Blueberry muffins gone wild

Oh honey... it's difficult to write this post, but here goes...

If you haven't visited The Honey Tree Patisserie at 105 Albert Street in Stratford (tucked between Nile and Waterloo Streets), you haven't stepped into the techni-colour world of baked goods.

It smells like Christmas in there, you'll practically levitate when the aroma lifts you four feet off the ground, and its blueberry muffins? Quite possibly the recipe for world peace, if only we could learn to share. Slightly crispy, finely sugared domes are juxtaposed by soft, moist centres that burst with obnoxiously huge - yet organic - blueberries. (Antioxidants, people!) If you go on a Saturday morning before 10:30ish, there's a good chance you'll be able to get your hands on some (wise locals shop early) and they'll likely be warm and uber-aromatic.

If you've ever had a muffin at Balzac's, you've already tasted an overpriced one. These superb muffins pair gorgeously with a good stiff coffee and bountiful conversation.

So why is it difficult to write this post? It's the service. Every time I walk through the door, I get the impression I'm interrupting, and consequently annoying them with my 'paying customer' bit. It gives me a Seinfeld character flashback and I fear the day I'm shooed away and told "NO MUFFINS FOR YOU!"

But I can't stop going.

The food is too good! I've ordered cakes there for several different occasions and they're so tasty and delicious - I love cakes that don't taste too sweet. And their lemon and poppyseed loaves? Amazing. Don't get me started on the chocolate treats. They even have frozen logs of chocolate chunk cookie dough that you just thaw overnight in the fridge, slice and throw in a 350-degree oven for 8-10 minutes. The result? Outstanding cookies every time, even for people like me who can't bake! I've served them to company who had no words, just near cross-eyedness and slow-chewing moans.

I'm telling you - this place is fantastic! If you can handle lousy service. Oh, and they also change their hours and take extended vacations with little or no warning (they're presently closed until January 19).

So mark your calendars for January 20 and head over to The Honey Tree Patisserie for some irresistible delights!

Who knows, maybe they'll return feeling a little sunnier?