Mr Bartley's Black and White Malted Milkshake: For my last official snack in Cambridge, I had to get one of Bartley's famous malted "frappes" (milkshakes). Over the 9 years I've lived in Cambridge, I've had their milkshake a few times, spaced several years apart. One of my earliest memories is going on a trip with a few members of my undergraduate dorm, walking from MIT to Harvard Square just to get milkshakes to go. Their legendary shakes are thick (and stay that way, due to the incorporation of soft serve instead of ice cream), and ... (read more) 4.5/5.0
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Mr. Wish Kiwi slush with lychee jelly: My mouth was burning after consuming an abnormally spicy bowl of noodle soup at the New World Mall. Despite the numerous bubble tea stands to choose from at the basement food court, I opted to go across the street to Mr. Wish, a cash-only tea shop that has especially good fruit slushies. The kiwi slush with lychee jelly was exactly what I needed: crisp and refreshing, tart yet sweet. The perfect palate cleanser. Consistency is just right so that you can drink the entire cup without finding ... (read more) 4.5/5.0
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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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Mystic Muffin Banana Bread: Upon entering Mystic Muffin, I was greeted by the friendly owner Elias, who quickly handed me a warm loaf of banana bread. His salesmanship worked, and I ordered a slice which cost about $2 CAD. The banana bread is not a banana nut bread, with no trace of nuts as far as I could tell. It had chocolate chips mixed into the batter. The cake was extremely moist and delicious, and the banana chocolate mix was wholly satisfying without being heavy or overly sweet. You could eat it with anythi... (read more) 5.0/5.0
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Naia Citrus Collection Fruit Pops (Blood Orange, Tangelo, and Meyer Lemon Sorbetto): Naia is a California-based gelato and sorbetto brand which was originally a shop in Berkeley (one that I unfortunately didn't get a chance to try firsthand as it closed back in 2012). I came across their fruit bars at Ballard Market and was immediately drawn into the unique variety, with each pack featuring a trio of popsicle flavors. This is perfect for me, as I could try three different flavors with a single purchase. The citrus pack features blood orange, tangelo, and Meyer lemon (listed ... (read more) 4.5/5.0
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Naia Berry Collection Fruit Bars (Strawberry, Blackberry, and Raspberry Sorbetto): After having the excellent citrus collection fruit pops from Naia, I purchased a follow up set the next time I went grocery shopping at Ballard Market. While these berry flavors are more familiar, they are not at all ordinary. I loved getting to taste the texture of the seeds and was impressed by how accurately each captured the berries at their seasonal peak. The blackberry was my favorite, but all of them were entirely enjoyable and very well balanced - sweet treats that capture the tru... (read more) 4.5/5.0
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