Quick Eats: Baguette & Co. - Vancouver, BC

When I hear the words "French bakery" and "good deal" used in a sentence together, my ears instantly perk up. While I love my pastries, they are an indulgence rather than a regular occurrence. My coworker mentioned Baguette & Co. was right around the corner from our workplace, and that they had a great lunch special. Impulsive as I am, the very next day I made sure to stop by.

Baguette & Co. is a fairly small space located on Davie St., not far from Burrard, easy to miss if you don't know what you're looking for. But a sign outside advertised the lunch special, so I knew I was at the right place. For $10, you get an Americano/tea/pop, a panini/quiche/foccacia, and any dessert. While I didn't see any quiches, the foccacias looked delicious, and the paninis had some gourmet combinations. Although debating between the chicken pesto panini and the chicken brie panini, I settled on the chicken brie (as my love for cheese is well known). The lady at the counter advised me I'd have to wait, which was fine with me as it left me ample time to choose a dessert.

Around ten minutes later, I was sipping my good-sized Americano when my hot panini came to the table. The brie was melted throughout, and the chicken wasn't overly salty though it was a bit dry. These two components alone would have made for quite a rich combination, but dried cranberries added some freshness. Overall, the panini was still quite heavy and I probably wouldn't order it again. (Note: I returned the next day (don't judge), and ordered the chicken pesto sandwich... SO GOOD. SO SO GOOD. And the mini cheesecake I ordered - amazing.)

I had to get my dessert to go as I was stuffed to the brim. There were a variety of choices including various croissants and danishes, but I gravitated towards the cold display case where there sat cheesecakes, raspberry tarts, and chocolate delicacies. I spotted one single mille-feuille (puff pastry layered with custard), and had to have it. I didn't get around to eating my dessert until a few hours later, but was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't too sweet and that the pastry layers were light and airy.

If you're in the area, Baguette & Co.'s lunch special is a great option, especially since some of the more expensive desserts cost around $5 alone. Bonus: Staff at St. Paul's Hospital receive 10% off at the Davie St. location, bringing the lunch special to only $9.40 including tax!