Chef and owner Tamera Clark’s Bjornbar is a welcome addition to Edgemont Village.
The stylish new bakery boasts some delicious and unique treats and the room is elegantly designed, emanating both sophistication and warmth. Bjornbar also boasts something rare in this city: a rooftop patio. Accessed via elevator, the semi-circular patio affords a bird’s-eye view of the bustling village below; an umbrella-equipped patio table there is sure to be a coveted spot this summer.
I would like to register my displeasure about one thing, however, and that is the distracting smell of baked confections that emanates from this space in the early morning hours. I sometimes run through Edgemont Village before work and have found recently that the aromas of caramelized sugar and fresh, hot pastry take me out of my game a bit, prompting me to consider forfeiting the inevitable climbs ahead in favour of a strong shot of espresso and a Brulee Bar, possibly my new favourite treat in the neighbourhood.
My wife DJ and I descended on the new bakery with our sleeping baby in tow one recent weekday afternoon and picked up a selection of goodies to sample in the name of research and thorough reporting (it’s a tough life, I know, but please don’t pity me). We headed up to the roof (nearly empty, despite the teeming crowd down in the shop) to tuck into the treats.
As the name suggests, Bjornbar bakes a number of things, though certainly not all, in bar form. More accurately, I’d say they bake a lot of squares, a fitting shape for goods of such precise and considered symmetry of flavour and texture.
There is certainly some magic coming out of Bjorn’s kitchen, though a few of the items cast a stronger spell than others. The aforementioned Brulee Bar, for example, is quite simply flawless. A dense square of tangy cheesecake provides the foundation upon which sits a crunchy, copper-hued glaze of torched sugar (just like atop crème brulee). The combination of rich caramel and slightly tart, faintly citrusy cheesecake is inspired.
Similarly delicious is the eponymous Bjornbar, a chocolate and hazelnut square with a silky smooth texture studded with crunchy, deeply toasted nutty bits. Imagine a Ferrero Rocher sent off to a world- class finishing school and you’ll approximate the Bjornbar; the rain in Spain definitely stays mainly in the plain for this tasty number.
Another clear winner, outstanding in its simplicity, is the Nutbar, a rectangular creation of immaculately handled, toasted almonds bound together only by the stickiness of a thin, sweet glaze. The perfection of a toasted almond is recognized in this treat and is just lifted ever so slightly by the addition of the glaze.
For my taste, the Tiger Bar, a creamy and exceedingly rich peanut butter-based square, was enjoyable for about two bites, after which point the sweetness did my palate in.
Savoury items abound here as well and I can vouch for the deliciousness of the pesto, gruyere and artichoke tart, a flaky and flavourful, light appetite lunchtime meal. Bjornbar’s sausage roll, also very tasty with its densely packed, nicely seasoned sausage meat tucked into buttery pastry, is perhaps a touch steep at $5.75, but is likely to fill you quicker than most other items of equal size. Bars are typically in the $3.50 price range. Other goods include meringue, quiche, mac & cheese, soups, scones, cake and more.
Bjornbar is located at 3053 Edgemont Boulevard. bjornbarbakery.com 604-986-6886
Tid Bits
The North Shore’s diminutive ode to tapas, El Matador, is gone, not with a bang but a whimper. The sign still hangs but the room is gutted and there is no notice posted to announce what’s next. I dropped in to visit this place early last summer following the restaurant’s separation from The District Restaurant Group and was told a new menu was in the works. I had high hopes that El Matador would be able to capitalize on the remaining summer months with their small plates and nice by-the-glass wine pours but no new menu was forthcoming. El Matador’s phone number, still widely published online, yields no ring when dialled.
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In happier news, a proper sign is now installed at the front of the Hearthstone Brewery’s space on Marine Drive and Mackay Road. As reported last year, Hearthstone intends to open a small restaurant and tap room, but had been delayed pending licensing for their Italian pizza ovens, vital pieces of equipment for the business, which, as the sign now indicates, is to be called Hearthstone Tap Room and Forno.
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Butter Lane Bake Shop, the embattled afternoon tea and baked treat shop that was forced to close its Lynn Valley location following a dispute with the landlord, has triumphantly reopened its doors, this time in the community of Horseshoe Bay. Their grand opening event took place on April 23. Stay tuned for more on this reopening in the coming weeks. blbakeshop.ca
Chris Dagenais served as a manager for several restaurants downtown and on the North Shore. A self-described wine fanatic, he earned his sommelier diploma in 2001. He can be reached via email at [email protected]. North Shore News dining reviews are conducted anonymously and all meals are paid for by the newspaper.
