Cake Bar - Trinity Groves

I was finally able to go check out Trinity Groves a few weeks ago. It's been on my radar since forever and just never made it out there. I had planned to meet up with 2 friends for dinner on a Friday night. My fiance was busy so I was on my own to do some damage. :P

I tried to get to that area earlier so I could bypass the nightmare that is Dallas rush hour. And on a Friday... Unfortunately I didn't leave work early enough! Took me a little over an hour to make it down there. I was still quite early for dinner so I had planned to go check out Cake Bar. This is probably one of the places I was most excited about. I mean... it's a freaking cake shop, what could be better?

I did walk around Trinity Groves before going to Cake Bar, just to get an idea of the area. It's much smaller than I had expected, but it's still growing. Lots of patio seating, and cool places to chill with friends. Although, after the sun went down, there were more issues with flies and mosquitoes... you'd think they would have some lamps or torches for a place that has a ton of outdoor seating. Maybe they should look into that! *hint*hint*

Cake Bar
3011 Gulden Lane, Suite 117
Dallas, Texas 75212
(972) 684-5801
http://cakebardallas.com/
Price: $

Walking in, I was a little overwhelmed. You immediately see all the cakes on display. In front you have the refrigerated display case with all cakes of difference sizes. To the left is a bunch of cakes displayed at the window. I thought the layout of the shop was a bit confusing, with the displays wrapped around the middle area and the register is facing the inside wall of the store. I dunno, it would be better if it was more open.

I was the only customer in there... it was around 5:15PM. I wasn't really greeted when I walked in. There were a few employees in the shop. A couple were talking to each other and some were in the back prepping. I didn't really feel welcomed....

All the cakes look amazing, but I've read some reviews saying their cakes are really dry. :-/ But a friend recommended the red velvet, saying it's really good. I do like red velvet! So I decided to be safe since it was my first time there to get something I know will be good.

Their cakes are all made from scratch. They have 15+ flavors. They also sell a variety of pound cakes, quick breads, cookies, ice cream, and drinks. I had to resist the temptation of getting more than one thing. I was by myself and I was going to eat dinner in an hour! XP

 

Red Velvet Cake (moist red cake with a mild chocolate flavor, iced with cream cheese frosting) - 1 slice $4.50~ It was a pretty big slice. Although I wouldn't mind it being bigger. hehe. My friend was right. It's really good! Probably one of the better red velvets I've had in a long time. The cake was super moist. It was super red but didn't taste artificial at all. The best part was the frosting to cake ratio. It was perfect. I hate it when cakes have too much frosting. This was just enough and not overly sweet. I liked the addition of pecan bits in the frosting for some added texture. I enjoyed it a lot. If all their cakes are as good as this... this place will be around for a long time! It was so hard not to eat the whole slice too... Ackk! haha.

 

 

Hot Tea $2.50~ I also got a tea, which pairs well with desserts. They use Mighty Tea leaves which I really like. But I thought the size of their cups was almost comical. It was tiny! For $2.50?!? Damn... It's almost like the size of those cups you get at the water cooler. At least they let me get a refill on the hot water so I was able to get 2 cups out of it.

After I sat down, business picked up. There was a steady stream of people coming in. Most people got cakes to go though. Only a few stayed to eat it. I'm assuming they get more dine-in customers AFTER dinner time.

Service wasn't that great. There were only 3-4 tables and I was the only one sitting there for a while. No one asked how I was doing or how I'm liking the cake. They're lucky that the cake was good! Otherwise I would probably never go back again.

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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~

Lyfe Kitchen - Plano

We went to the new Lyfe Kitchen in Plano earlier this month for a light lunch. We had just gotten back from our all-inclusive Cancun trip so we didn't want to eat too much. Need to get back in shape!

Lyfe Kitchen
1900 Preston Rd. #111
Plano, TX, 75093
(972) 867-5933
http://restaurant.lyfekitchen.com/
Price: $$

I had been here once before. I thought it was pretty good but slightly expensive. However, they have this awesome brussels sprouts side dish for just $4! And you get quite a bit! I had my eyes set on that one again.

It's a cute place, bright lighting and colors, and an herb garden/shelf thing as soon as you walk into the door. It helps to reiterate their concept of healthy and sustainable foods. They support local farms, promote sustainability, and is overall environmentally friendly. Nothing is fried, and they offer gluten free, vegan, etc. options. I totally love the concept. And I understand their need to price things a bit higher. You order at the counter and they bring the food out to you.

It was my fiance's first time here. I knew he liked flavored water and juices and stuff so I pointed those out to him. They have some interesting waters, juices, and smoothies.

Orange Ginger Chia (fresh-squeezed orange juice, filtered water, lime, raw ginger syrup, lemon verbena, mint and chia seeds) $2.49~ 

This was quite good! I was surprised I liked it since I'm not a huge ginger fan. It was very refreshing, not too sweet, and the chia added some texture. If you haven't been following the food health news, chia is a recent trend. Supposed to be super good for you.

Roasted Salmon, Tomato & Fennel (sustainably raised salmon served with pan-steamed fennel, red onion, broccoli, zesty tomato sauce) $14.99~ 

He wanted something with protein so opted for the salmon. The fish was cooked well, but the flavors were quite light. Almost seemed bland at first, but the more he ate, the spicier it got. He can't really handle spicy so it was borderline too much for him. I got the spiciness, but to me it was very slight. It was an ok dish. Definitely light and healthy though.

Quinoa Crunch Wrap (whole wheat tortilla stuffed with quinoa tabbouleh, fresh crunchy vegetables avocado, edamame hummus, fireman’s hot sauce on the side) $7.99~ 

This was mine. It was very pretty! I loved it. Lots of veggies inside with all sorts of flavors and texture. I liked the combo of the quinoa with the avocado. The edamame hummus was great too! I'd get this again.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts & Butternut Squash (with dried cranberries, dijon vinaigrette) $3.99~ 

This is what I came for. Two of my favorite veggies in one plate for only $4!! Delicious! I think I can just order 2 of these as my main meal next time. hahaha.

This time was better than the first. I enjoyed my food a lot more. Guess you just have to order the right thing here... If you are into healthy food and/or have a special diet, this is definitely worth checking out. I'm totally digging this new trend of more local foods, healthy, sustainability. I really hope it continues down this path. :)

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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~

Royal Suites Yucatan - Riviera Maya

To celebrate my graduation... I booked a trip for me and my fiance at the end of my final quarter. I actually booked the trip before I even registered for my last class. Hahaha. Hey, the way I looked at it... if I finish, yay we celebrate. If for some reason I failed, at least we're in Mexico. It's a win-win! :P

I found a pretty awesome deal at the Royal Suites Yucatan by Palladium in Riviera Maya/Akumal. It's about an hour and half car ride south from the Cancun airport. The main reason I chose this place? It's adults only! :) Well, our section of the resort is adults only. It's essentially 5 resorts in 1... pretty huge. You have to take carts/shuttles to go to some of the other resorts.

We arrived in late afternoon, the sun was already starting to set. The lobby of our section of the resort was really nice. And the people at the front desk were sooooo friendly and accommodating. It was off to a great start!

Since this is an all-inclusive resort (which btw... is THE best way to vacation. Food and drinks all included!!) it means LOTS of food pictures! I'm not going to write much more. This is purely a food porn entry... :) Just a quick tip though, never go to the "Asian" restaurant at these resorts. They are almost always pretty crappy. And it was our only really bad meal on this trip.

First night dinner: El Jardin, restaurant just next to our lobby.

It's a buffet AND a la carte restaurant. Ooooof... wayy too much food.

 

 

 

 

 

It includes lobster. Yes. LOBSTER!

One of the most tender preparations of octopus I have ever had in my life! Amazing!

First breakfast: Room service! Which is 24/7 and again... ALL INCLUDED! :)

Orange Juice, Banana Shake
Assorted Pastries

Florentine Style Eggs (bechamel, spinach, eggs)

Mexican Style Eggs (scrambled eggs with jalapeno, tomato, cheese, onions; with sausage and chorizo)

Salmon Bagel

2nd Night Dinner: Sumptuori - Japanese/Hibachi/Fusion
Cocktail: Cassis & Orange Juice. Pretty!

Appetizer: Eggrolls and Tempura Shrimp

Assorted Sushi. Pretty blech. 

Soups

 

Soba Juma Fillet (beef fillet with Japanese peas, soya and rice)

Shake Shiitake (gilled marinated salmon with fried sweet potato, carrots, and shiitake vinaigrette)

Fried Banana 

Rice Pudding

We left without really touching the dessert... Other than the well cooked steak for the entree, everything else was pretty bad. We hit up the buffet for more dessert. haha.

3rd Night Dinner: Back to El Jardin (since it doesn't require reservations)
House Margarita Welcome drink.

Tricolor Salad (lettuce, beets, avocado, tomato, egg, onion, french dressing)

Duck Salad (lettuce, endive, mango, kiwi, raspberry vinaigrette and raspberry)

Tlalpeno Soup (chicken, carrot, chayote, potato, celery, leek, onion, garlic, and chipotle chili peppers)

 

Ribeye Steak. Soooo freaking delicious. They knew how to cook beef! And again.... ALL INCLUSIVE baby!

New York Strip. Also fantastic. 

Tres Leches

Napoleon

Chocolate Cake

4th Night Dinner: La Adelita. The Mexican restaurant. Best meal of the trip. Fantastic!
Complimentary Starter: Nachos

"Mexican Coffee" (coffee, kahlua, tequila, spices). We need to figure out how to make this because it was so good. Couldn't taste any of the alcohol, didn't need additional cream or sugar. Awesome. 

Soup of the Day: Creamed Corn

Beef Broth "La Adelita" (beef, chicken, pork, epazote, pumpkin, corn)

Beef Alambres Sinaloa Style (with beans, mushrooms, poblano, cheese, onion)

Chef's Special of the Day: Chicken Enchiladas in Mole. This was amazing! I love mole, and this was sooooo good!!!!

Pumpkin Creme Brulee

Tres Leches Cake

5th Night Dinner: El Jardin. We initially went to a beach bbq. They had an outdoor buffet all set up with stations that grilled different types of meat. But the food wasn't that great and I was getting attacked by mosquitoes. Plus there was a really annoying drunk guy in the table next to us. It just didn't feel like how we wanted our last night to be. So we went where we KNEW we'd get a good meal. :)
"Stephanie" Salad (lettuce, cucumber, prawns, coriander sauce and beet vinaigrette)

"Sunrise" Salad (spinach, lettuce, surimi, carrots, tomato, lemon vinaigrette)

Chinese Noodle Soup (chicken consomme, pork, noodles, cauliflower, carrots)

Ribeye Steak. 

Rigatoni with Alfredo Sauce (spanish ham, onion, garlic, and cream)

Chocolate Mousse and Mango Ice Cream

Apple Tart and Vanilla Ice Cream

Last Day Breakfast: Room Service. Since it was our last day here, we went all out! :P

Orange Juice, Pineapple Juice
Assorted Pastries
Toast with Butter
Florentine Style Eggs
Motulenos Style Eggs (corn tortilla, beans, cheese, tomato, chili, pork sausage)

Side of Bacon
Pancakes with Maple Syrup and Chocolate Sauce

Last drinks while waiting for our shuttle to the airport: Bananamama and Kahlua & Milk

 

As if that wasn't enough for us. I got some $8 ice cream cone from Haagen Dazs. haha.

It was a great vacation. Very relaxing. Other than eating and drinking... we pretty much did nothing. haha. I did get a lot of reading done! :P I'd recommend this resort, but only the adult only section "Royal Suites Yucatan". You'll be glad you did that. I wanna go back................ 

Cheers! 

~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~