dessert – Page 33 – Michael Eats

Summer’s Ice Cream: A Toronto Institution

Published on August 2, 2019 by Michael NusairLeave a comment

Location: 101 Yorkville Avenue, Toronto
Website: https://www.summersicecream.com/

Summer’s is a Toronto institution. It’s been around since 1984, which makes it one of the oldest local ice cream joints (I think only Greg’s, which opened in 1981, is older).

It’s not a place that I feel the need to check out on a regular basis (I think it’s been something like a decade since my last visit), but if you’re in the area and you’re craving ice cream, it’s fine.

It’s better than fine, actually. It’s a decent step up in quality from most of the stuff you can get at the supermarket, but it’s definitely not on the level of the city’s better ice cream shops.

On this particular visit I got their classic flavour, Toronto Pothole, which is chocolate ice cream with marshmallow and chocolate sauce swirled in, with chunks of almonds and peanuts (though I didn’t notice any almonds or peanuts, and their description doesn’t say anything about chocolate sauce. Did I get the wrong flavour…?).

The flavour of the ice cream is a bit Nesquik-esque, and the texture is slightly gummy, but for the most part it’s rich and satisfying. It’s nothing too mind-blowing, but it’s certainly tasty enough.

More Dipped Cones at Les Epicuriens

Published on July 29, 2019 by Michael NusairLeave a comment

Location: 2109 Yonge Street, Toronto
Website: https://www.facebook.com/indulgeyourtastebuds/

Hey, it’s yet another place doing dipped cones. Hooray?

Look, I can’t say no to ice cream, but as I mentioned in my review of Chocolats Favoris last year, we’ve got a lot of places that serve dipped cones in Toronto. It’s a crowded field.

So does Les Epicuriens stand out? I dunno, not really? I mean, they have a lot of dip options (a dozen when I visited), but then most of these places have a lot of dip options. They also have a handful of toppings (various nuts, candy pieces, etc.), but that’s also par for the course.

I went with the “special vanilla” ice cream (vegan chocolate is also an option) with a pistachio dip.

The ice cream is really good. It’s very rich and creamy with a nice, clean flavour. I’d say it’s about on par with Tom’s.

The dip was fine, though it was aggressively sweet and had only a mild pistachio flavour. It basically tasted like white chocolate with a vague whiff of nuttiness. I’d probably try a different dip next time, or just get the ice cream on its own.

Delicious Doughnuts at Glory Hole Doughnuts

Published on July 25, 2019May 24, 2020 by Michael NusairLeave a comment

Location: 1596 Queen Street West, Toronto
Website: https://www.gloryholedoughnuts.com/

I checked out Glory Hole Doughnuts when it opened and was thoroughly unimpressed. That was a few years ago, and in the meanwhile it’s been piling up accolade after accolade. Another visit was in order.

Yeah, everyone is right about this place: it’s great.

I had the bread and butter doughnut, which is a classic raised doughnut topped with brown butter icing, toasted breadcrumbs, and cinnamon.

The doughnut itself was perfect; just the right amount of fluffiness and chewiness, with a really nice flavour and no oiliness (this was an issue on my first visit, but not even a little bit this time).

The icing was creamy, slightly nutty from the brown butter, and perfectly sweet. The breadcrumbs add some crunch and a mild toasty flavour.

The sweet cinnamon-infused flavour, the creamy icing, and the crispy breadcrumbs are an irresistible combo. It’s an amazing doughnut.

Simultaneous Love and Hate at Blackbird Baking Co.

Published on July 23, 2019 by Michael NusairLeave a comment

Location: 172 Baldwin Street, Toronto
Website: https://blackbirdbakingco.com/

You win some and you lose some.

I just tried the almond croissant from Blackbird Baking Co. On one hand, the croissant itself is fantastic; it’s lightly crispy on the outside, satisfyingly buttery, and has an absolutely perfect texture. The exterior crispiness is maybe a bit too subtle, but for the most part it’s one of the better croissants I’ve had in the city.

But the almond part of this almond croissant is disappointingly anemic. Almond croissants are traditionally stuffed and topped with almond paste; the paste on top gets crispy and caramelized, and the paste inside is gooey and sweet.

That’s how it’s supposed to be, at least. Here, on the other hand, the layer on top was so thin that it may as well not have even been there, and it was filled with a crumbly, dry almond mixture that had almost no sweetness. It’s not at all what it’s supposed to be.

I get wanting to put your own spin on a classic, but if you’re going to do that, maybe make sure that your new creation actually tastes good?

Still, the croissant itself is so amazing that it basically doesn’t matter. Just don’t expect anything particularly sweet or almondy.

Danish Cinnamon Rolls at Brod

Published on July 17, 2019July 17, 2019 by Michael NusairLeave a comment

Location: 100 City Centre Drive, Mississauga (inside Square One)
Website: https://shopsquareone.com/brod

If the only cinnamon rolls you’re familiar with are the doughy and diabetes-inducing ones they serve at Cinnabon, Danish-style cinnamon rolls (a.k.a. kanelsnegl) are going to come as something of a shock. It’s like comparing “Macho Man” Randy Savage to Daniel Day Lewis. They’re both entertainers, but that’s about where the similarities end.

The kanelsnegl at Brod is solid. The pastry is quite nice — it’s flaky and a bit buttery, with crispy outer ring that eventually gives way to a softer, sweeter interior.

It’s a little bit bland, however; the pastry itself doesn’t have a ton of flavour, and the cinnamon/sugar level is probably a notch or two more restrained than it needs to be.

I know it’s not fair, but I couldn’t help but compare it to the kanelsnegls I had on a recent trip to Copenhagen, and there’s no contest. Those ones featured a much better balance of sweetness, with the pastry itself being downright magical.

Still, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with what they’re serving at Brod. It’s not amazing, but it’s very good.