Just Desserts: Macarons from Bon Ton

Macaroons from Bon Ton. #yegfood, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

French macarons are so decadent. When I heard that Bon Ton Bakery was now making them, I had to give them a try.

I was not disappointed. The six flavours were distinct, powerful, and rich. The outer meringue layer gave way easily when bitten into (or pressed hard). My favourites were the chocolate, with a rich filling, the pralines, and the caramel.

Steak and Mushroom Pie

Steak and mushroom pie #yegfood, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

A quick lunch at the downtown Sherlock Holmes Pub on Rice Howard Way in between events on a busy afternoon. The Steak and Mushroom pie was more like a stew or soup - a hearty one at that - with a large piece of puffed pastry instead of bread. There was a lot of meat, potatoes, and mushrooms.

My main complaint was that the service was a bit lacking. Despite the fact the majority of the lunch crowd had cleared out, after being ignored for at least five minutes we had to get up to get our own menus, which finally caught the attention of our server. The rest of the meal went relatively well.

Saturday at Sabzy

On Saturday, I had supper at Sabzy. I wanted something to drink without alcohol and was reflective of Persian culture. My answer came in a cup of doogh, which is carbonated, plain yogurt with herbs. The taste was salty and sour, and the carbonation added an interesting texture. It is definitely not something to chug down when thirsty, but to sip and experience. I could see myself acquiring a taste for this.

The lamb shank with barberry rice was ordered on the other side of the table, but I just had to try it. The lamb was cooked for 18 hours and the seasonings had totally permeated it. It literally fell off the bone. It tasted different than any other lamb I had ever tried before.

I had the barberry rice mix with marinated chicken. The chicken was also very tender, with flavour through and through. The rice was plentiful and had an interesting assortment of flavours. At its base was saffron, topped with almonds, pistachios, and barberry, which were dried. They look like pieces of pomegranate, but have a slightly bitter flavour. This dominated, and I could not really taste the nuts.

Overall, we both enjoyed our meals. I am going to have to come back for the doogh and the lamb shank.

Returning for Dessert at Block 1912

Dessert at Block 1912 #yegfood, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

A cup of coffee and delicious dessert can be a perfect nightcap, or evening-cap as it was in this case.

My Chocolate Marquise is one of the most decadent desserts I have ever had. The rich outer later of ganache, the rich, firm mousse on the inside, the thing layers of cake in the middle and bottom - all of this combined to something with incredible flavour and texture.

The other dessert of choice was a three layer chocolate torte with white, milk, and dark layers. It got more rich the further down I went, and the chocolate shavings on top added an element of decadence.

Both desserts paired well with Block 1912's excellent coffee.