas, I failed to reveal this to our server when we placed out order, so what I ended up with was a cold Cajun chicken sandwich.
CAJUN CHICKEN sandwich
house-made mango chutney, pea sprouts, citrus aioli & mixed greens on 10-grain
Don't get me wrong, it was quite tasty. The mango chutney was an especially great addition to the sandwich. If only it were hot. But, why didn't you just ask to get it toasted, you ask? Great question! Thanks for asking. I think my problem wasn't just the bread not being toasted...everything was cold. It would have had to have been microwaved (mmm....microwaved bread....) and that didn't seem much more appealing. At least we had warm chicken quesadillas!
CHICKEN QUESADILLAS
filled with Cajun chicken, julienne bell peppers, red onions & cheddar
This was a hit with all of us. I think mainly because it was served hot and the cheddar had melted into a gooey mass over the chicken, pepper and onions.
AVOCADO sandwich
tomatoes, shaved granny smith apples, pesto aioli & mixed greens on 10-grain
There were no complaints from my friend who ordered this although I wouldn't be likely to order it next time as it's very close to what I made myself for lunch yesterday (but toasted, thank you very much).
CHICKEN WRAP
Cajun chicken, roasted peppers, cheddar, pesto aioli, shaved fresh apple & mixed greens
I preferred this over the cuban chicken sandwich...somehow wraps are easier to eat cold than giant sandwiches. Or maybe that's just me?
GRILLED PORTABELLO MUSHROOM sandwich
julienne roasted peppers, herbed chèvre, tomato pesto & mixed greens on 10-grain
My vegetarian friend seemed to enjoy this immensely....and 'roasted' makes me think it was warmer than my sandwich...
Zoe's has Illy coffees, a variety of teas and fresh juices (Good ol' OJ pictured here...in a bottle....which turned out to be great, actually).
For a Saturday, I expected there to be more of a lunch crowd, however the few patrons who trickled in for a sit down lunch had fully emptied out by 3pm. Our server also proved to be quite absent-minded leaving me to trek back and forth with requests for cutlery, water and finally, after she'd disappeared altogether, the bill.
Location:
170 S. Market St. Suite 110,
San Jose, CA
Cost: ranges from $1.50 +
www.bijanbakery.com
After a much needed breakfast at Il Fornaio, we remembered (from having passed by it the night before), that Bijan Bakery had a magnificent array of desserts and pastries and both agreed we had only enough room to share a small treat.
I don't think I have ever seen so many pastries in my life! We got there when there was hardly a line-up but we took so long to decide what we wanted (read: overwhelmed with choices) that by the time we were ready to order a line had grown.
There were chocolate chip, almond, raisin, and various other cookies, baklava, marzipan, cinnamon buns, twists, strudels, biscotti, cookies with fruit centres, mousse pastries in a variety of flavours, cream puffs, fruits tarts, cheesecakes, eclairs, chocolate covered strawberries, napoleans, tiramisu, black forest...and....so much more!
We decided upon an apple tart (boring, I know, given all the selection! But anything else would have gone to waste since we were short on time and had already over-eaten at breakfast!)
Warmed, the apple tart wasn't bad, but it didn't blow my socks off. I should have tried their specialty Princess Cake (alas, if I had been plugged to trusty ol' Chowhound I would have known to do so!) They also serve soups, salads and sandwiches!
Bijan Bakery and Cafe certainly leaves MUCH to be desired....
Let me tell you, my husband made these for me the other night and they are fantabulous...everyone should taste how heavenly these are!! You'll never go out and buy another chocolate cupcake again! I promise. They're light, but not light in that 'omg this is so healthy I can taste the flour before it was ground' light, it's still sweet enough and chocolately enough that you feel like you can have 10. And you just might.
So, here it is:
Cupcakes:
3/4 cup granulated sugar
5 tablespoons butter or stick margarine, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup fat-free milk
Frosting:
1 tablespoon butter or stick margarine
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons fat-free milk
1 ounce unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 3/4 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Here's the other information nobody really understands or cares about:
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CALORIES 261(28% from fat); FAT 8.2g (sat 4.8g,mono 2.4g,poly 0.4g); PROTEIN 3.5g; CHOLESTEROL 53mg; CALCIUM 32mg; SODIUM 180mg; FIBER 0.3g; IRON 1.1mg; CARBOHYDRATE 44.5g
Location: Fisherman's Wharf
The sea-lions were an eye-ful (and an ear-ful) at Pier 39.
Apparently there's a "bush man" who hides behind these bushes and jumps out at tourists. He wasn't there when we walked by..but his beer was chillin'.
There's another Boudin Sourdough bakery! This time with a baker in the window and a bready croc on display....quite fitting when you think about how tough skinned sourdough is.
"Hot clam chowder" - now, that's what I should have had!
Or these bloated crab sandwiches. Wait, is that sourdough bread?