Ice Cream Lab

Having been so popular in Beverly Hills, Ice Cream Lab opened in Pasadena (soon in Little Tokyo) and I was glad to try it. I got the blue velvet: vanilla ice cream mixed with blue velvet cupcake and cream cheese frosting. Ice Cream Lab is pretty cool because they make your individual ice-cream right on the spot with nitrogen--nothing pre-made. I got the blue velvet because it was their most popular, but I'd probably go with a less loud flavor next time like vanilla or or horchata. It was too sweet in my opinion and extra creamy with the cream cheese--it was really good for what it was so all red/blue/rainbow velvet cupcake lovers out there can rejoice. I'm just more of a rosemary, floral, olive oil flavor gal. 

Ice Cream Lab

16 S Fair Oaks Ave, Pasadena, CA 91105

icecreamlab.com

Wine Tasting in Los Olivos + Santa Barbara

Demetria Estates

6701 Foxen Canyon Rd, Los Olivos, CA 93441

http://demetriaestate.com/

McConnell's Ice Cream (Sri-Lankan Cinnamon pictured)

201 W Mission St, Santa Barbara, CA 93101

http://www.mcconnells.com/

Milk Jar Cookies

Honestly, the best chocolate chip cookies I have EVER eaten. And I've eaten a lot of chocolate chip cookies. Milk Jar Cookies has the thickest cookies and I don't know how they do it. It's so thick yet everything is perfectly baked--nothing running/gooey in the middle. Best stumble upon in LA ever. The bakery itself is so cute with tables inside and out. I want Milk Jar Cookies to cater my future wedding, birthdays, bridal showers, baby showers, half-birthdays, dog birthdays, and every unnecessary party in between.

Milk Jar Cookies
5466 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90036
milkjarcookies.com

Dessert @ 85 Degrees after Dog Haus

85°C Bakery Cafe 

61 S Fair Oaks Ave Pasadena, CA 91105

http://www.yelp.com/biz/85-c-bakery-cafe-pasadena-6

DK Donuts - TERRIBLE experience

After following them on instagram while I was away in New York, DK Donuts seemed like an amazing place with unique flavors like ube. They also have their own version of the cronut, which I was also excited to try in their cool flavors; however...

I was extremely disappointed when I walked in. It was not what I imagined from their instapics. It was not as glamourous and cute as I thought it would be. It was not very clean, the donuts and what other things they had under the register looked stale and bland. 

I ordered a ube cronut cake in advance for my sister's birthday. She and I discovered them on instagram together so I thought it would be such a great surprise. But, look at this:

I specifically asked for it to say, "Happy 21st Birthday Jennifer!"

What the hell is this?! What does that even say????!!!?!?!!11!!

Hazelmm?

I was so confused. I asked the guy who handed this to me what this says and HE EVEN COULD NOT READ IT. I told him that I pre-ordered it to say "Happy 21st Birthday Jennifer!" and he wasn't even apologetic, he just took it back into the kitchen and started to rewrite it which took THIRTY MINUTES. I could literally hear the workers chit chatting and playing and it took them 30 minutes to write HAPPY BIRTHDAY?! And when they brought it out, they didn't even write verbatim "Happy 21st Birthday Jennifer!" but wrote, AGAIN, another encrypted icing gibberish that was SO MESSY I could AGAIN not make out the "happy birthday."

I eventually made them take off the entire icing and just put no words.

I think the guys did not know how to write English. I'm not trying to be mean, I'm being legitimately honest.

It was too oily as well. The layers fell apart easily. You can't cut it neatly with a knife. 

I was really really upset. The workers was unsympathetic and the price and drive was NOT WORTH IT.


DK Donuts & Bakery
1614 Santa Monica Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90404
dkdonuts.com

Lavender & Honey

Had a lovely afternoon with Megan. She is an incredibly talented graphic designer and photographer based in LA. Check out her instagram and order her prints at her etsy shop!

Lavender & Honey Espresso Bar
1383 E Washington Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91104
http://www.lavenderandhoneyespresso.com/

Dough

Best doughnuts I have ever had in my life, hands down. Whoever created these flavors and textures is literally blessed by God. The passionfruit was my fave.

Dough

14 W 19th St. New York, NY 10011

http://www.doughbrooklyn.com/

Patisserie Tomoko; a Japanese, French concoction

It was so clean, airy, and minimalistic. The in-dining menu is a prix-fix dessert menu. Nicole and I did the three course dessert with cold brew, a sweet potato brulee main (not exactly sure of the precise name), chocolate sorbet, and petit fours. I would definitely come again!

Patisserie Tomoko

568 Union Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11211

http://patisserietomoko.com/

vegan bread pudding!!!

I made this with my buddy Garrick--a bourbon, raisin, and apple spiced bread pudding. We also made granola and the entire apartment smelled heavenly. Happy Autumn!

Vegan baking

Made a berry cashew cream pie with dates and an almond/flax meal crust.

S'mores Dip

This was Megan and I's second try...our first try ended up with a fire in the oven and fire alarms.