We notice the Old Strathcona Business Association is celebrating the return of the Sweet Treats & Latte Festival from Feb. 12 to 22. More than 40 restaurants, cafés, and shops will offer food and drink features for the occasion. Participating customers can collect stamps for each purchase of a feature item, with prize packages available for those who collect more than five or 10 stamps. If you tag the business association in a social media post and use the hashtag #SweetTreatsYEG, that counts as an entry for a gift card.
Where to begin? OSBA interim executive director Andrea Donini notes the number of participating restaurants has doubled in the past three years, including several first-timers this year. Among them are The Next Act with a skillet-baked cookie; Marlo with a chocolate Carlota (a Mexican dessert similar to tiramisu); and The Buckingham with vegan deep-fried Oreos. Plus, the newly opened vegan bakeshop King of Tarts offers a stamp for a purchase of any three small tarts or a single sweet croissant.
As for drinks, there are flavours from around the globe. There's a Vietnamese iced coffee at Momma Tong, an Italian hot chocolate at Da Cecot, a Puerto Rican-style coffee at Avila Arepa, and a vanilla tea from Mauritius at Café Bel-Air. There are also plenty of trendy matcha options: Dream Tea serves a matcha blossom drink, Overflow has a matcha fog latte, and Café Mosaics offers both an Earl Grey matcha and a black sesame latte.