June 15, 2012: Meat & Bread! Cadeaux Bakery! Days of Stargate Past, Atlantis! Before I Sleep! The Brotherhood!

On the heels of some disappointing/underwhelming/unfortunate/painful dining experiences, I’ve done much of my eating at home of late.  The other day, however, I did end up venturing out to grab a sandwich at Meat & Bread in Gastown, and a dessert or two (or three…or four…okay, more like five) at Cadeaux Bakery.

With special guest diners, Steve and Jodi.

The porchetta sandwich at Meat & Bread is unbelievable.

Come on in! Let’s check out Cadeaux.

Jodi and Steve are out of control. Kids, don’t try this at home.

Our appetizer: the bourbon-lime truffles.

The ladies loved it. A little too tart for this sweet tooth.

That is one killer carrot cake.

Choco-banana dessert. This was surprisingly subtle. Good, but was blown away by the other more intensely flavored options.

The best dessert of the day: the pistachio bavarois.

The salted caramel brownie. Also killer.

I hear that Cadeaux is fairly new.  Do check it out.  Chances are you’ll run into me there as it is now my favorite dessert hang-out in Vancouver.

Continuing our Stargate: Atlantis reminiscences…

BEFORE I SLEEP (115)

Carl Binder makes his impressive Atlantis debut with an episode that hits all the right notes.  It’s possessed of humour, wonder, surprises, great character moments, and a bittersweetness that stays with you long after other episodes have been forgotten.  In the opening scene, Sheppard’s birthday gift to Weir goes a long way toward  strengthening the (recently frayed) bond between the two while simultaneously endearing John to the audience.  Yes, he’s a guy who killed some 60 enemy combatants, challenged Elizabeth’s authority, and showed suspect judgment in his romantic pursuit of an outsider but, on the flip side, he’s someone who thinks enough of his friends to: a) take the time to find out their birth day and b) go through the trouble of getting them a present.  It’s a small gesture but an incredibly meaningful one.  McKay, meanwhile, is back to his old self as he oversees the search of unexplored sections of Atlantis, seeking fresh scientific discoveries – and a room with a nicer view.

Time travel episodes are great – provided they make sense.  And this one does, jumping back between two timelines – past, present, and future – to tell the tale of an Atlantis expedition that was and, subsequently, never was.  We’re offered an alternate view of the pilot, a glimpse at the Ancients, and, best of all, confirmation that, when the chips are down, Rodney IS a hero at heart.

THE BROTHERHOOD (116)

Kolya makes his return, throwing a wrench into our heroes’ efforts to secure a working ZPM.  A long dead secret society, underground labyrinths, puzzles and the Pegasus version of the Holy Grail all make for a fun, Atlantis-style Da Vinci Codesque adventure.  But, like Childhood’s Ends, it’s all for naught and our crew find themselves back to square one.  This episode also marks the first mention of Sheppard’s mensa test.  We learn he passed but never joined, shocking McKay by suggesting that there’s more to this low-key rebel than meets the eye. But was he on the level?  Years later, in the fifth season mid-season two-parter, Rodney isn’t so sure…

Oh, yeah.  Almost forgot!  Don’t forget to vote for your favorite Stargate mid-season two-parter for a chance to win some signed scripts!

Take Our Poll

Tagged: Atlantis, Cadeaux Bakery, Meat & Bread, science fiction, scifi television, SF television, Stargate, Stargate: Atlantis, Vancouver desserts