Coffee & Treats in Lynden

Scoop! eschews traditional server-servee roles in the yogurt parlour by allowing customers to sprinkle and slather their choice of toppings onto the frozen-yogurt summits themselves. Order a small original yogurt ($3.29) and confetti it with toppings ($0.93 per 50 grams) from Scoop!'s self-serve bar, such as M&M's, strawberries, or Oreo crumbles. Yogurt yogis desiring more colour in their consumable coolness can opt for a small serving of one of Scoop!'s blended flavours, such as raspberry or chocolate hazelnut ($3.49). With more than 20 toppings covering categories crunchy, candied, and fruity, Scoop! gives customers the opportunity to custom tailor their frozen yogurt in a number of ways, all while using Reese's Pieces and gummi bears straight from Vancouver's candy orchards.

Momento Coffee House focuses on the subtleties of coffeemaking to offer quality brews to customers. The shop eschews boring coffee-pot technology to use equipment such as a French press and a La Marzocco FB/70 espresso machine, resulting in the sort of freshly brewed precision usually reserved for cyborgian baristas. Sample the grounded goods with a two-ounce cup of espresso ($2.75) or a 12-ounce cup of coffee ($2.50). Other drinkable delights include the Americano ($3), latte ($3.75), hot chocolate ($3), and loose-leaf tea ($3). Momento Coffee House also partners up with JagaSilk to serve maccha green tea ($4.50), available in latte ($6), iced-tea ($5.50), and mocha ($6.25) variations. Gluten-free and French-inspired goodies are available for snacking betwixt sips.

The founder of Chocolaterie de la Nouvelle France, Anne-Geneviève Poitras, kindled a passion for fine chocolates while studying pastry and bakery at the Institut du Tourisme et d'Hôtellerie du Québec in Montréal. Determined to share the joyous epiphany with others, she opened her shop, which has earned a spot on Vancouver Magazine’s Best Things to Eat and Drink list and even a recommendation in the Vancouver City Guide.

In her shop, fragrant, sumptuous ingredients perfume handmade chocolates with curious bouquets of flavour bursting with lavender, orange blossoms, and fleur de sel. The house chefs seek out French single-origin or plantation chocolates, made from the cocoa beans of a single country, lending each variety a distinctive character. No additives, preservatives, or artificial ingredients dilute the taste of the confections.

A colourful spectrum of gelato flavours, safely ensconced in a gleaming glass case, catches the eyes of customers at Matteo's Gelato. Helmed by a classically trained owner that’s been crafting frozen desserts for more than 35 years, the gelateria stocks a selection of classic and creative flavours that rotates as often as a clown’s spinning bow tie. From seasonal appearances of candy-cane or pumpkin-pie gelato to regular flavours such as chocolate hazelnut and cherry blossom, the shop consistently tempts visitors to try something new. Espresso drinks create a pleasing contrast to the cold treats, especially when gelato is ordered affogato style: with a fresh shot poured over the chilly dessert.

With more than 450 stores throughout the globe, TCBY has become synonymous with high-quality frozen yogourt since its humble inception in Arkansas in 1981. Known as The Country’s Best Yogourt, TCBY serves up frozen treats packed with benefits such as live active cultures and vitamin D while remaining lower in fat and calories than traditional ice cream. New additions to the menu include frozen greek yogourt, which swirls with twice as much protein as the regular frozen yogourt, giving customers a treat to look forward to after strenuous routines of bench-pressing dairy-farm equipment. Revamped store designs infuse each space with modern, colourful touches, such as bright-green chairs and hanging orange lights, reflecting the dessert emporium’s dedication to happily moving into the future with its customers.

There are two ways to watch Heather White and Lori Joyce bake their preservative-free cupcakes from scratch. Guests can pop into one of their bakeries on the days the duo is in the shop or they can watch from the family room as the ladies craft desserts from basic ingredients on their TV show The Cupcake Girls.

Inside their retro-style locations, bakers craft cupcakes made with real butter or design specialty cakes for all manner of noteworthy occasions, such as weddings, birthdays, and parties thrown in honour of winning a national cupcake-eating contest.