Think Mink for Mom

We love the handprint cards. And we love the instant coffee that’s carefully delivered to our bedside on the second Sunday of May—so what if it’s made with lukewarm tap-water? Half the fun of Mother’s Day, after all, is waiting to see what children and our beloved dream up on our behalf. (“Honey, we could go check out that car show after you’ve done the dishes, if you like….”)

Sometimes it all goes so swimmingly. Other times, it just doesn’t come together—especially if you’re running from one grandma’s house to another to pay Mother’s Day tributes of your own! So if you wake up on Monday morning feeling you haven’t really had the chance to indulge yourself, have we got an outing for you.

Phone up the girlfriends, pack up the kids and head to Mink Chocolate Café, which fronts onto a lovely city green space on West Hastings at the foot of Hornby Street. Here, owner and new dad Marc Lieberman has created a bright, chocolate shop/cafe where he crafts his handmade chocolates and serves up sweet delicacies and coffee drinks on the side. Mom-friendly to the max, it offers lots of room for strollers and a safe outdoor green space for the younger set to play in. (Open just a year, it’s already been the venue for more than a few baby showers!)

Treat yourself to a fresh-fruit chocolate fondue (two kids can easily share one serving) or tuck into Belgian waffles with decadent toppings. Have a latte or hot chocolate, and prolong the experience by taking home one of Lieberman’s handmade, preservative-free chocolate bon bons or bars, in a range of flavours from the traditional to exotic (as a sampling, the ‘Fountain of Youth’ bar features blueberries and goji berries, the ‘Love Potion’ blends roasted banana and dark rum, and the ‘PB and J’ brings together the unbeatable peanut butter and jam duo).

Burn off a few of those calories with a brisk walk along Vancouver’s Coal Harbour, just a few blocks away. Or at least increase your karma with the diet gods by tipping your server at the counter—all gratuities are donated to a different charity each month (proceeds from May are going to the Kiwanis Club).

Of course, we hope you have a wonderful Mother’s Day and have absolutely no need for a ‘Plan B’. But if you do—think Mink.

Mink Café
www.minkchocolates.com
(604) 633-2451
863 West Hastings (at Hornby)

Tested by Chris T. and Peggy T-J., North Vancouver