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Lifestyle

Sweet, Sweet Kingston

Thursday, March 24, 2011



We're satisfying our sweet tooth with a selection of sugary confections to be had at a few of our fave spots in Kingston. Take to the city today and satisfy your own sweet cravings.

A Sweet High Tea

One of the most delightful places to enjoy tea is at the Terra Nova All-Suite Hotel, where on the terrace every Thursday afternoon elegant patrons enjoy sips of tea and nibble on tasty finger sandwiches, while admiring the calming vistas surrounding them. But what would high tea be without an array of delicacies to satisfy your sweet tooth? After all, nothing goes better with tea than crumpets and cake.

Simply 'Sweet Tings'

Gassan Azan took note of the success of the delectable pastries sold in his Megamart franchises and opened the doors of his own bakery, Sweet Tings, in downtown Kingston in December. The very same indulgences — doughnuts, plantain tarts, cinnamon rolls, banana bread — are available to the business people, vendors and the immense traffic that passes through the city's streets on a regular basis. Not only does the business revitalise the downtown area,it revitalises our taste buds as well.

Susie's Sweet Treats

Since its inception, Susie's Bakery has been known for its delectable desserts. From heavenly cheesecakes to award-winning plantain tarts, muffins and buns, Susie Hanna churns out some of the most lip-smacking creations to satisfy any sweet craving.

Sugar & Spice (And Everything Nice)

There will forever be memories of after-school stops and Saturday afternoon excursions to Sugar & Spice ingrained in our minds. And besides the mandatory beef patties, there were the pastries - doughnut twists, palm leaves, Danish whirls, cinnamon buns... each irresistible; it's impossible to walk past or wait for your order while they entice you from the display case.

A Passion for Pastry

It's obvious that pastry chef Safiya Chisolm has a passion for what she does, we cannot only see it, but taste it in the fantastic delights she serves at her Pastry Passions Desserterie & Bakery at the Sovereign Centre. Her selection of tempting sugary concoctions such as tiramisu, crêpes, cake, tarts, chocolates and other desserts make it difficult to choose just one.

Cordon-bleu Delights

The recently opened Café Eurasia in The Marketplace has already been enjoying good patronage from Kingston's who's who. With its laid-back aura, the clean, simple flavours of its Spanish-influenced tapas and an assortment of fine wines, there are more than enough reasons to revisit. But it is the heavenly desserts that keep people talking. Cordon Bleu-trained Terry-Ann Brown of Kukup Kreations is the mastermind behind the café's scrumptious dessert menu, which, if you haven't yet tried, is an absolute must-do!

Guilty Pleasures

Guilt Trip chef/patron Colin Hylton has certainly carved his niche in the local culinary industry. He is well known for his fusion of traditional Jamaican eats with international cuisines and interesting food presentation. This also comes to life in his desserts, which are as beautiful as they are appetising. Delicious staples like the Chocolate Overload and Rum & Raisin Cheesecake appeal to the palate on sight. There are, too, a host of other sweet treats for your indulgence.

Devon House's Divine Desserts

Devon House has long been known for its tasty pastry offerings, but the historic bakery was recently handed over to new management. Today, the newly refurbished Devon House Bakery continues to encourage extra-long queues and a full courtyard as people enjoy the piping hot patties and sweet treats, ranging from traditional desserts to other not-so-local offerings. There's the sweet potato pudding, grater cakes and gizzada, brownies, macaroons and cheesecake too. Coffee strips are also a crowd favourite, and newcomers must sample the Devon Divine -- a rich chocolate cake with a secret filling, topped with butter cream icing and chocolate shavings. Of course, you can finish the taste tour with a variety of fruity thirst-quenchers or Blue Mountain coffee, if you wish.

24-hour Satisfaction

If you're looking for a generous dose of sweet-tooth therapy, a trip to the Wyndham Hotel, formerly known as the Hilton Kingston Hotel, may just be in the cards. The sweet aroma of pastry wafts though the air and right to your nostrils as you enter the lobby, directing your attention to the left, where an array of eye-catching, and equally delicious cakes and sandwiches greet the eyes. The best news though is that it's always open, giving those with a sweet tooth the opportunity to satisfy their cravings at will.

Another place to indulge your late-night sweet cravings is the 24/7 Deli at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel that offers a smorgasbord of sweetness.

From cheesecakes — including tamarind, strawberry, and cherry — to cornmeal, bread and butter, and potato puddings, not to mention terrific-tasting scones and tarts, the eight-year-old Pegasus Deli gives much to the palate, calories be damned. While you enjoy a forkful of their oh-so-tasty delicacies, why not also sip from a wide selection of coffees (lattes, cappuccino and espressos), herbal teas, or freshly made juices?

Tea Time At Knutsford Court

Just last year, The Knutsford Court Hotel introduced a new activity to their already interesting roster — Wednesday afternoon High Tea. A section of the lobby is cordoned off with stylish drapes and transformed into a tea parlour of sorts for guests to sip tea, juices and alcoholic beverages, if they so desire, while catching up. There is too, the perfect complement to the traditional practice — pastries, of course.

Nicole's Sweet Temptations

Aptly dubbed Nicole's Sweet Temptations — a selection of cakes, pies, cupcakes and tarts among other treats for dessert lovers are a mere telephone call away.

Cold & Comforting

Whether it's a rainy day, or a warm afternoon, creamy treats from Barbican Centre's Häagen Dazs are always a welcome indulgence. Open till late, it offers a wide assortment of frozen and baked goodies, both pleasing to the eye and palate, and that may be enjoyed in a cosy environment.

Taste of Italy

For a taste of Southern Europe, satisfy your dessert cravings by enjoying authentic Italian sweet treats at Caffé daVinci, located in The Marketplace on Constant Spring Road.

Dreaming of Chocolate

If chocolate is your thing - let your mind and tastebuds wander thinking of white chocolate, black satin raspberry chocolate cake, chocolate-covered tamarind balls - then Michelle Smith's Chocolate Dreams is sure to satiate your appetite for sweet treats.

Her enterprise, located in the Devon House courtyard, has been a runaway success since opening in October 2009, and the steady stream of patrons going in and out is testament enough that the proof is in the chocolate!



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COMMENTS (1)


4/29/2011
IMHO you've got the right awnesr!

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