Queen Of Tarts, Edmonton Alberta

A new bakery, you say?

Don’t mind if I do.

And we did.

Queen of Tarts Bakery & Bistro
10129 104 Street
(780) 421-4410
Tuesday-Wednesday 9-6pm, Thursday-Friday 9am-8pm, Saturday 8:30am-6pm, closed Sunday & Monday

As was entirely appropriate to celebrate the day, nay, I’ll be honest here, the entire week of my 35th birthday, I went to two places on my list of must-try’s in Edmonton’s dining scene, indulged in another favorite the day after said 35th and generally threw caloric caution to the wind.

The second place I wanted to visit, and for once visited within the first two weeks of opening, was the Queen of Tarts. Linda Kearney, rather infamously known as The Queen of Tarts here in Edmonton, has had an enormously successful booth at the Downtown City Market and decided to expand her business into a full fledged storefront.

Lucky for those of us who work weekends, we can now delight in the treats she has to offer.

The bakery itself is located along what is now called the 4th Street Promenade, a historic area filled with beautiful buildings, the aforementioned City market, remarkable dining establishments and shopping.

I adored the clean, crisp lines of the basement (yes, basement!) and how the tall windows on the other side flood what would otherwise be a dingy space with wonderful natural light. The space itself is beautiful.

We had quiche with a side of organic greens, the quality of which was apparent in every bite.

The lunch was light, allowing for plenty of room for dessert!

We tried the three in the middle row, the lemon slice, the chocolate creation and the ginger cake.

We were tempted by oh-so many other treats, but lemon almost always wins for me. Those gigantic dates squares in the lower left were tempting, however.

Sticky cinnamon rolls…next time…

And funny enough, I ran into another fellow blogger, Kevin, and I since I am a complete jerk, I snuck up and took a picture of him. That’s me, the local annoying paparazzi.

We admired the offerings from local entrepreneurs, such as the Jam Lady’s creations….

…and these, oh, I do LOVE edible flowers, how fun!

The ginger cake was a thick, spicy, lovely treat, with a piece of delectable candied ginger on top that I rapidly stole and enjoyed.

The lemon slice was tart, tangy and sweet and the quality of ingredients used was readily apparent, what a difference from store bought monstrosities.

All in all, the Queen of Tarts is going to be a perfect place to stop by while enjoying what the 4th Street Promenade has to offer on a lovely spring day-oh, how we dream of the lovely spring days ahead of us– somewhere to enjoy a light lunch followed by one of the many tantalizing creations in the showcases.

Tuck a loaf of fresh bread under your arm when you leave and your experience is complete.