Last week we had a long overdue day to ourselves. Our adventures on these odd occasions are bittersweet, with heavy emphasis on the sweet. The only real bitterness is that any shot at a healthy diet is gone clean through an open window when Ajay and I get days together. Whether or not it is our intention, if we leave the house for the purpose of exploring we will find ourselves at a new restaurant or sweet shop to check out the goods. So you can see the prominent and quite literal role that sweet plays in all this. But it’s also sweet in that who doesn’t love getting to experience new things with the person they love? Scrap that. We’ve breached sweet into sappy.

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The bakery we ventured to on this escapade came with the bonus of a gorgeous walkway less than 100 meters down the road. Aside from it being a stunning view, the fact that we were opting for a walk around before hitting the sweets helped to edge out a bit of that bitter guilt I mentioned earlier. Win, win.

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In case I haven’t made it clear already, Ajay is the bona fide foodie of our house. I’m a late addition to the bandwagon, and likely would be happily indulging in Marie Calendars chicken pot pies and Costco perogies with a spice cupboard consisting of Mrs. Dash and taco seasoning if it weren’t for Ajay’s not-so-subtle aversion to such life choices. Ironically, and despite his aspirations to be a food blogger, Ajay has been recently diagnosed with some sort of chronic sinus infection that prevents him from being able to smell or taste 90% of the food he eats. Aside from the general quality of a food as sour, salty, spicy, or sweet, he mostly engages his food on a textural level. Poor guy. Nonetheless, he determined to write his own review of the Diplomat Bakery, and I’ve laboriously copied and pasted it for your reference now 🙂

Great bakery with a variety to select from. On this visit, my wife and I shared a Lemon Chocolate New York Cheesecake and an Almond Croissant. The cheesecake was smooth and tart, showcasing great technique in seamlessly melding the crust and cake layer. Unlike many of its counterparts, this almond croissant featured a decadent almond cream which provided a much needed texture and flavour contrast. The service was friendly and informative. We’re returning to this memorable establishment for sure!

Perhaps I should take notes from his ability to make things so short and sweet (pun absolutely intended). Anyway, we loved it! My almond croissant was seriously delicious and I liked chatting with the girls who worked there. The seating area as a whole could use some sprucing up in my opinion though. Not all that cozy of a place to set up camp. All the same, two thumbs up for the Diplomat Bakery! Especially on a frigid winter day.

Afterward we made the short drive to Steveston to do a bit more exploring and to spend some of our Christmas money at Nikaido, one of the only shops Ajay and I love equally; him for the fancy pens and me for the tea and stationary. Only one of the many gems that Steveston has to offer! There’s also a little craft shop tucked away a bit that I visited to get some wool (one of my recent ambitions has been to teach myself to knit). One of the greatest things about the shops in Steveston is that everyone who works in them is visibly proud of what they do and the products they sell. This craft store was no exception.

All in all, another wonderful day of more wonderful discoveries!