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So... I was actually a little worried on my pick for March. I have had some good food but nothing came to mind on what to feature. But then my friend told me about this coffee shop called La La Land Kind Cafe that was having their soft opening around the end of March. I was like "huh?" I've never heard of this place, but the day after, I saw an article out on it. Turns out this is the new business venture by Francois Reihani, one of the minds behind Pok the Raw Bar, my FAVORITE poke place. He also went on to open Bar Stellar. This guy just has the talent for business ideas. I DEF gotta check this place out!
Soft opening was on March 23rd. As I drove up this neighborhood road behind Lower Greenville, I see this bright white house. Incredibly cute and cheerful. With a white picket fence and everything! When you walk in, OMG, the cutest. The white and bright yellow accents, it just cheers you up. I remember it was kind of an overcast, meh day, but the colors at La La Land will make you smile. :) Oh.. and they have a doggy friendly area on the side of the house. D'awwww!
La La Land Kind Cafe
5626 Bell Ave.
Dallas, TX 75206
(214) 579-9550
https://lalalandkindcafe.com/
Price: $-$$
As soon as you enter, several people greet you. You order at the counter, they give you a number, and they bring the food and drinks out to you. Guess what, they have an entire menu section for MATCHA! Pok gets the best matcha, so they must have high grade matcha powder here as well. They have some very interesting combinations of flavors too. The other half of the menu are different coffee offerings. They also have a really interesting loose leaf tea section (which I discovered 3 visits later. haha.) Plus they have most of the available Alternative Milks (almond, oat, coconut, soy) +$0.75~
On our first visit, it was so hard to pick what to order. We went with what was prettiest. :P
Campfire Latte (toasted marshmallow, chocolate, graham cracker, hot) $5.20~ The melted marshmallow over the edge of the cup is such a cute idea. My friend ordered this and I got to try it. It's really good!
French Toast Latte (cinnamon, maple syrup, hot or iced) $5.20~ This is the cutest!! They've really got the presentation down. Flavor wise, you can definitely taste the cinnamon but I'm not sure if I think french toast when I drink it... still tasty tho!
La La Avocado Toast (mashed avocado, lemon, red pepper flakes, cilantro garnish) $6.20~ I think the price has increased on this btw... but I forgot to snap a pic of the menu last time I was there. The bread they use for the toasts is really great with the avocado. I love the crispy edges, and it's a hearty toast. It's one of the only savory options on the menu right now. I'm hoping they'll add more food options soon!
Banana Brulee Toast (hazelnut spread, caramelized bananas) $5.50~ OMGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG. I mean, just look at the picture. It tastes just as decadent as it looks. So simple... nutella and bruleed bananas, but just perfect.
Chocolate Chip Cookie $4~ And then I fell in love even more. This cookie, y'all. It's the best (and worst*) thing to happen to me in the past month. It is my dream cookie. HUGE, for one. Perfectly crispy on the outside with so many nooks and crannies. I have no idea how they make it that perfect on the outside. Inside is still soft, but NOT under baked. It's my idea of a perfectly textured cookie. And of course chocolate chip cookies are my absolute favorite. When it comes to you warm... ERMUHGUH! I can't contain my drool right now. *The reason I say it's the worst thing to happen to me is because, within 1 week of their opening... ONE... I had about 5 cookies. XD Bye bye, beach bod! Haha.
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| Thanks for the hat!! :D |
At the end of our first visit, we each got a matcha drink to go.
Matcha Latte (iced) $3.50~ I felt like there wasn't enough matcha. But I have been informed that since the soft opening, they have increased the amount of matcha in the lattes. Gotta give it another try!
Strawberry Fields Matcha (matcha latte, strawberry, beetroot, hot or iced) $5.20~ Pretty! And really delicious. I'm kind of a matcha purist so I don't like to mix things with it, but this was a really good combo.
Here are some other menu items I've tried throughout my many visits. I think in the first 2 weeks I was there almost every other or every 2 days. :P
Flat Green $3.50~ This is matcha with milk, but the ratio is less than a latte so you get a stronger matcha flavor. Loved it.
Mighty Mocha (cold brew, espresso, cacao, iced) $5.20~ I wanted to try this since I love mochas. But WHEW! Too much coffee for me. This is definitely not for weak hearted! There's a lotta coffee and caffeine in there, folks. For those of you that get 3+ shots of espresso in your drinks, this may be for you! They were nice and gave me a regular mocha instead.
Breakfast Empanada (baked egg, bacon, potato) $4~ I liked this. It went well with the salsa they gave me on the side. I just wanted more! It's definitely not enough to fill you up if you want it as a meal. Better order like 4+. haha.
Ice Blended Drink (espresso base, thin mint flavor) $5~ It was a warm day, so I wanted something cold. This was yummy! Wished it was a bit creamier though. Definitely tasted the chocolate mint flavors.
So... do you love it as much as I do yet? If not, this will get ya. La La Land Kind Cafe serves a much bigger purpose than just serving us great drinks and foods. It supports Reihani's nonprofit, We Are One Project, which "provides the right tools for businesses to come together and employ foster youth". "La La Land is a training ground for aging out foster youth. At La La Land they will learn the basic the fundamentals of job skills. Timeliness, cleanliness, customer relations, productivity, and teamwork." (from We Are One Project website). SO. FREAKING. GREAT. This is definitely a mission and business I can stand behind. And as long as they keep making those cookies... just TAKE ALL MY MONIES! :P
This place has been packed every single day since it's opened, so I'm sure a lot of you already know about it. But what great concept, purpose, and quality. The menu is 100% organic, btw. No big. Haha. Plus they're open early, and they close late. Perf.
~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~
Aside from our EPIC feasting at the Austin Food + Wine Festival at the end of April. We also had regular meals and snacks! Duh! :P
My fiance really wanted to try Gourdough's. Last time in Austin we went to their restaurant and it was awesome. But the original is still their trailer with made-to-order donuts.
Gourdough's
1503 S 1st St.
Austin, TX 78704
(512) 707-1050
http://gourdoughs.com/
Price: $
Like I said, it's sold out of a trailer, so all the seating is outdoors. So on a day like we went... 90+ degrees, it got hot quick! We ate a few bites and took the rest to go.
Naughty and Nice (rolled in cinnamon and sugar; served with honey butter) $4.75~ I tried to go a little "lighter" with this one since all their other ones are usually piled high with stuff. NOt sure if I succeeded since we poured honey butter on top. haha. They still have the best donuts. First of all, gigantic! And always warm and fluffy and fresh. And the dough is just the perfect texture.
Black Out (chocolate icing, brownie batter filling, brownie bites, with chocolate chips) $4.75~ My fiance wanted one with chocolate so I recommended this one. I had it over 10 years ago and I still dream about it. It is insane!! Talk about getting chocolate wasted!! It's phenomenal. Be sure you get a large glass of milk or something. It's over the top and glorious.
Needless to say, we did not finish these. haha. Gourdough's - 1, Us - 0. It lasted us a good 2 more days. Serious noms! If you haven't been there in Austin, I dunno where you've been. Definitely my favorite donuts ever!
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On the drive back towards Dallas, I realized that Baked by Amy's was a short detour from our route. Remember at the Austin Food + Wine Festival, they had given me a pair of coupons for free baked goods? Well... they ain't going to waste! :P
Baked by Amy's
13265 N Hwy 183
Austin, TX 78750
(512) 918-2253
http://www.bakedbyamys.com/
Price: $
The coupons were for a cupcake or bar from Amy's. We each chose a cupcake. Mexican Vanilla (left), Oreo (right)
They were pretty huge. Everything in there looked amazing. Too bad they were still baking the macarons when we were there otherwise we would've gotten some of those too. But yay to free food! Thanks Baked by Amy's!!! They made it all the way back to Dallas with us. We cracked them open that night. Nommy!!
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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~
If you haven't heard already, but the latest food craze in NYC is the chocolate chip cookie shot by the Cronut inventor. I wasn't as excited as when I found out about the cronut but it's still a cool idea. Although I'd like more milk with my cookies thanks. haha.
Obviously, I'm not going to NYC to get one of these any time soon so I was intrigued when I found out you can get them in Dallas! Society Bakery had posted pictures on their Facebook page. They were doing some experiments in their own bakery! I messaged them and found out it is available for purchase. My bf really wanted to try them so we ordered 2 for pick up on Saturday.
Society Bakery
3610 Greenville Ave.
Dallas, Texas 75206
(214) 827-1411
http://www.societybakery.com/
Price: $
Milk and Cookie Shot $5~
You have to order these 36 hours in advance since they don't just offer it in the bakery. They said there is no minimum quantity required but it also depends on how busy the bakery is so it's not a guarantee on when you can actually pick it up. But they told me they could do it for me. We went by Saturday afternoon on our way to Deep Ellum. We also bought a half pint of milk in the store. These were not shot glasses... more like cups! At first I thought they were really expensive. But they were way bigger than I expected so I'd say the cost is reasonable. More cookie is always good! haha. I'd say they were about 3.5 inches tall. I liked how the inside of the cup is lined with hardened chocolate so the milk doesn't soften the cookie.
We first took a shot of milk then filled it back up again and started working on the cookie. We had to eat it bite by bite around the whole thing. Took us a while since it was more than it looked. I'd say it was the equivalent to about 3 normal cookies. The cookie was good, crunchy since it had to keep it's shape. So if you don't like crunchy cookies, this might not be worth it for you. However, with the milk, it softens the cookie in your mouth and is a great combo. The layer of chocolate inside was yummy. My bf ate about 2/3rds of it then filled up the cup and popped the whole thing in his mouth. Impressive! My mouth isn't that big. haha. It took a long time for him to chew and finally eat it all, but he said it was a really good bite. It took him almost 2 minutes to finish that bite. He had to let the milk soak into the cookies to be able to start chewing. It was very entertaining watching this whole process. hahaha. And of course I got it on video!! So he said I had to do it too, but I couldn't fit it all in my mouth so I had to keep working at it. Finally I took the last big bite and seriously could not move my jaw for a good minute. But once the milk works its way through the cookie, I started chewing. It was an experience for sure. And quite delicious. But we both agreed we probably would not do this again. I think I'll just stick to regular milk and cookies. This was too much work! haha. I do recommend everyone try it though! Just make sure you call ahead!
Now someone in Dallas just needs to make a better cronut than in NYC and we're set! :P And if you haven't been to Society Bakery in general, you gotta go. One of the better bakeries in Dallas and gotta get their whoopie pies! My favorite. :)
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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~
Sunday was my last day in NYC. My flight was at 2pm so I didn't have time to do much before I had to head to the airport. But there was one more stop I needed to make. I was debating on sleeping in or waking up early and making the trip out... But my friend I was staying with told me I HAD to go!!!
So I woke up early Sunday, got all ready and packed and took my luggage with me to my final stop. Levain Bakery in the Upper West Side. I was staying in Queens, which was pretty close to the airport, so the bakery would be going into the city in the opposite direction.
Levain Bakery - Upper West Side
167 West 74th St
New York, NY, 10023
(212) 874-6080
http://www.levainbakery.com/
Price: $
The commute actually wasn't so bad. Plus I got to meet up with a friend of mine one more time before I left. I got to the bakery and realized it was tiny. I guess living in Dallas makes me think of a bakery like a cafe where you can sit and chill and stuff. This place was smallll. It had a few stools inside but for the most part I saw people sitting on the steps and curbs outside.
We got lucky when we arrived because the rush of people had dispersed. So we actually got to sit inside! The place smelled amazing and it made me drool just seeing their baked goods on display.
My friend had never been there. She got a Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookie (semi sweet chocolate chips and chunks of walnuts) $4~ (and a cup of milk!)
This was their signature cookie. They don't make one without walnuts... I wonder why? But each of their cookies are like 6 ounces. Freaking massive!! And SO INCREDIBLE! One of the best cookies I've ever had in my life. The cookie must've been almost 2 inches thick. The inside was warm and soft with melty chocolate chips. But the outside was the perfect crust. That slight crunch without being too hard or burnt. I really wonder how they get that thickness without either burning the outside or underbaking the inside...
I was getting a bunch of stuff to take back to Dallas with me.
Plus I got the Oatmeal Raisin Scone $3~ to eat there.
My friend that I stayed with said I must try their scones. It was yummy. I love scones. This wasn't like your typical dense scones. It had the nice crunchy outside but fluffy on the inside... almost like a biscuit? It wasn't too sweet and paired great with my hot tea. I totally loved it.
I also got one of each cookie:
Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookie (semi sweet chocolate chips and chunks of walnuts) $4~
Dark Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookie (dark chocolate cocoa and semi sweet chips) $4~ Super chocolatey. Sooo rich and decadent. I ate 1/5th of it on the plane and it was plenty! Can you imagine eating a whole cookie in one sitting? Heaven! And then sugar coma! haha
Oatmeal Raisin Cookie $4~ Love love loved this as well. So many plump raisins inside!
Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies $4~ Amazing! So much pb chips throughout.
Like I said, each cookie is like 6 oz. and massive!! But all of them had the perfect crisp exterior and soft centers. I'd really like to know how they achieve that. And the cookies last for quite a while. Even days after, I'd warm up a piece in the microwave and it would taste like it just came freshly out of the oven. Loves it! I've decided that these are the BEST cookies I've ever had in my life. No joke!! And totally worth every penny.
Cinnamon Brioche $3.50~ The brioche was soft and delicious. I wished they put more cinnamon spread inside tho. The ratio of cinnamon to bread was a little bit lacking.
Blueberry Muffin (with fresh blueberries) $3~ This was chock full of plump blueberries. Yummmmmmm!
I'm so glad my friend INSISTED for me to go to Levain Bakery. It was definitely worth waking up early and commuting across town for!! haha. But I'm also glad that it's not anywhere close to me on a daily basis because I'd just be like 400 lbs! XP
Great way to end my awesome trip to NYC. The best weather I've every experienced there, all the awesome people I got to hang out with, plus all the fantastic food!!!
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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~
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