Cupcakes on Commercial ...

It was not supposed to be a day about food. It really wasn't, I swear. It was suppose to be a shopping day. The goal was bargains and good finds and the focus was jewelry and cute skirts. If you know anything about my life, though, you know that inevitably every day turns out to be a food day. I must have magic abilities because no matter where I am or what I'm doing, delicious treats just seem to magically appear. Sure enough, as Marcy and I were wandering in and out of thrift shops and cute boutiques over on Commercial Drive this afternoon, we stumbled across this -

Cassia Cupcakery. And of course we just *had* to go in. Afterall, cupcakes and I go waaaaaaay back. My mom says my first word was "mama" but I'm pretty sure she got it wrong and that it was actually "red velvet". I've since grown to be quite the cupcake connoisseur and my friends have even nicknamed me the Cupcake Queen. It's a title I take quite seriously and it's my duty to investigate any and every cupcake shop I come across to make sure they're dishing out nothing but the best. So into Cassia Cupcakery we went.

Flavors included coconut, lemon chocolate, mint, peanut butter, Oreo cookie ...

... And of course RED VELVET (my all-time fave)

They also serve cookies but, really, who orders cookies when you're in a gourmet cupcake shop? Not me, that's for sure. Marcy ended up ordering a vanilla white chocolate cupcake and I debated between their gluten-free, vegan chocolate one and the vanilla coconut before eventually settling on (what else?) red velvet. Moist and fresh, I enjoyed every bite but I was a little disappointed that the icing wasn't made of cream cheese. Boooooooo. Clearly, these folks need to get their cupcake-baking butts down to the deep south to learn how red velvet's done. Just sayin'.

Their red velvet may need some work, but Cassia Cupcakery did get some things right. The decor was cute and the little stands that the cupcakes are displayed on were absolutely adorable. The flavors and prices were clearly identified and the shop was clean and tidy ... no cupcake crumbs lurking about. I would have liked to have seen more creativity in their flavors but I understand that they offer different flavors each day so I guess it was just a case of bad timing. Even though it's not a necessary part of my diet, I was pleased to see that they offer vegan and gluten-free options. I think I'll try one of those gluten-free chocolate ones next time 'round.

Overall, they weren't the *best* cupcakes I've ever had in my life but they were good enough. Would I make a special trip over to Commercial to get some? Probably not, but I'll definitely pop in again next time I'm in the neighborhood.

Cassia Cupcakery, 1706 Commercial Drive. Visit their website here.

What's your favorite cupcake flavor? And while you're at it, lemme know what makes a cupcake shop "pop" for you?

xo Stephanie

The Chocolate Chronicles, part 1

Xinxin and I are both foodies and every time we hang out together, our conversation always finds a way of shifting to food.

"Have you tried such-and-such restaurant yet," she'll ask.

"No, I haven't. I've heard of it, though."

"Oh, well we HAVE to go! Add it to the list."

"Consider it added. Oh hey, that reminds me ... have you tried such-and-such cafe?"

I'm not even kidding, this is how 99.9% of our conversations unfold. The list (and yes, we really do refer to it as "the list") is a continuously growing collection of restaurants, cafes, bakeries, delis, grocery stores and sushi bars that we have promised to explore together. One of the places on the list was Thomas Haas Patisserie. Xinxin is a big Thomas Haas fan, and when she heard that I'd never been it was one of the first things she added to our "must try" list. Then Lynda showed up at Grace's birthday party with a Thomas Haas crispy chocolate raspberry cake and goodness gracious it was "shut your pie hole" delicious! What really sealed the deal, though, was the ridiculous craving I've been having lately for French macarons. When I did a little research online and found out that Thomas Haas apparently has the best macarons in the city, I knew we had to cross this place off the list pronto. So a chocolate date was set, and this afternoon Xinxin and I braved the damp rainy weather outside to get lattes and dessert here:

Thomas Haas grew up and began his career as a culinary genius in Europe. He came to North America in 1995 and has worked as the executive pastry chef at the Four Seasons Vancouver Hotel and, later, as executive pastry chef at Daniel restaurant in NYC. He's appeared on Martha Stewart several times and was voted one of the top ten chefs in America by both Chocolatier and Pastry Art & Design magazines, so you know he's the real deal. Needless to say, with credentials like that, I had some big expectations for his patisserie.

Truth be told, it doesn't look like much from the outside. In fact, I've passed by here a bazillion times during my strolls down Broadway Street and I had no idea it was even there until I googled it to find out the address. But trust me ... once you step inside, it's love at first sight. Chocolates, truffles, cookies, cakes, cupcakes, macaroons, croissants, danishes, breads and scones all neatly showcased in clear glass shelves, each one calling out to me. I eventually chose a champagne truffle and Xinxin ordered almond mascarpone. And, of course, we ordered six French macarons in pistachio, chocolate and raspberry flavors.

The champagne truffle was delish, but the French macarons are what really stole my heart:

I'm not gonna lie - this place is just a tad bit crazy expensive. The $7 truffle didn't really surprise me as that seems to be the going rate for gourmet desserts here in Vancouver, but six macarons cost a whopping $9.99 .... and in case you can't tell by the photo, they are teeny tiny! Gosh.

Overall impression - Thomas Haas is definitely home to some absolutely fantastic goodies and I'll be back for more French macarons when I need an indulgent pick-me-up, but with such a lofty price tag I doubt this patisserie will become one of my frequent favorites. And that's probably a good thing, because I could seriously eat those macarons every day, all day, for the rest of my life.

Love + chocolate, Stephanie

xox

Cupcakes!!

I'm quickly learning that Vancouver is a cupcake city. There are several cupcake shops all around town and, unlike the cupcake shops back in Montreal, these ones actually seem to be thriving. What can I say? We're just a city that loves little bundles of deliciousness. You can find yummy cupcakes pretty much anywhere, but my personal favorites are sold here:

The name of this adorable pink mecca of awesomeness is Cupcakes by Heather & Lori. If that name sounds familiar to you, you've probably seen an episode or two of Cupcake Girls, the reality show that's filmed here. It's not the camera crews that keep me coming back, though. It's the atmosphere. This is just hands down one of the most adorable places on the planet and the cupcakes are sooooooo good. I mean, look at these babies:

My favorites are Red Velvet (of course!) and Blue Hawaii (coconut and vanilla flavor - yum!). There are several Cupcakes by Heather & Lori locations around the city, but this particular shop is on Broadway Street - just a 15 minute walk from my apartment! I have to say, I've been REALLY good and I've only slipped in once or twice to pick up a treat for myself. Usually when I swing by, it's to pick up a birthday cupcake for a friend. Here's the one I picked out this afternoon for Alan's birthday -

Mint Chocolate Chip. *be still my heart*

Happy Weekend! :)

xoxoxox