In proximity to my office there are about 3 or 4 independent coffee shops, plus all the usual chains. When I can, I prefer visiting the independent stores to support local business and one of my favourites is Crème de la Crumb Bakeshop & Catering. It’s a itty bitty coffee shop but they serve up some of the best baked treats in the area.
Coffee wise, they use traditional Italian coffee containing 100% Arabica beans from 4 to 5 countries blended together. The coffee here is low in acidity and easy to drink; but a bit weak for my liking. They are however, one of the few places that offer unsweetened almond milk as a milk option, so a huge plus coffee wise for me!
Anyways, back to the baked goods. Crème makes everything fresh and in-house; I’ve seen occasions where the staff are literally kneading dough to make cookies on the spot. While they don’t offer cheesecake like their next door neighbor Tress Organic Cafe, they do offer a wide variety of freshly made muffins, loaves, cakes, cupcakes, tarts, cookies, scones and more. For those who have wheat or gluten sensitives, you’ll be happy to know they also offer an array of gluten-free baked goods including cookies and muffins.
My favorite baked goods are their carrot cake and cranberry dark chocolate rice crispy squares:
The carrot cake is loaded with pineapple and coconut and topped off with a moist vanilla bean cream cheese frosting. Love it!!! The cake is chalk full of pineapple and coconut and yumminess in general. I can never get enough of this stuff.
The cranberry dark chocolate rice crispy square is pretty self explanatory. It’s not your grandma’s rice crispy square that’s for sure. Like everything Crème makes, they don’t skimp on the chocolate or cranberries. The slightly bitter dark chocolate and tart cranberries work very well together and balances out the rice crispy’s sweetness; it’s my go-to treat for a rainy Vancouver morning.
Crème de la Crumb also offers salads, soups, sandwiches and breakfast options. While I haven’t tried any of their savoury food, my work colleagues especially love their Spinach + Arugula Salad. It comes with watermelon, cucumber, toasted pecans, feta cheese, balsamic vinaigrette and is gluten-free!
If you are near waterfront station, go ahead and give these folks a try. You can follow them on Twitter at @cremedelacrumb or visit their website at http://www.cremedelacrumb.com/.
Mary in Vancity 