Milk Bar Cereal milk soft serve: You’re probably familiar with the cereal milk flavor, which replicates the taste of milk after a helping of frosted corn flakes. Attributed to the Milk Bar franchise, the cereal milk flavor has since been duplicated by many. Although I’ve sampled it before, this is the first time I actually purchased the cereal milk flavored soft serve from its original source. The smooth texture was excellent, but the generous serving size might be best shared with others. The soft serve comes in a single ... (read more) 3.5/5.0
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Detroit Water Ice Mango and watermelon ice: Seeking a local treat, I found myself at Detroit Water Ice, a store specializing in flavored ice that falls somewhere between Italian ice and Icee. After sampling their intensely and unappetizingly sweet cinnamon horchata, I inquired about their least sweet options. With a Kiddie combo of watermelon and mango in hand, I left with a not-so-kid-sized cup of generally smooth shaved ice - soft but not watery, and fully saturated with fruit concentrate. Reminded me of otter pops in flavor, rather... (read more) 3.0/5.0
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Gjusta Lemon Cake: This slice of lemon cake from Gjusta in LA is thickly sliced and has a decently tart flavor. Texturally, though, it eats a bit dry. In the landscape of lemon desserts, this one falls somewhere in the middle - not bad, but not particularly notable. 3.0/5.0
losangeles pastry dessert gjusta lemon cake 3.0
Gjusta Miso date cookie: Gjusta, the sister bakery of Gjelina in Venice, LA, is apparently popular enough to not need any signage. It’s unlabeled storefront conceals a narrow counter and dining area, where patrons wait for a variety of pastries (cakes, cookies, croissants) and hot and cold prepared items (pizza, salads, pâtés). Luckily, their express line was relatively short, which meant purchasing this miso date cookie took just a few minutes. The sizable cookie contains a single date at its center. Its texture is... (read more) 4.0/5.0
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Satie Chocolaterie Koi no Teppoudama Chocolates: Translated as "Love's Tadpole" via Google Translate (though I doubt that's accurate), these earplug-shaped chocolates from Japan are much tastier than they look. The pieces are dusted in cocoa powder and begin to melt instantly on the tongue, with an exceptionally creamy and rich flavor. I'm normally not a chocolate person, but these were some of the best chocolates I've had, reminding me of the high quality hot chocolate from L.A. Burdick but more snackable and slightly less rich, which I... (read more) 4.5/5.0
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Pepperidge Farm Apricot Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies: I haven't had Pepperidge Farm cookies in years but had a sudden carving for fruit-jam cookies and purchased these Apricot Raspberry thumbprint cookies from Safeway. They were surprisingly good, with a buttery and slightly crumbly cookie base and just enough fruity sweetness. The interior had a slightly chewy consistency, which worked well texturally with the biscuit. At about 1.5" in diameter, and with 3 cookies per serving, they were satiating too. A good, affordable snack! 3.5/5.0
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