The End of the Line General Store – North Vancouver, BC

The End of the Line General Store
4193 Lynn Valley Road
North Vancouver, BC
(604) 904-2366

Western Canada is littered with hundreds of communities that sprouted out of the massive project that was the construction of Canada’s transcontinental railway.  Supplanting these major lines were other local tracks in some areas to support the local citizens and industry.  In today’s day and age, its kind of hard to imagine an era where rail transportation was the primary way to get people and supplies around from place to place, but it sure is nice to know that some remnants of that history remains or is preserved in some other fashion.

Having just been in San Francisco where I saw the famous trolley cars yet again, I was reminded that here in North Vancouver, we used to have that same transportation system in the early years of the 1900’s.  Beginning in the Lonsdale area, service was available to take people all the way up Lynn Valley, with the terminal stop being at Dempsey Road.   And fitting with so many rail stations around the world, a little community flourished and was supported by local merchants capitalizing on the constant flow of people in need of daily goods.

Laleh Bakery – North Vancouver, BC

Laleh Bakery
130 W15th St
North Vancouver, BC
(604) 986-6364

North Vancouver’s Laleh Bakery specializes in Persian cookies that you serve to accompany traditional afternoon tea. These melt-in-your-mouth treats pair well with tea drinking. They come in a variety of textures that complement the ritual – often slightly dry, flakey, and grainy – with crunchy punctuation provided by walnuts, or pistachios. Some are sticky sweet, or are covered in powdered sugar.

Butter and semolina lend their richness, and the subtle flavour of cardamon or rosewater permeate many of these confections. Date and fig jams are used as spreads sandwiched between cookie rounds or as fillings. Preserves such as apricot, or berry jam serve to fill thumbprint indentations.

Ayoub’s Dried Fruit and Nuts – North Vancouver, BC

Ayoub’s Dried Fruit and Nuts
1332 Lonsdale Ave
North Vancouver, BC

Along Lonsdale in North Vancouver’s Little Iran, is a seemingly non-descript dried fruit and nut shop called Ayoub’s. The green awning and the oddly chosen typography of its brand belie what is inside the store.

Ayoub’s interior is a caricature of opulence –  crystal chandeliers, marble, and trimmed out cabinetry adorn the store and its displays. The product, however, is undeniably good albeit pricier than the nearby competition. You can get high quality nuts, dried fruits of all kinds, fruit preserves, halva, loukum (Turkish delight).

Honey Doughnuts and Goodies – North Vancouver, BC

Honey Doughnuts and Goodies
4373 Gallant Avenue
North Vancouver, BC
(604) 929 4988

The easternmost district in North Vancouver known as Deep Cove, is home to a quaint little street populated by several eateries and shops.  This two-block stretch of Gallant Avenue is where visitors and locals alike can stop in for a bite to eat while enjoying the natural surroundings.  Honey Doughnuts and Goodies stands out as the most popular destination along this strip, given its decent sized eat-in space and convenient snack offerings that are easy to buy-and-go.  I’m sure part of its appeal is also due in part to the steady line-up that brings in the curious and the sweet smells that flow out onto the sidewalk.

As the name suggests, doughnuts are a hot seller.  In the glass display case inside where you also place your order, an assortment of healthy (e.g organic) and more sugary varieties of doughnuts can be had, as well as scones, muffins and other pastries.  The donuts here are “richer” looking, the kind with a heavier consistency and the glazed ones I saw were really attractive.  I would not go as far as to say they were all-out gourmet, but certainly more than the generic Tim Horton’s.

While in line on this day, a man ahead of me in the cue ordered a whopping $150 worth of donuts!  Its not like he had pre-ordered this, so as the girls behind the counter were busy counting and putting them into brown paper bags, it was clear the supplies would be threatened for those us in still waiting to get our goods. I later saw a tented parking lot that looked like it was an eating area for a film set, which might explain this large order – as homes in the neighborhood are often rented by the television and movie industry.

In addition to the sweets, Honey Donuts and Goodies also has on their menu, some good looking breakfast dishes, along with some soups and sandwiches.  With plans to go hiking on the nearby Badden-Powel Trail, I thought it best to warm up and chose the Soup & Bread Combo, with the soup being Chicken Kale.  It was a hearty soup, with beans, onions, plenty of kale, and chunks of chicken in a rich, slightly salty broth.  Aside from this, I got a Blueberry Muffin to go as a snack for later on (sorry, not pictured).  Towards the end of my hike, I opened it up and had a few bites.  Good flavor, not too brittle and dried out.  I am sure they taste much better hot out of the oven.

I found it interesting that it seemed many members of the kitchen/wait staff were of Latino heritage.  We overheard a discussion, it seemed there was some mention about Argentina between one of them and another person in line, so its possible that’s where they are from.  I don’t think its had a huge impact on their menu, but interesting nonetheless.