Cupcake Heaven : Petits Gâteaux

The frosted confection paradigm has shifted from cake to the little tasty delights simply known as "cupcakes". "Let them eat cupcakes!" should be the phrase du jour unlike what Marie Antoinette exclaimed centuries ago. And the cupcakes served at Petits Gâteaux are definetely fit for a queen; I'd serve Marie a french vanilla :)

Nestled in Mont Royal, Petits Gâteaux is a quaint little place delivering the best cupcakes in the world, period. They serve a wide variety of cupcakes and I've tried the vanilla cupcake, the classic chocolate cupcake, the chocolate and truffle cupcake, the blue coconut cake, the lemon tart cupcake and all were just Lussscccious!

But once I got a taste of the caramel with sea salt cupcake, no other flavors would do! Caramel is baked right into the cupcake and the sea salt is then added to the fluffy, meringue topping. Sweet, supple and scrumptious are the prefect words to describe this cupcake. And the salt adds a fourth dimension. This one is truly ephemeral. If it isn't to you, there's something wrong with you, believe me.

1- Presentation of Dessert - 10
2- Taste - 10
3- Authenticity - 10
4- Freshness - 10
5- Price Value Ratio - 9.5
6- Ambiance of Restaurant - 8

Petits Gâteaux is located at 783, avenue Mont-Royal Est, check out their website to check daily timings www.petitsgateaux.ca or find them Facebook.

                                              

The Romance of Juliette & Chocolat

There was once a Romeo and a Juliet, they fell in love but their feuding families..No, no, no, no need to bring out your tissues! This post isn't going to be about a sad love story. It's actually about a romance that is never ending; the romance of Juliette & Chocolat. I don't know how this love story started but I'm sooo glad it did because if you're looking for the ultimate in the chocolate feasting experience, you do not have to look further than our own Juliette & Chocolat!

With 3 locations in Montreal, this dessert hotspot will be sure to please any crowd.  I discovered the restaurant several years ago when they only had their St. Denis local, on a Saturday night you were even lucky to get a table.  But I have to say that the wait is well worth it especially if you are a chocolate junky like me!

Whether you are in the mood to drink, eat, lick or slurp your chocolate, you can do it all at Juliette & Chocolat. They also offer treats in all types of sweetness, whether you like bitter, milk, dark or white, they got it all.  Non-chocoholics (seriously, what is wrong with you?!) can also find simple items such as sandwiches and soups and multiple savory crepes which are all good.

The menu is quite diverse and includes different types of drinks and the chocolate, ‘grand-mere’ is NOT to be missed.  Served in a small jug and small bowl to pour out, the thick chocolate is almost a spreadable consistency and really nothing compares to it in the city especially on a cold frosty winter day in Montreal.

Brownies of different types are also freshly baked and patiently waiting to be selected by customers.  My favorite without a doubt is the Brownie with Fleur de Sel caramel chunks.  If you have never tasted the perfect balance of sweet, warm, intense chocolate and salty creaminess, you have to try this at Juliette & Chocolat!

The chocolate fondants are also a great choice, served warm, a la mode or not, with either a chocolate or caramel sauce, there is absolutely nothing not to like. Chocolate fondue and dessert crepes are also not-to-miss items on the menu. For sure you will have to go several times to make it through the menu, but I'm sure real chocolate lovers will always find the excuse. Believe me, after one visit Juliette will synonymously be used with Chocolat and not, poor Romeo ;)

1- Presentation of Dessert- 10
2- Taste- 10
3- Authenticity-10
4- Freshness-10
5- Price Value Ratio-9
6- Ambiance of Restaurant-9

Find Juliette & Chocolat at 1615 St-Denis, 377 Laurier Ouest (corner of Parc) or 3600 St-Laurent (corner of Prince-Arthur)

They also have a website, www.julietteetchocolat.com or find them Facebook.

Here's an "OPA!" for Afroditi Bakery

Baklava can be found in many different countries around the world with each nation adding their own unique twist. If you are looking for the Greek version then Afroditi Bakery is the place to head. Their baklava comes swimming and oozing with honey syrup, not the Middle Eastern kind which is much drier. More like a gooey pudding than a dry Christmas cake. If you live more downtown, you can also find the famous Afroditi Bakery's baklava at the PA Supermarket on rue du Fort. 

Afroditi Bakery is really a great space which makes you feel like you are in Paris! Enjoy your dessert of choice amongst dozens of options including of serving size cakes, cookies and some savory pastries such as the Cheese Pie Tyropita and Spinach Pie Spanakopita. Also very note worthy are the famous Greek cookies Malomakarno and Kourabiades. These are defintely  some of the best I have ever tasted at any Montreal Greek restaurant or bakery!

Afroditi Bakery is also open late, welcoming a post-dinner excursion. Afroditi Bakery is at 756, rue St-Roch, open from 8am-8pm Mon-Wed, 8am-9pm Thurs-Sun.

Check out Afroditi Bakery's website too at  www.afroditi.ca

That's their absolutely deeeelicious Bakhlava!

An enchanting experience : La Croissanterie Figaro

I thought this was just a croissant/breakfast type place but no, it makes its own beautiful cakes, it's open late, encourages lingering, has a beautiful atmosphere and a lovely, lovely terrasse in the summer. You should eat their chocolate mousse cake. Three layers of tasty heaven! Oh just eat it! I've tried a lot of chocolate mousse and this knocked off anything I have EVER tried. It was light and fresh and espresso soaked into the cake layers like Tiramisu. It's even kept lighter with a cocoa dusting instead of a thick layer of ganache. It's called the Chocolate Swirl Cheesecake and hands down, the best cheesecake in the city! It doesn't taste overly sweetened, overly cheese-y, or heavy. It has a little bit of tang from lemon juice which works beautifully with the cake's namesake chocolate swirls (thick shards of pure chocolate).


They also have the most unique carrot cake in the city. It does not go for glory by towering bland layers of suffocated cake with sheets of hydrogenated sugar cheese. This cake is 3 elegant, savory layers you can taste every piece of carrot, of walnut and of toasted almond in perfectly rich, smooth icing, just enough icing, never too much! I love my carrot cake swimming in icing, but this proved me wrong and gluttonous. The only thing I would change about this is adding dried fruit (diced raisins maybe or dates) for a bit of contrast or flavor in the cake itself. As it stands, it tastes more like a very good banana bread.


I would tell Croissanterie Figaro, to never let their dessert chef leave. Heck! I'll marry him if I could have these delicious bits of heaven every single day of my life, oh yeeaah! Mmmmm Honestly, Croissanterie Figaro is very lucky to have him and we are lucky to be able to taste such fine desserts over there!


1- Presentation of Dessert - 9
2- Taste -10
3- Authenticity -10
4- Freshness -10
5- Price Value Ratio- 9
6- Ambiance of Restaurant-9


La Croissanterie Figaro is located on 5200, rue Hutchison (at Fairmount), and is open daily from daily 7am-1am.

They have a website too! www.lacroissanteriefigaro.com

Rockaberry : It's all about the Pies!

I started going to Rockaberry’s ever since my palate changed directions and I started to appreciate pies! I have to admit it, even for a crazy dessert lover like me, it did take me a very long time to finally appreciate a pie. I remember my refusal to eat it throughout my childhood and most of my early adulthood. I am not sure where I ate my first bite but I am ever so grateful that I gave it a shot! Who would've thought that the perfect combination of sweet tangy fruit, slightly saltiness of the crust and the crunchiness of the topping could be so divine especially served à la mode with a generous scoop of ice cream! Mmmm my mouth is watering while writing this...Alas, duty calls, here's the 411 on Rockaberry!

Rockaberry has many locations and offers basic décor and fast and friendly service. There are over a dozen different types of pies, from fruit pies with crumb toppings to plain pies with regular crust tops and wide variety of cream pies. You can find all that you are craving and then some. By the way, the chain has expanded to include more than pies, but pies are still what it does best!

My favorite has always been the sky high dome shaped classic apple crumble served warm with a generous scoop of ice cream.  The cold ice cream is the perfect complement for the warm apple center and the crunchiness of the topping. Pure bliss is the only way to describe the taste sensations. The Boston cream pie is also great, with a twist to the classic found in Boston. Custard, cream and chocolate ganache, make this one hard to resist.  Also the portions are quite generous and the slices are perfect for sharing but I'm warning you there will most likely be a fight, for who gets the last bite!

1- Presentation of Dessert - 8
2- Taste-9
3- Authenticity-9
4- Freshness-9
5- Price Value Ratio-8
6- Ambiance of Restaurant-7 

Find a Rockaberry near you at www.rockaberry.ca

Soooo many to choose from! Yum!

Pie Heaven!

The AWESOME Apple Crumble Pie!

Yummy Elixor Cheesecakes

Coming back from a recent trip from up North...Nah I didn't go skiing but a wonderful day at the Spa with my boyfriend. Yes, he spoils me! Jealous much? hehe Anyhoo to get back on topic -> on our way back we decided to end the day with an *ultimate* splurge on dessert and coffee. So, we decided to give the restaurant, Elixor a shot.

Upon entering Elixir, you are welcomed by dozens of sky high cheesecakes, after all it's modeled after the Famous Cheesecake Factory in the US (minus points for lack of creativity fellas!). But the variety in cheesecakes is HIGH; from Lemon and Blueberry Cheesecake to Oreo cheesecake and Tiramisu. Believe me, it's not an easy choice! After some careful deliberation which went along the lines of...

"I feel fruity maybe I should have strawberry cheesecake?"
"...But the lemon cheesecake looks more appetizing"
"Ugh, I'm fat! Is there a zero calorie one?"
"Baby, I can't make up my mind! You pick for me!"
"WHYYYY don't they have sample sizes for ALL?" 

Yes, I know I'm fussy! But this was a hard decision to make! Sooo eventually, after my now annoying boyfriend forced me to make a decision, we opted to try a slice of the deep intense layers of the chocolate cake and get a slice of caramel cheesecake as well. What a decision it was, kind of like that moment in the movie, Ratatouile where Remy experiences food as colour, shape and sound...Ouf, it was ABSOLUTE Bliss!!

 

However, I would not recommend Elixor for a date night, the open concept and busy surroundings including a full bar area makes conversing a bit difficult at times.  Also, considering the locations are either in Laval or the West Island, unless you are traveling out of the city, it's not an easy place to get to. The prices are also a bit steep, 2 slices of cake, 2 coffees, tax and tip came out to a little over $30. Saying all this, when the craving hits, especially when crossing the border is not an option to go to the Cheesecake factory, venturing out to Elixor is definitely worth every calorie! 

1- Presentation of Dessert- 7
2- Taste- 8
3- Authenticity-8
4- Freshness-10
5- Price Value Ratio-5
6- Ambiance of Restaurant-7

You can find Elixir at 1795 Pierre-Péladeau or 3237 Boulevard des Sources.

They've even got a website, check it out at www.elixor.com

Sweet Sins

I have a serious addiction; an addiction so divine that the perfect end for me would be Death by Chocolate. You see, I wake up thinking of Sinful Strawberry Cheesecake, I fall asleep with regret because I could’ve had that last bite of Apple Pie, at work the numbers on my screen suddenly change into little Mango Popsicles and tease me with their tangy flavor. In fact, I fantasize more about Crème Brule than my boyfriend. I know that sounds bad, but here take a look at this study by BBC which informs that melting chocolate in one's mouth produces an increase in brain activity and heart rate that is much more intense than that associated with passionate kissing and the feeling lasts FOUR times as long after the activity has ended! WHOA! I know right?!

But this is not the point; I’m not trying to convert you like those Mormons. I just want to share all the wonderful sugary, creamy, rich, velvety treasures that I have found over the years in Montreal. My finds will leave you tempted, salivating and craving to take a bite immediately!

By the way, I'm going to be using the following rating scale for my reviews:

                                       

1- Presentation of Dessert - Out of 10

2- Taste - Out of 10

3- Authenticity - Out of 10

4- Freshness - Out of 10

5- Price Value Ratio - Out of 10

6- Ambiance of Restaurant - Out of 10

So what are you still waiting for?! Hit the 'Follow' button and hop on to the sweetest ride of your life!