Petrossian Bakery and Cafe, NYC

On our first day in New York City, we decided to visit Central Park and on our way there, we came across this beautiful doorway. But what caught my eye first was this gorgeous garland of pink blooms...

Above the front door, the building has intricate carving, including these two interesting creatures.

And continuing to look up, you see these sweet little fellows.

And if you continue to look up even more, the building just continues to go up and up.  And the carving continues along with it. Imagine, all that work. Perhaps a person looking out a tall building from across the street will appreciate the details. But no one at street level can see it properly. What a different attitude than today, where cost so often trumps beauty and workmanship.

Back to Cocoa Locale, Part 2

There are too many treasures to be found at Cocoa Locale to see at one glance.

Vintage cupcake and muffin tins, and an old seed package advertising roses, just like the petals that are Reema's signature garnish on all of her cakes.

A lovely display beside the cash.

Cake orders peek out from behind a pastel pink display.

Here's where the magic takes place.

There are lots of pretty vintage advertisements to catch your attention. Reading them is a pleasant distraction  if you find yourself waiting for your turn.

So many choices, what will I try today?

The perfect vintage hostess stands by the door, to wish you farewell as you leave.

Too avoid disappointment, get there as close to opening time as possible. You can find Cocoa Locale at 4807 Parc Avenue in Montreal.

Back to Cocoa Locale, Part 1

Time again for a trip to Cocoa Locale, my favorite cake shop in Montreal by far.  Even if the cakes weren't so delicious, which they are, the shop's decor is a treat in itself.

You know a kindred spirit lies within when you spot a line of vintage aprons in the window!

And tea cups on the window ledge are another clue.

And then, over the counter at the back, are all the adorable vintage cooking implements in such pretty pastel shades.

But let us not get distracted from the cakes... chocolate chai, chocolate lavendar, vanilla rose, pumpkin spice...

Oh, but just look how cute this vignette is!

And those wee cupcakes garnished with rose petals!

Oh look, more teacups!

Cocoa Locale, my kind of cake shop!

Cocoa Locale Revisted

What better way to begin a visit to Montreal than at the wonderful cake shop, Cocoa Locale. It is such a delightful little place, filled with a retro vibe. Just look at all the pretty little details that make up the whole.






But in the end it's all about the cake. And the cake is so good you have to arrive at Cocoa Locale's fairly soon after opening time since they sell out quickly. Once the cakes are gone, that's it... they are closed for the day. Knowing this sad fact only too well from my very first visit, I made sure I arrived at three minutes before noon yesterday, which is when owner and baker Reema Singh opens the store on Saturdays.

I ended up selecting four cakes to take home: vanilla orange, and chocolate lavender (which I'll show you another day because they are now in my freezer), and my personal favourite...


chocolate chai...


as well as a seasonal choice, pumpkin.


If you want to try the cakes at Cocoa Locale, you'll find the shop at 4807 Park Avenue, Montreal.

Cocoa Locale Takes the Cake

Here are the two wee cakes I brought home from Montreal's Cocoa Locale. A rich and dark chocolate chai cake and a vanilla cake with pretty pink frosting. The cakes were dense and delicious, moist and yummy! And so very lovely to look at that even my 17-year-old son's friend who had slept over, said the next morning when I offered them a piece, "They're too pretty to eat for breakfast." So we waited until mid morning before surrendering!

Cocoa Locale, Success at Last

My blog post of May 20th, 2009 told the sad tale of my attempt to visit the delightful cake shop called Cocoa Locale. I had arrived a short time after opening hours only to find that everything was already sold out and the place was already closed for the day. So on my latest visit to Montreal, I tried once again, and in my eagerness I arrived an hour early! But persistence pays off, so after whiling away the time at some of the neighbourhood's other delightful boutiques I returned minutes after their noon opening. Crossing the threshold, I could hardly believe I was actually inside. And what a delightful wee shop it is. As you can see from the photos, it's chock full of charm and whimsy. And oh, the sweet cakes... some large, some wee-sized for two and of course cupcakes if you want one all to yourself, all with Reema's signature flourish of sprinkled flower petals across the tops. They all looked so sweet sitting there in the display case waiting for me to arrive! And there was owner Reema herself, ready to box up my selections and listen to the tale of my pilgrimages. I was so excited to finally experience Cocoa Locale that in my enthusiasm to take a few more pictures, I left the shop without my boxed cakes! So I popped back in and collected my little cake box at the counter where I'd left it and where Reema had been watching for me. The thought of me heading back home without my cakes was too much for the lovely kind Reema, who said "my heart was crying for you." And she flashed one of her warm smiles and wished me a safe drive home.

Première Moisson

Just down from the Musée des beaux-arts, a couple of blocks west, there is a terrrific bakery called Première Moisson Boulangerie (meaning First Harvest) with enough pastries and varieties of breads (even more than are shown here) to make deciding difficult. My advice is to choose something to eat on the spot, visit the museum then go back and try something else! As the name suggests, there is also a deli section so there's no shortage of choices to eat as you go or to enjoy with a cup of coffee at the tables and chairs they have outside.

Cocoa Locale

And now for my big disappointment! Before leaving for Montreal I googled "desserts Montreal" and this wee cake boutique kept coming up. There was even a short video of its charming owner. The place looked so cute and funky and the cakes yummy. They have been described in reviews as homemade and old-fashioned. Cakes like your mother would make, or like mothers used to make. So I made it part of our plan to go there. Noticing that the shop is closed on Mondays, we drove to Montreal on Sunday and found Cocoa Locale at its Park Avenue location.

And I knew right away that Reema Singh and I just might be kindred spirits when I saw the line of vintage aprons strung up in her front window. Although the shop closes at 6:00 on Sundays, we were there in plenty of time, around 1:30 in the afternoon (after all, they only open at noon).

Or so I thought! Much to my dismay there was a sign on the door that said, "Sold out!" How could that be?! Still, if selling out so early in the day doesn't say something about the popularity of her product, then I don't know what does.

I bent to look under the blind that had been pulled halfway down the front window, and I could just make out Reema working at the back. I had this urge to knock on the door and say please just let me have a peek inside... but I didn't, after all I wasn't the Paul Liam who, via the blue post-it note stuck to the door, was instructed to do just that!

Oh well, the next time I'm in Montreal, I'll try again, only I'll aim to get there at opening time.

In the meanwhile, I can always comfort myself with some of my own cupcakes, pictured here, made with buttercream icing.