Sunday 3 April 2022

49th Parallel Coffee Roasters Lonsdale is OPEN


49th Parallel Coffee Roasters has officially opened their 5th location across the Burrard Inlet in North Vancouver! The Lonsdale location is a short walk from the Lonsdale Quay and the Seabus dock making it an accessible cafe to meet up with friends. Warm sunshine fills the space courtesy of the floor-to-ceiling windows which are also great for people watching - or puppy watching if you are me!

I have been a longtime fan of 49th Parallel Coffee Roasters' sub-brand, Lucky's Doughnuts. Since the opening of their very first Main Street location in 2012, I have been obsessed with their soft pillowy yeast-risen doughnuts. No other doughnut has come close to the deliciousness of Lucky's. 

The secret to Lucky's doughnuts is simple. All doughnuts are made fresh daily at each location using the best ingredients. The doughnut chefs arrive early in the morning and continue frying up doughnuts through the day. Most of the locations have open kitchens, so you can watch the doughnut magic up close! I just discovered the French Crullers are piped by hand, but I did know the raspberry fillings have always been made from scratch using whole fruit giving the raspberry compote a wonderful texture. 

The "Doughnuts & Coffee" morning at the 49th Lonsdale location media event was so much fun. The space had been filled with massive balloons of 49th's iconic soft teal blue and dramatic long gold streamers. I love a good balloon moment! The 93 Lonsdale Avenue location is a heritage building from the early 1900s. Nearly 100 years ago, the space's original occupant was a hardware store, so as a nod to the building's rich history, 49th Parallel has incorporated rustic finishings into the cafe's design. I love old architecture so I love when new tenants respect the building and work towards maintaining its unique charm. 

49th Parallel spoiled me that morning, giving me free reign of their doughnate case - the largest one yet! Exclusive to the North Vancouver location is a coffee cream-filled, chocolate glazed doughnut called Mountains & Highways. The chocolatey coffee doughnut is finished with a house-made marshmallow and crispy chocolate pearls. For a place that is a haven for coffee enthusiasts, I would have thought coffee would have made an appearance as a flavour much sooner. Or perhaps I never noticed because I am partial to fruit in my desserts. 

There are always new flavours to try from the doughnut case, but my beloved Peanut Butter & Jelly will forever be my girl and remains a regular on Lucky's doughnut menu. The peanut glaze offsets the sweet tart raspberry and the crushed peanuts give the doughnut a lovely texture. Other noteable flavours include the Lemon Bismark which is covered in a sticky toasted meringue, the Chocolate Old Fashioned and their Apple Bacon Fritter. 

Lucky's also has an arrow of flavours in their Vegan-friendly line-up of doughnuts. Unlike the regular doughnuts, the vegan ones are much denser, but still hit the spot! And of course, a great pairing to one 49th's many coffee blends. I usually go the Latte route since I like sweet and creamy. 

I can confidently say the North Shore is excited for the opening of 49th Parallel. Countless locals tried to pop in for a coffee and doughnut during the media event. The good news was that event was early at 8:30 AM and the location opened to the public for their soft opening at 12PM!

49th Parallel is now expanding into East Canada. They have already opened a cafe in Downtown Montreal and I can only imagine there are plans in the works for locations in Toronto and other major cities across Canada. 

Have you tried the doughnuts from Lucky's? Which one is your favourite? 

BYES

Disclaimer: Complimentary of 49th Coffee Roasters & Lucky's Doughnuts . All opinions and content are original and my own. 





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