To naysayers, I often describe the gigantic chocolate eclair from Hackney Bakery and the hefty poppyseed roll from Calgary’s Russian Delicatessen by pumping my fist in the air. These are knock-down drag-out confections of massive proportion that demand agressive performative gestures!
My chocolate eclair exhibted none of the refinement found in those of Montreal, for example, but instead measured up to a whopping kilogram of pure eastern-Euro heartiness. This of course meant dense pastry, liberal amounts of sticky soft whip cream, and a good dowsing in chocolate. The whole affair presented like a tarted-up baguette, and went down with a fight that lasted two days. Dimensions: 16 inches long x with a circumference of at least 14 inches.
Hackney Bakery
30 Well Street
Hackney, London
The closer-to-home companion of the eclair is the poppyseed-filled delight from our Russian Delicatessen. Also the size of a loaf of bread, a slice of the poppyseed roll makes particularly good breakfast slathered with butter, or even peanut butter.
A slice of this everyday for a week always leaves me wondering: who needs toast?
Russian Delicatessen
14th Street between 15th and 16th Avenue SW
Calgary, Alberta
