Top Points of Interest - Desserts

Greensboro, NC - Cheesecake worth driving for?

nospam@example.com (Ray) — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 06:15:30 -0500

With the Cheesecake factory becoming almost ubiquitous in most medium sized cities, there aren't as many opportunities for competitors... unless they are really really good.

You wouldn't necessarily expect that Greensboro would have an extraordinary cheesecake store - I wasn't expecting much when I found the little store in Downtown, near UNC-G.... but I was pleasantly surprised.

Cheesecake by Alex - simple name - and no question has to what they specialize in. About 10 different offerings were available in their display case. More unique flavors, such as Creme Brule sparked my person interest. For just under $4 a slice - the cheescake was smooth, flavorful, and just right. The crust added just enough texture, without being overwhelming - I was a bit disappointed that I didn't have more stomach to have more. For those in a similar situation - they offer a sampler that works out to about $2 something a slice... which we will definitely get next time. The brownies, muffins and cookies looked wonderful also!

Cheesecakes by Alex
315 S Elm St
Greensboro, NC 27401
(336) 273-0970

Going to NYC?

nospam@example.com (Ray) — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 21:06:00 -0500

Going to NYC anytime soon? Apparently an old friend has been in Time Magazine for his inspired Dessert Truck in NYC. Located at 8th St. and University place, in the Greenwich Village area.

If you are up there - try it their delicious desserts out!

Dessert Truck
8th St and University Place
New York City

Finally, a gelato store in Chapel Hill

nospam@example.com (Ray) — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 14:44:00 -0600

As we have talked about previously, we enjoy a great gelato store. Having tried to keep up to date with the local "gelato scene", we were pleasantly surprised on a trip to Chill Bubble, that Sugarland had opened across the street on Franklin Street in Chapel Hill. With our never-satisfied sweet tooth, we decided to stop on in.

We were greeted by a display case with a variety of standard, and not so standard but delicious sounding flavors. First, was the chocolate pear - delicious! A not-too-sweet rendition of the two flavors; it was a delightful blend. The standard fruit flavors were also delightful.

We have yet to try their coffees or the beignets... but we will be back, soon!

Finally - Bubble Tea in Chapel Hill

nospam@example.com (Ray) — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 14:49:00 -0600

Bubble Tea has been a fad in some asian communities for almost a decade now; in college towns, you can often find a place... we've been surprised that none has made it to any of the campuses in the Triangle. You can get a bubble tea at Grand Asia in Cary; but it never made it to our standards in terms of the consistency of the bubbles (tapioca starch) or available flavors.

We were pleasantly surprised when Chill Bubble opened up on Franklin Street. The owner, apparently non-Asian, was introduced to the concept during his trips to Taiwan. He has expressed his take on the bubble teas as a couple of simple fruity and basic flavors. The fruit drinks are made with natural flavors, and generally don't have the overly artificial flavors of other places. The bubbles are consistently made also, one of the essential components of a great bubble tea shop.

For those who know, or for those who want to learn about bubble tea, this place is a great place to try it out!

Chill Bubble tea
145 E Franklin St
Chapel Hill, NC 27514

Cupcakes!

nospam@example.com (Ray) — Sun, 23 Sep 2007 12:09:24 -0500

Two new cupcake themed shops have opened recently in the Triangle. The first is at the far end of Glenwood in Raleigh, named the Cupcake Shoppe. Simply and elegantly decorated, the cupcake display dominates the center of the shop. A window into the backroom showed the baker/owner hard at work frosting her latest creations. We were excited by the range of flavors available; from the "Plain Jane", to the "Big Red" and the "Mint Condition". As well as the Blackberry that they were fresh out of. The cupcakes were "normal" in size, not the gargantuan split with three people cupcakes seen on the Food Network, with a mound of shell shaped frosting that was about the same height as the cupcake itself. The cake itself was moist and full of flavor; the frosting was sugar high sweet without being disgustingly so. The flavors were aptly named, with an accent of elegance as compared to the grocery store kid's choices. Cupcakes are made fresh throughout the day, and the shop closes as late as 11 PM on many nights. We didn't get a chance to go back after dinner... but this will be a regular stop in our Raleigh adventures.

The Cupcake Shoppe
104 Glenwood Avenue
Raleigh NC 27603
919-821-4223.

Loco Pops are now in Chapel Hill!

nospam@example.com (Ray) — Sat, 18 Aug 2007 14:20:33 -0500

Loco Pops has now opened up a store in Chapel Hill, located on the far end of Franklin Street (Carrboro direction). It is just behind Penang. See you there!

Loco Pops Chapel Hill
308 West Rosemary Street
Chapel Hill, NC

The best ice cream in town? From a coffee shop?!

nospam@example.com (Ray) — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 15:48:04 -0500

Cold Stone and Marble Slab and other chain stores have really staked out many of the popular retail places around the Triangle. Unfortunately, it leaves little space for the true contenders, such as Maple View and other shops that truly deserve our business.

In downtown Raleigh, one coffee shop deserves serious attention - for not only their coffee, but their selection of ice cream flavors - each one custom designed by yourself. You choose between ice cream and yogurt; then you have about 30 flavors options to choose from... fruit, nuts and other flavors. Everything is blended together.... and wow! It reminds me of a place on the coast... but that is for another day.

Open late, even on weekdays.

Crema
121 Fayetteville St Ste 110
Raleigh, NC
Phone: (919) 832-5959

More ice cream!!! Kilwin's in Cary

nospam@example.com (Ray) — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 20:36:37 -0500

Who would have thought that there would be room for another ice cream parlour in the Triangle area? Goodberry's in Cary will start to have some competition now. A national chain, Kilwin's has opened across the street from Goodberry's. The fun storefront also has fudge made in store, as well an assortment of chocolate dipped options. Frozen delights include both sorbet and creamy options, including a few low calorie choices. The ice cream was smooth and creamy, and though a chain, it felt a bit less cookie cutter than Marble slab or Coldstone. Packed with Cary kids and parents, the ice cream was a great finish from the local dinner options.

Kilwin's - Cary
2004 Boulderstone Way
Cary, NC 27519
Phone:919-463-9360

Gourmet Popsicles? Paletas? Locopops

nospam@example.com (Ray) — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 13:56:12 -0500

Popsicles? Gourmet? are you sure? It's hard to believe that the frozen artificially flavored sugar water could be considered a gourmet food. However, Locopops, located in Durham near Ninth Street, is out to prove that the frozen treats on a stick can indeed be gourmet.

The storefront is on a corner, where the first clue is a bunch (about a dozen people) of people were standing around with popsicle sticks in their mouths. In a way, it's a strange scene, since most of the people were well above the grade school years. Inside an undecordated interior is three chest freezers and a huge whiteboard that lists all the different flavors available. Our decision making settled on brownie vs. mexican chocolate, and watermelon lime vs. hibiscus. Though there were 20 odd more flavors to choose from - those were just the ones that tickled our fancy. Brownie turned out to be an exquisite creamy chocolatly experience - quite accurately named - literally a frozen brownie on a stick is probably the best description. Wow! Watermelon lime was light, not too sweet, and a perfect send cap for a hot summer meal.

Mental post-it note - bring ice cooler and packs next time we visit - that's probably the only correct way to enjoy the flavors - bring about a dozen home! At about $1.25 each for the small, $2.25 for the large, it isn't too far out of reach, either.

can't wait to be back.

Loco Pops
2600 Hillsborough Rd.
Durham, NC
286-3500

More Gelato - Henry's

nospam@example.com (Ray) — Tue, 01 May 2007 05:09:00 -0500

The weather has cooled a bit this week - but thoughts of ice cream and gelato continue...

My personal experiences with Gelato began on a trip to Italy decades ago - in the old city of Bietigheim-Bissingen. Bietigheim is an old walled city within Stutgart area of Germany. The city is approximately a mile or so across - and offers a pleasant stroll through old Europe. Though it is a beautiful city, I'm not aware of any significant tourist attractions located there, at least not as of a decade or so ago. One summer day - as we strolled across the city, we decided to go to every gelato shop (Eis) along the way. As I recall, this was approximately 8 shops, where we spent about 1 deutschmark or so at each shop. Given the small size of each cone, this was actually a great way to spend a summer afternoon - seeing the old town and enjoying gelato. This experience provides the basis for my gelato comparisons.

Unfortunately, no local Gelato joint quite provides the smooth flavorful european experience... until now. Enter Henry's Gelato - located in NW Cary, off NW Maynard road. Tucked away in a new fancy set of shops, Henry's Gelato offers some of the best tasting (and textured) gelato in the area. With a european derived base, they offer a creamier experience as compared to other local shops. The flavors are also wonderul - try there hazelnut / chocolate (read NUTELLA). I still await getting to the shop when they have made amaretto... so I keep on going back, as you will too.

Creamy Delights - Gelato my love?

nospam@example.com (Ray) — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 11:02:31 -0500

Gelato gelato - the name rolls off the tongue as easily as the flavors roll across your taste buds.

The old standard in the Triangle for Gelato is Francesca's Dessert Cafe near Duke's campus in Durham. The little coffee shop has served gelato for years, with a wide variety of flavors, including a great icy mango and very fruity melons. Though the remainder of the desserts there are fair; on a hot summer night, there is little that beats the cold gelato delight.

Move over Krispy Kreme... Fractured Prune is here in Raleigh

nospam@example.com (Ray) — Sun, 04 Mar 2007 20:22:30 -0600

Wow - who would have ever thought that Krispy Kreme would have a true rival in the donut world?

The Fractured Prune is now here in Raleigh, within Brier Creek. It is on the Northwest corner, next to the Carolina Ale House, across from the GCF store.

Cake donuts are served hot, with your choice of glaze and toppings. You can customize the donuts any way you want, or choose from some preselected options, such as the Rolo or Trail Mix. Our Rolo doughnut's chocolate chips were perfectly soft, creating a chocolately mess when eaten. The glazes are a bit artificial, but since when do we worry about that on doughnuts? Warm, hot and tasty - the start of a new weekend tradition! They are not open late, so it is not an after dinner option. Eat them warm - by the time they are cooled down, they become above average cake donuts.

Location: 7961-110 Skyland Ridge Parkway