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Canadian Maple Delights

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ssullivan
ssullivan
First Reviewer
4 out of 5
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1
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Canadian Maple Delights

  • April 22, 2006
  • Rated 4 of 5 by ssullivan from Atlanta, Georgia
Canadian Maple Delights

On my first afternoon in Montréal, the friend I was traveling with wanted to return to our hotel room to get some rest before dinner. Since I wanted to go back and explore some of the shops we had walked past that morning along Rue St-Paul in Vieux-Montréal, we agreed to separate so that he could take a nap while I shopped. While enjoying a rousing performance by a street entertainer in Place Jacques-Cartier, I kept noticing others in the audience enjoying bowls of gelato, cookies, and other tempting sweets. I asked one of the women where she had bought her gelato, and she pointed back up Rue St-Paul toward a shop with a sign shaped like a maple leaf. "There," she said. "The shop with the maple leaf sign—they have ice cream and homemade pastries."After the performance was over, I headed back up the street to the shop she had pointed out. The sign overhead read "Canadian Maple Delights" in both French and English. Stepping inside the crowded shop, I was greeted by a large, curving freezer case filled with at least two dozen flavors of homemade gelato. Walking further, there was a bakery case displaying a large variety of pastries, including croissants, muffins, cakes, tarts, and cookies. This was definitely the place to stop for an afternoon snack, and to blow one’s diet. The only problem was that with so many options available, deciding what to get provided a real problem.I finally settled on the gelato, which is available in three sizes of bowls, as well as several sizes of cones. The lady behind the counter explained in broken English that you could get as many different flavors as would fit in the cup or cone. Suddenly the choice became slightly easier, as I no longer had to choose just one. I finally settled on a two-scoop cup, with one scoop of maple, and one scoop of pistachio. Both turned out to be excellent choices. The maple had a texture as smooth as velvet, with a sweet, but not overpowering, flavor like that of real maple syrup. The pistachio was equally delicious, with its creaminess occasionally broken by little bits of pistachio nuts. Ice cream in hand, I was ready to walk back to the hotel room, where my friend immediately became jealous of what I was eating.The next afternoon we made a return trip to Canadian Maple Delights so my friend could get his own cup of gelato. This time I opted for one of the pastries—a delicious fudge pecan tart that was heaven for anyone who loves dark, rich chocolate and nuts.More than just a place to grab a sinful snack or dessert, Canadian Maple Delights also features a variety of maple products made in Canada, including a line of gourmet maple syrups in interesting flavors like Grand Marnier, cranberry, and rum. More information can be found on the café’s website.

From journal Weekend in Montréal

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