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Bakery at Skylon Tower
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et By Martine Mackenzie
IT IS
Photos courtesy of The Skylon Tower.
I usually research my subjects carefully before I take on writing a feature. I had written about The Skylon Tower numerous times before, so imagine my surprise to find out that there is a very impressive in-house bakery hidden on the lower level of the tower. I was greeted at The Bakery, as it’s affectionately known by John Zizian, the Pâtissier, and overseer of all the sweet goodness that comes out of his spotless and very organized kitchen. John is classically trained in pastries and baked goods and prides himself on having been with The Skylon since 1993. As he walked me through the immaculate workspace and gave me a guided tour, John pointed out that everything dessert is made from scratch. He had just finished cracking and separating over 100 eggs, extracting the whites, whipping them up into a gigantic foam, ready to be baked into 13 sponge cakes. “It’s all chemistry and math,” John says. “With baking, it’s all about consistency and technique – once everything is mixed, if there’s been a mistake, we start it over from the beginning. We can’t take out too much salt from batter.” Watching how this well-oiled machine works, I doubt that this happens very often. Because the two dining rooms, The Revolving Dining Room and The Summit Suite Buffet are at the top of the tower, space is at a premium and is reserved for dining tables where guests can get the ultimate view of Niagara’s thundering waters and surrounding areas. Although equipped with fully-functional kitchens, all foods are prepped on the lower level, then transported up via the “Yellow Bug” where the dishes are finished. Steaks are cut to order, and calamari is hand-breaded. Regardless of whether your palate prefers savory or sweet, a meal at either of The Skylon’s restaurants will be made up of only the top-of-the-line ingredients. In The Revolving Dining Room, guests have the choice of many desserts which are the perfect way to end a glorious meal, overlooking the lights on and the fireworks over The Falls. There are three types of cheesecake: Skylon’s Baked Praline Cheesecake, served with whipped cream and candied pecans; Freshly Baked Vanilla Cheesecake, served with strawberry or raspberry sauce; or Chocolate “Velvet” Cheesecake, topped with a pecan and coconut nougat with drizzles of caramel and chocolate sauces. Of course, another favourite is Skylon’s Warm Pecan Pie, served à la mode with vanilla ice cream. For the chocolate lovers out there, there is a Chocolate Amaretto Torte, garnished with toasted almonds, which uses only the finest Belgian dark chocolate. For those who really want a decadent dessert, Skylon’s famous Crème Brulée is a real crowd-pleaser and is caramelized to order. For those favoring something more traditional, there is an individually baked Apple Pie à la mode served warm and topped with caramel sauce. 25
