Five for Friday: Where to find Father's Day treats in New West

Yes, Father's Day is this Sunday — and that means planning something special for the dad figure in your life.

The possibilities are endless, from Sunday brunch to a walk in the forest to a visit to an art gallery. But, in honour of the sweet-toothed dads amongst us (and with a little help from the next generation of treat aficionados in New Westminster), we've decided to focus this Father's Day offering on the mouthwatering sweet treats available around our fine city — with a few suggestions of where to find them.

It's by no means an exhaustive list, since there are just too many amazing spots to name them all. But it should at least get you started.

So skip right past the main course and head straight out for some of these treats:

Ice cream and gelato: Rocky Point, Anny's, Tre Galli

You can't go far in New Westminster without encountering a great place for a cool, frozen treat. Uptown, you've got Rocky Point Ice Cream (500 Sixth Ave.), where the nine-year-old recommends trying the Double Chocolate Raspberry, the Blackberry Sage or the Banana Fudge. Or stroll up to Anny's Dairy Bar (722 Sixth St.) for a maple twist cone. (If you add poutine to your order, I won't judge.)

Of course, there's always Tre Galli Gelato waiting to tempt your taste buds at River Market (810 Quayside Dr.). You can't go wrong with any of the fruit and berry  flavours, but we greatly enjoyed the Amarena on our last visit (and never overlook the espresso and other coffee-based options). You may need to get a pizza on the side while you're at it.

Bubble tea: Dakasi, Coco, Bobacabana

I'll be honest; I hadn't gotten into bubble tea much myself until it somehow became all the rage amongst the tween set. Now the nine-year-old is the designated expert in our house (full sugar, crystal pearls and coconut jelly usually make it into her order), and she suggests choosing from any one of the city's fine tea establishments.

We'll throw a special mention to Dakasi (at 406 Sixth St.) for the addictive Taiwanese chicken nuggets and shake fries that always end up getting added to our order. Plus, there's the newly opened Coco (next to Rocky Point Ice Cream at 500 Sixth Ave.) or Bobacabana at the Shops at New West (New Westminster SkyTrain station), where a banana-Nutella waffle should surely make it onto your sweet-treat list.

Want more ideas? Tourism New Westminster created this great list of bubble-tea spots in the city; they're abundant, so there's bound to be one near you.

Cake: Fratelli, Take the Cake, Flavour Balance

You might have to do a little planning ahead for this one, since not all these purveyors of cake are open on Sundays.  But you can't go wrong by picking up any of the fantastic baked goods from Fratelli (459 East Columbia St., Sapperton) — just be sure to stop in before closing at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday. You can find an array of single-serve squares, cupcakes, cookies and other treats, or, if you order ahead, a full cake.

Another local gem that gets rave reviews is Take the Cake (150-1110 Ewen Ave., Queensborough), where you may need a slice of cake or a whole cake (Chocolate Truffle? Red Velvet? Shortbread? Tiramisu?), or you may want to try something a little less traditional, like the Gulab Jamun White Chocolate Cheesecake.  It's open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.

And we can't let a cake-based list get by us without mentioning Flavour Balance Espresso Bar (619 Belmont St.), which serves up slices of some of the best cake you'll find anywhere. (Honestly, you can start and stop with the Raspberry White Chocolate Cheesecake, but since there are three-slice specials, we recommend trying three flavours.) It's also closed Sunday, so fit this one in to your Saturday plans.

Brunch: Angelina's Dutch Corner

What's that you say? Brunch isn't a sweet treat? Well, it absolutely is if you can find a table at Angelina's, the ever-so-popular local institution on the waterfront at River Market (810 Quayside Dr.).  A waffle piled high with fruit, or the Dutch sweet pannekoeken, will hit that sweet-tooth space and fill you up for the rest of the day.

It's open 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.

Plus, of course, New Westminster has a host of other brunch spots: Waffle House (636 Sixth St.), De Dutch Pannekoek House (1035 Columbia St., at Columbia Square), Coming Home Café (753 Sixth St.) and Bruncheria (502 East Columbia St.) are among other popular options.

Ukrainian baking: Kozak Ukrainian Eatery

Take a moment to stand in solidarity with the city's Ukrainian community — and find some of the most delightful baked goods you'll encounter anywhere in the city — at Kozak Ukrainian Eatery, uptown (444 Sixth St.).

You'll want to try the chocolate babka, and you can also savour some Napoleon cakes, Makovik (poppyseed bun), Wishnya (sour cherry bun) and much more. And, if you happen to feel compelled to add some pierogies, borsch or holubtsi (cabbage rolls) on the side, who can blame you?

They're open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Five for Friday is a new feature we'll be running each Friday online, highlighting five of just-about-anything in New Westminster. Got an idea for a future list? Email to let us know!

Follow Julie MacLellan on Twitter @juliemaclellan.
Email Julie, [email protected].