Breakfast in bed. The concept positively brims with trite and saccharine images of lazy Sundays, cosy pyjamas, and some bumbling but well-meaning spouse or child assembling a tray of goodies in the kitchen to be lugged up the stairs and presented to a gently awakening, warmly grateful recipient. We've all seen the TV commercial.
In reality, I find the whole affair objectionable. If there is time for a leisurely breakfast in the morning, then there is time for more sleep. I prefer the latter. Also, the meal service itself is awkward and impractical, with shifting pillows, an unstable eating surface, and an unnecessarily high risk of coffee spillage. And don't even get me started on the crumb factor; returning to bed in the evening to discover that one's bed sheets have the texture of a coarse gravel road is irksome.
However, there are times in life when one must put one's own eccentricities aside and think of others. Such a time is nearly upon us as Mother's Day looms. As it happens, my wife, the lovely and incomparable DJ, mother of our two children, rather fancies the whole breakfast in bed ordeal. Accordingly, I have spent some time sourcing a few morsels with which to populate a Sunday morning tray.
Mother's Day research afforded me the excuse to finally check out the classic Viennoiserie of the recently opened Faubourg Paris, the elegant and lively pastry shop in the burgeoning new wing of Park Royal South.
The shop is a fragrant and colourful bastion of Parisian confection, stocked with golden brown baguettes and croissants, twisty sticks of chocolately brioche, a bright spectrum of airy macarons, cakes, and the sort of labour-intensive, frustratingly dainty pastries you are unlikely to ever attempt to make at home (at least not more than once).
After a healthy sampling of many of these delights, three emerged as top-tier candidates for Mother's Day offerings. My favourite was the Bordeaux canele, a ridged, three-bite cake originally hailing from one of France's most celebrated wine regions. If you have not tried a canele before, please make it a priority to do so; life is too short to miss out on these things and Faubourg does an excellent rendition.
The cake resembles a crepe in texture, light and springy, with a caramelized, mahogany exterior and rum-scented, custard-like interior. If this sounds like a far cry from suitable breakfast food, rest assured, the canele is actually not terribly sweet and pairs brilliantly with a strong morning coffee.
Also of note from Faubourg is their pistachio croissant, a rectangular and perfectly flaky (read: likely to leave crumbs in bed) riff on the traditional breakfast item, filled with pistachio cream and topped with crumbled nuts.
As a sweet gift idea, Faubourg's macarons, sold in boxes of nine, are likely to garner kudos for the thoughtful giver. The shop's signature macaron is outrageously delicious, made with aromatic passion fruit that lends a welcome dose of tartness. Other winning macaron flavours include lemon, which tastes of English lemon curd, and salted butter caramel, a firm reminder of just how good this de rigueur combination of flavours can be when created by experts.
For an almost unforgivably decadent, once-a-year addition to breakfast in bed, I propose a visit to another West Van gem, C. C. Violin Patisserie on Marine Drive and 15th Street, where intricate gateaux that would be equally at home in an art gallery are created daily.
The Triple Caramel gateau, a beautiful little bronze dome of caramel mousse surrounding a caramelized peach in a caramel shell, forced my eyes to roll back into my head involuntarily, perhaps in search of the right words to describe this treasure.
Their chocolate truffle cake, a deep and dense, multi-layered number, is no slouch either and is one of the few items that prompt me to reach for a cold glass of milk, a rarity in my adult life. C. C. Violin's more traditional baked goods include an outstanding cinnamon raisin brioche, a lighter (but equally sticky and satisfying) take on a cinnamon bun.
I would also recommend a quick stop at Jimmy's Fruit Bar at Lonsdale Quay for an assemble-it-yourself box of ready-cut, fresh fruit, including exotic items like dragon fruit, lychee and pomegranate, to add some colour and welcome nutrition to Mom's breakfast.
Finally, you'd do well to consider stopping by Moja Coffee, down on Rupert Street and Harbour Avenue, for a bag of expertly roasted, single origin java to accompany breakfast. Moja already has a growing following of die-hard loyalists and may well be on its way to becoming the North Shore's top independent purveyor of artisanal coffee. Keep your eye on this place.
Bon appetit to all the moms out there.
Faubourg Paris is located at 792 Main St., Park Royal South. Faubourg.com
Chris Dagenais served as a manager for several restaurants downtown and on the North Shore. Contact: hungryontheshore@gmail. com.
