Sweet Duchess

I had a extremely rare, and perfectly unique cafe experience this afternoon that has left me feeling a bit out of sorts. I visited "Duchess Bake Shop" on 124 street and I will never be the same again.

Upon entering, I was not particularly dazzled by the decor or layout. In fact, I thought it seemed a bit too stark. Then I arrived at the counter and tried to absorb the bounty that lay before me. There were sandwiches made on croissants with piles of meat and various cheeses. Cakes, cookies, tarts, meringues, scones and some divine looking madeleines peered back at me through the window. I suddenly longed to be a cow so I could max out my four stomachs.

I settled on a sandwich and tried the lemon blueberry scone for dessert. It was the most wonderful taste experience I've had in ages, and it has stoked the underlying outrage that I have worked really hard to suppress. The outrage is this: how is it we have become so conditioned and accepting of the CRAP that purports to be food at most cafes and bakeries? What is wrong with us? Are we so filled with self-loathing that we don't think we deserve better?

Granted, the food at "Duchess Bake Shop" is more expensive than most places, but the food is homemade and exquisite! And I am not ignoring the other establishments in Edmonton like Zenari's or Wild Earth that are high quality spots. But I am forced to recall the many times I have wandered through the city only to see an astonishingly long line up at Tim Horton's. Please, my dear Edmontonians, STOP eating there. Your donuts arrive half cooked to every location and then it is "finished" on site. The chicken comes in a "loaf!" And, it is despairingly bad for you (I have actually resorted to labeling physical ailments "Timmy Bum" and "Timmy Tum" in honour of the garbage food).

So, I raise my glass to "Duchess Bake Shop" and hope this kind of establishment encourages a food backlash in our beloved city.

http://duchessbakeshop.com/wp/