Not to knock on Buddy Brew (which I love and is my main place to go for coffee when I'm at the Hyde Park Village), but it's nice that there's yet another place for me to go for coffee. And they have ONE thing Buddy Brew doesn't really have--DONUTS!!! I love donuts, but I'm usually a cake donut kind of gal, not so much a brioche or yeast fan. (No thanks, Krispy Kreme). But a good look at the menu and all the tasty varieties they have on display has me intrigued. I don't see that kind of selection in a lot places, and I was definitely in the mood to try new things. On the plus side, I love a good brioche.
I zeroed in on the Tres Leches Strawberry Donut, a brioche donut with strawberries, and a light-as-air tres leches topping. The donut itself tasted fresh and buttery, definitely not oversweet like some yeast donuts I've had before so it's like bread with sugar. The strawberries gives it a little sweet tang to it, and the brioche held on well to the weight of it. The crowning jewel of course, literally and figuratively, was that tres leches merengue like topping. Like I said, it was very light, pillow-like in texture, with just a hint of sweetness, bringing the whole donut around. I washed it all down with an (iced) salted caramel latte to complete my mid-afternoon snack and it hit the spot. Staff here was incredibly friendly and nice on approach, adding a welcoming atmosphere.
This is sort of a place people go in an out of, but there's ample seating both inside and in the outside before walking in the main dining area. The donuts come in a cute navy blue box with your treat inside it, which people quickly whisk off with seconds after the order is put in. I for one am not the biggest fan of takeout, and I mostly do it out of necessity and convenience more out of preference. Nevertheless, I was happy to get a decent seat, and will bring Muffin out this way on my next visit.

Oh man, this is the place of my dreams!! Walking distance from my apartment, breakfast, AND a cafe that serves lattes, healthy baked goods, and smoothies???!!! Where do i start? I just so happened to pass by the storefront one day when they were closed and took a peek at what they had and knew I had to come back and check this place out! The menu looked promising, and I was very eager to have yet another coffee spot so close to me BESIDES Wawa's (I'm not throwing shade at Wawa's, its just that I love choices. Sorry). So, a week later, my partner and I came out here to try them. The energy when we arrived was on point, inviting, as we were greeted by the workers who happened to be the owners, a very lovely, nice couple. They told us what they were about and what they offered, and I couldn't wait to sit down and eat. We made ourselves comfortable while waiting for our order. The seating was ample and was quite lovely in decor, making me feel like I'm sitting in a cute little cafe (which makes sense since that's what it is). There was music playing in the background livening the atmosphere and the owners were engaged in conversation with another pair of customers while preparing our order.
I got the white chocolate mocha (hot) and the protein waffles with Nutella and berries while my partner got a smoothie. Now bear in mind, these are healthily made protein smoothies, waffles, and lattes, not the "normal" stuff. Everything's made with protein supplement and modified so that it's healthy, and this reflects on the calorie count displayed on their menu. Nonetheless, I would never know this by the taste. I was blown away how indulgent my waffle and white mocha tasted, I would never think this was healthy, even with the fresh berries added to my Nutella waffles. My partner gave his smoothie a perfect 5/5 score too, which says a lot since he's a much harsher critic than I am, and I thought what he ordered looked pretty good. I would definitely be sure to try the smoothies next time.
Overall, this is the kind of place I would have dreamed up of if I wanted a business, and I'm glad this couple made it a reality.

Who knew a great taco place would be right under my nose--and located at the gas station across the street of all places??? I was really craving some great birria tacos, and my partner is always recommending this place, so away we went.
The storefront is attached to the Shell Gas Station, located in the old Pino's Deli Dream, and is now the new home Crazyburrito, who has another location near downtown. The place was clean with cute decor that I couldn't help but take a photo op in front of, and it looked any other Mexican place in town. Staff here was friendly on approach and made sure my order was correct.
Ah, yes, but HOW WAS THE FOOD, you may ask?? Well, lemme say that I just love birria tacos since the first time I've had them, and I'm pleased to say that it's nice to know that the next time I'm craving them, I can just go down the street. I got a plate of three, not knowing if two might be too few, as sometimes tacos don't quite hit the spot. Theses babies were a decent size, stuffed with tender meat, cheese melted to perfection, and the outer shell perfectly fried and crisp. The dipping sauce I drank as a soup and it really hit the spot. Unfortunately, I couldn't eat all three, and my partner ate the third taco (another bonus of having a partner with a love of Mexican food). I really enjoyed the tacos and they were every bit as tasty as Besito (the last place I had really good birria). Will be back!!

Yet one more item to add onto the "Why haven't I tried this sooner?" list! I'm a huge chocolate fanatic, so Peterbrooke has been on my radar for quite some time, so I'm glad I finally ventured out to try them. It's an easy to locate shop right smack in the middle of downtown and hard to miss, especially with the colorful blue umbrella covered tables and the pink and blue sign enticing me inside. Upon entering, I'm greeted by the sweet, heavenly aroma of chocolate being made as well as the sight of chocolate gifts on display just in time for Mother's Day (which is why I was internally kicking myself for not bringing my cooler with me to cram the chocolates in, but I guess that'll have to wait for the next visit). The workers there warmly welcome me and Muffin (by the way, dogs ARE allowed inside, but please out of courtesy, be sure to ask each time. Mine was in a stroller, and of course, I didn't let her anywhere near the chocolate) to the store. It was incredibly hot outside, so the first thing my eyes land on (after the chocolate display) was the wheel of gelato. The nice lady let me sample a few, and after a few small, yet satisfying tastings, I made my selection of Salted Caramel, Stracciatella (which is basically chocolate chip), and Pistachio all in one cup. All the flavors came together quite well with their different notes and sweetness and the smooth, creamy texture to cool me off immediately. Of course, because it's a chocolate shop, I'm not leaving without getting my hands on some chocolates. Their chocolate case has a modest but varied assortment of fresh truffles and creams. I went with a few caramels, chocolate creams, and a beer infused chocolate (because booze and desserts are MADE for each other) and practically inhaled all the pieces before finally going on my way. After getting a good look at what else the store has to offer, I know what I'll have to stock up on with my trusty cooler on the next visit.