Sweet Obsessions

If ever you're having one of those days when your sweet tooth is begging to be fed, make your way to Sweet Obsessions and treat it to some amazing desserts!  Sweet Obsessions is a cross between what I imagine Willy Wonka's bakery would be like (I couldn't believe all of the desserts!), a tea shop (think Murchie's), and a cozy coffee shop.  Always busy and stocked to the brim with warm beverages and desserts, you really can't go wrong!

My dining partner's chai and slice of Tiramisu cake: layers of Italian sponge, zabaglione, mascarpone cream and espresso.  Now that is one heck of a slice of Tiramisu!

My rooibos tea and Hedgehog cake: layers of hazelnut chiffon and hazelnut chocolate butter cream with Frangelico.  Not quite what I was expecting (I was expecting Purdy's hedgehog flavouring), but still very rich and yummy.

Our view during dessert.

The never ending selection of cakes.  Unreal!

Cookies and other treats.

The X that marks the spot.

 

http://www.sweetobsession.ca/sweet-obsession-cakes-pastries-ltd/

@Sw33tObs3ssion

Stagette Food Adventures Part 1 - Sunflower Bakery Cafe

A couple weekends ago, I headed up to Whistler with an amazing group of ladies for a lovely friend's stagette!  The spa, ziplining, scrumptious food, yummy beverages and a lot of laughter...you can't ask for a better weekend than that!  Even though we were sworn to secrecy over the crazy shenanigans we got up to, the bride gave me the A-Okay to divulge the secrets of our food adventures.

For me, one of the weekend's food highlights was the Sunflower Bakery Café in Squamish.  We stopped here on our way up because one of our fellow stagetters had missed breakfast that morning...and you know me, I'll never turn down a second breakfast!  I was expecting a standard café but this café was amazing!  Comfy cozy, welcoming, warm, super duper fresh baked goods made in the natural way (no yeast, sugar, fats or dairy), and reasonable prices.  I definitely think I foresee many pre-boarding second breakfasts in my future this ski season!

Sunflower Bakery Café.

My fellow stagetter's (we'll call her the chocolate lover) cornmeal scone second breakfast/early lunch.  She said it was delicious!  ($2.33)

 

The chocolate lover's oatmeal chocolate chip second breakfast/early lunch dessert.  This looked absolutely amazing!  I do believe I may have literally lost my hand if I had tried to sneak a bite. 

 

My Tomato and Cheese Bagel second breakfast/early lunch.  This bagel sandwich was out of control!  First of all, the sesame bagel was the freshest and yummiest bagel I think I've ever tasted in my life.  Second of all, it was toasted to perfection, and just the right amount of cream cheese was spread evenly on either side of the bagel.  Add to that that the tomato, cheddar cheese and lettuce were crazy fresh and cool and crisp...the contrast of the hot and cold and all of the amazing flavours were out of control!  I can't wait to go back and have it again.  (Approximately $5).

 

My second breakfast/early lunch dessert: a Whole-wheat Raspberry Scone.  To die for!  Period.  ($2.33)

 

http://www.sunflowerbakerycafe.com/

Grounds for Appeal Café

I was recently invited out on a food adventure with my long-legged friend and my faux-long legged friend.  I had no idea where we were going, but I had been promised scrumptious Indian food and knew that lawyers were somehow involved.  Turns out that we were going to the Grounds for Appeal Café.

This café is definitely not fancy (think two steps up from your school cafeteria), but the food is delicious, the service is efficient, the chairs are comfy, the space is large and bright, and the price is definitely right.  So, next time you're craving some yummy in your yummy Indian food, make your way down to the Grounds for Appeal Café.  Just make sure you do it before noon to beat the line!

My butter Chicken with rice and naan...super yummy in my tummy!  My faux long-legged friend also had the butter chicken and thoroughly agreed with my conclusion.  ($8.25, tax included)

My long-legged friend's Chicken Curry.  He swears that this is the best dish on the menu.  Guess I'll have to try it out next time!  ($8.25, tax included)

The X that marks the spot.

The Bench Market

If you haven't guessed yet, this week's posts are dedicated to the fabulous city of Penticton.  Not only do they have gorgeous weather, amazing scenery, and taste bud tantalizing wine, but they also have some amazing restaurants!  My favourite discovery so far?  The Bench Market.

Homemade yummy goodness to eat in or take-out, indoor seating, outdoor seating, gluten-free options, sunshine and they cater to the bike community (bike racks galore)...what more could you ask for?  We enjoyed breakfast there on two occasions and I've included the yummy photos from both below.  Definitely a must visit if you're ever in Penticton.  Thanks for the good eats Bench Market!

The Breakfast Plate: 1.5 hardboiled eggs, amazing brie cheese, 2 slices of bacon, homemade cranberry bread and a bowl of fruit.  ($10.95)  The cheese sold me on this meal initially and then it melted me into putty while eating it.  Amazing!

 

 Homemade granola with yogurt and a side of fruit.  (Approximately $9)  This was just what the doctor ordered.  So fresh and flavourful!  I loved that they had mint in the fruit salad.

 

My freshly pressed apple juice!  Being an Okanagan girl, my heart skipped a beat when I noticed this on the menu during our second visit.  Lots of apple goodness in this glass!  ($2.50) 

The outdoor patio.

Our view during breakfast.

 http://www.thebenchmarket.com/

Twitter: @TheBenchMarket

Kafka's Coffee & Tea (Best Cafés of Vancouver - 5 of 48)

Well I am slowly but surely making my way through Erin Ireland's best cafés of Vancouver and am loving every minute of it!  My latest outing was to Kafka's Coffee & Tea on Main, which I thoroughly enjoyed.  The beverages were great and authentic, the prices included tax (nice touch), the artwork was eye-catching and original, the space was modern but hipsterish at the same time (but not to the point so non-hipsters like myself felt unwelcome), they had fabulous bottles of water for free so you could re-hydrate post caffeine treat (another nice touch), and they had neat little things that caught your eye throughout the café (e.g. handles for canning jars to make them into cups, etc.).  The other bonus is they were open until 9pm on weekdays.  Definitely made for a fun evening out!  Now, on to the beverages...

My wonderful coffee companion's wet cappucino.  Very pretty to look at and my coffee companion thoroughly enjoyed it.

My Chai.  I had a feeling this Chai was going to be good when they listed it as "Chai" not "Chai Latté"...and boy was it ever!  Definitely tasted like it was made with fresh spices and it tasted every bit as good as my friend's homemade Chai, and her family's from Goa for crying out loud!  I'd definitely order this puppy again.  ($4.50)

The view of the coffee shop from our table.

 

 

The X that marks the spot.

 

http://kafkascoffee.ca/

Twitter: @Kafkascoffeetea

Epic Ride with a Side of Coffee...

This past weekend I did something that, up to a couple months ago, I never thought I would do...I rode to Squamish!  And by ride, yes I do mean powered myself with my own two legs.  Technically it was to Britannia Beach just outside of Squamish...but still!  Our turn around point?  The oh so fabulous Galileo Coffee Company.

For those of you who haven't stopped off at this fabulous café for a coffee, treat, sandwich or breakfast wrap on your way to Whistler before, I highly recommend you add it to your itinerary next time.  The food is good, there were multiple comments about how darn amazing the coffee was, the café itself was adorable, there is plenty of seating and a gorgeous view outside, and the service is friendly and efficient.  It made you feel like someone had welcomed you into their home for a quick bite on your way.  And for you cyclists out there, they are definitely not strangers to cyclists making there way along the Sea to Sky highway.  They have a bike rack for easy storage of bikes, and were more than happy to fill water bottles.

Needless to say I thoroughly enjoyed our pit stop here and will definitely be making returns in the future.  Thanks for the great lunch Galileo and the great ride ladies!

Things to note: (1) Total distance round trip: 119km.  (2) Total elevation gain: 2,036m.  (3) Total riding time: 4 hours, 55 minutes.  (4) Total trip time: 6 hours, 37 minutes.  (5) Food consumption: 4-5 water bottles, 2 Energy Balls (http://myloveoffood-shayne.blogspot.ca/2013/06/energy-balls.html), a handful of Sun-Rype fruit bites, a handful of wine gums (oh so yummy!) and one heck of a Galileo sandwich!

The X that marks the spot.  When you come down the Furry Creek hill, take your first right into the pull-out at the very bottom of the hill. 

This place isn't popular at all!

The inside seating.

My oh-so-yummy turkey club sandwich: turkey, ham, cheese, spinach, tomatoes, white onion, mayo and mustard...yummy!  ($5.50)

Quinoa salad: chickpeas, peppers, onions and green beans.  ($5.50)

Our view during lunch.  Gorgeous!

Our bikes getting a rest while we feast.

 

The ladies!

http://www.galileocoffee.com/

Twitter: @galileocoffee

Artigiano - Best Cafés in Vancouver (4 of 48)

Slowly but surely I'm making my way through Erin Ireland's list of best café's in Vancouver...not too shabby for a non-coffee drinker!  This time I opted to check out Artigiano.  I would be lying if I said I hadn't been here many a time before, but it's always a nice coffee shop to visit.  It's that cross between a one-off independent coffee shop and a Starbucks.  You feel the coffee machine they use was shipped straight from Italy and there's a personal feel to everything, but the shop itself is bigger than a hole in the wall with plenty of seating, and everything moves at the pace of an organization.

Erin suggested checking out the Artigiano on Hornby, but I decided to visit the one at Pender and Thurlow.  Definitely a bustling place that is good for meeting up with an old colleague, a casual cup of joe with a good friend, or an interview.  No scrabble this time, but perhaps in the future!

My tall Chai Latté.  ($3.95)  Very enjoyable...a really nice mix between spice and sweetness.

 

http://www.caffeartigiano.com/

 

http://itstodiefor.ca/best-coffee-in-vancouver/

Wicked Café - Best Cafés in Vancouver (3 of 48)

A while back, a dear friend of mine sent me a list of the best coffee shops in Vancouver that she found (included below for your viewing pleasure).  I was super excited...even more options for my Chai Latté and Scrabble challenge!  So, when I was meeting up with a friend for coffee recently, I decided it was time to start putting this list to use and check out Wicked Café.  I had heard fabulous things about this cute coffee shop for years and was thrilled to see they were all true!

The space is great and welcoming, the artwork on the walls is gorgeous, the baked goods are out of control and all looked home-made, the service was friendly and easy-going, the prices were normal, and my matcha latté was delicious.  There was no chai latté or Scrabble this time...just wasn't that kind of day...but I have no doubt my scrabble board will be making an appearance there in the future!

Only 45 more to go!

My delicious matcha latté.  (approximately $4.25)

The unbelievable selection of baked goods.  Talk about heaven!  And for you gluten-free folks out there, I was impressed with the number of gluten-free options available.

My Orange-cranberry Muffin.  (approximately $2.75).  Definitely hit the spot!

My coffee shop partner in crime's chocolate croissant.  (price unknown)  Looked very yummy!

The view from our seats.

The other view from our seats.

 

The X that marks the spot.

http://itstodiefor.ca/best-coffee-in-vancouver/

O5 Rare Tea Bar

If you're looking for a fun night out that doesn't involve a hangover the next day, look no further than O5 Rare Tea Bar.  I have been dying to try this place for months and when I finally made it there, it didn't disappoint!  An amazing assortment of delicious teas, tapas, desserts, very knowledgeable staff, a tea serving experience like I have never had...it was a tea drinkers dream come true!

Interesting Facts Learned While at O5

1. White tea is what you get when you steep tea leaf buds.
2. Black tea is what you get when you steep tea leaves that have grown out of the bud.
3. Herbal teas are normally made from flowers and herbs.
4. Hibiscus tea is high in anti-oxidants.
5. O5 is not just a tea bar.  They serve tapas and desserts and you can buy tea, tea cups and tea paraphernalia to take home as well.
6. In traditional tea ceremonies everyone sits on the floor so each person is at approximately the same eye-level.  O5 built their tea bar high so that the people enjoying the tea are at approximately the same eye level as the people preparing the tea, in order to keep with tradition.
7. Tea should be steeped, poured into a "serving dish," and then poured into cups.  This ensures everyone gets the same strength tea, as the tea doesn't steep further during pouring.  
8. O5 has movie nights on Tuesday nights!  They normally post the movie to be played on their facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/O5Tea), the movie starts when a good chunk of people have arrived and, if there's a big group, they'll sometimes even make a batch of popcorn and sprinkle it with matcha!
9. O5 hosts special events...some alcohol based... (http://o5tea.com/discover/).  They're even applying for a full liquor license.
10. O5 is open late (11pm Monday - Saturday, 9pm on Sundays).

The tea bar!  I just love the look of this place...the light fixtures are amazing!

Page 1 of the menu.

Page 2 of the menu.

Page 3 of the menu.

Our tea setup!  In the background: the kettle on a crazy fast hot plate, our tea leaves in our tea pot for steeping, and our pouring cup.  In the foreground: our absolutely amazing hibiscus tea! 

My hibiscus tea!  It tasted like grapefruit, cranberries and flowers all at once...plus you could eat the flowers!  It was delicious.  Our leaves made 3 pots and could have made another one. Unreal! ($6 + tax for two people).

 

http://o5tea.com/

Twitter: @O5Tea

Sunshine and snacks...

This past weekend I was heading down to the beach to enjoy the sunshine with my food-adventure partner in crime this weekend when she suggested grabbing a snack from Viva Foods on Yew.  Great idea!  They have sandwiches, quiches, yummy pastries, muffins, cookies...you name it, they have it.  The best part?  Everything is made fresh in house.  I went for the Healthy Scone full of cranberries, flax seeds and other yummy goodies...delicious!  Next time I think I'm going to go for the Corn Flakes Square, though.  It's like a Rice Krispies square but with Corn Flakes instead...very intriguing.

Definitely a great place to grab a snack on your way to the beach!

Pastries and yummy goodness galore!

The X that marks the spot.