Nezu No Pan Lemon Poppy Seed Bread: The other flavored bread that I received from the bakery Nezu No Pan, located close to Nezu Station in Tokyo, is a lemon poppy seed loaf. It's pleasantly acidic, with a lemon flavor that's both sweet and sharp but not overly so, as the flavor is mellowed out by the pillowy, chewy bread. The texture somehow combines the best of mochi-like chewiness with the moist, soft consistency of freshly baked bread. A standout combination – the flavor alone is definitely one of the best lemon breads I... (read more) 4.5/5.0
exceptional tokyo nezu bread bakery baked nezunopan lemon poppy seed 4.5
Happy Lemon Dragonfruit slush with salted cheese cream: A seasonal drink from Happy Lemon featuring a caffeine-free fruit slush topped with salted cheese foam. The dragon fruit has a refreshingly tart flavor, like berries and kiwi combined, and the slight savor ones of the cream gives it a great balance, like salted whipped cream. One of my favorite fruit slush drinks of recent memory. 4.5/5.0
exceptional drinks happylemon dragonfruit slush salted cheese cream 4.5
Bottega Italiana Pear and Grapefruit Mint Sorbet: Bottega Italiana is a little ice cream shop about a five minute walk from Pike Place. After a filling dinner of fried fish and chips from Ivar's, I wanted a sharp fruit sorbet and opted for one scoop with two flavors: a white pear sorbet, sweet and concentrated, and a grapefruit mint, which had a terrific acidity and refreshing, balanced amount of mint. They both tasted extremely fresh, and the texture was impressively smooth. By far the best ice cream I've had in Seattle – would not hesi... (read more) 4.5/5.0
exceptional sorbet seattle icecream fruit bottegaitaliana pear grapefruit mint 4.5
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
exceptional fruit frozen naia citrus collection pops tangelo meyer 4.5 bloodorange lemon sorbetto ballardmarket
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
exceptional frozen naia berry collection fruit bars blackberry raspberry 4.5 strawberry sorbetto ballardmarket
Salmonberry Goods Sweet Onion Cookie: Purchased this sizable cookie from the Salmonberry Goods stand at the Ballard Farmer's Market in Seattle. There was a bit of a line, but things moved quickly. I can never pass up a chance to try sweets flavored with vegetables, and this onion cookie was definitely unforgettable. It perfectly balances the sweet and savory flavor of caramelized onions and had a great crumbly yet rich, buttery consistency. Very excited to check out more from this stand in the near future. 4.5/5.0
seattle exceptional ballardfarmersmarket salmonberrygoods onion cookie 4.5