Morgenstern's 850 Deluxe ice cream sandwich: With oatmeal cookies, grape ice cream, and walnuts, this treat somehow combines the taste of a childhood afterschool snack of cookies and a Welch's grapefruit juice box and elevates it to culinary levels. The oatmeal cookies have a satisfying bite, with raisins that aren't overly tough despite being frozen; the grape ice cream is balanced by a bit of lemon juice; walnuts add an unexpected flavor and texture. An excellent ice cream sandwich that was part of the #fuckthatsdelicious collaborat... (read more) 4.0/5.0
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Mount Takao Mitarashi Dango: A couple weekends ago, I went hiking at Mount Takao, a scenic destination about an hour from Tokyo with views of Mount Fuji from the 600m tip. It's especially famous for its colorful autumn leaves, which I was very thankful to get to experience firsthand. Probably because I've been especially inactive since the start of the pandemic, it was more difficult than I expected to scale the mountain with its steep inclines and the added challenge of wearing a mask while exercising. The 22k steps... (read more) 4.0/5.0
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Moxie : Moxie: You either love it, or you hate it. I am in the love it camp, as I grew up drinking the Asian soda HeySong, which has a very similar flavor. For the uninitiated, I would describe it as a less sweet, slightly bitter (some may even describe it as medicinal) root beer, closer to sarsaparilla soda. It's flavored with genitian root extract, which gives it its unique flavor. Created in Lowell, Massachusetts, you can still find this soda in grocery stores in Massachusetts and specialty s... (read more) 4.0/5.0
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Mr. Holmes Bakehouse Peach Cardamon Danish: An entire think piece could be dedicated to Mr. Holmes Bakehouse, a pastry shop in the heart of San Francisco's Tenderloin district. The Dominique Ansel Bakery of SF, it has an equally iconic dessert: the Cruffin. A cross between a muffin and croissant, the Cruffin is filled with a seasonal cream and is made in limited quantities, requiring those willing to wait to get in line early (the bakery opens at 7am on weekdays). But unlike DA Bakery, Mr. Holmes is not based in the SOHO of SF. To... (read more) 4.0/5.0
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Mr. Wish Mango slush with aloe: Right next to the Flushing Main St subway station is Mr. Wish, a Taiwanese fruit and milk tea stand that has excellent frozen beverages. Their mango slush was a perfect solution to the summer heat, with diced mango mixed alongside aloe pieces (the latter of which I added for an additional toppings fee). If you find yourself in Flushing, I highly recommend this alternative to the more ordinary Coco and Quickly chains. 4.0/5.0
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Mystic Muffin Apple Cake: Declared as "world famous," with newspaper clippings to support this claim, Mystic Muffin's apple cake is texturally fantastic, with an ultra moist interior and hearty slices of tender baked apple throughout. It's all topped with a sweet spiced crumble, buttery and baked such that it adds just enough tooth. The sweetness of the crumble sets it a bit over the top, but as far as cakes go, this is definitely one of the best I've had. And at less than $3 USD a slice, it's a wonderful affordab... (read more) 4.0/5.0
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