I recently got a chance to sample Black Pearl Tarts at an event that I attended and what can I say…read more-- I'm hooked! Everything is tastier when it looks good and is bite sized and this my friend is a check, check and a check! The owner elevates tarts into one sophisticated bite using seasonal ingredients and beautiful flourishes like sprinkled covered marshmallows or edible flowers. If sugar ain't your thing you can check out their savory flavors as well -- sweet potato hummus? Yes please! The crust is hearty and the perfect foil to the sweet, sweet insides. Perfect for cocktail parties and they take orders online so you never have to talk to a human person (sorry, I'm an anti social hobbit who just wants to live on tarts). Definitely check this local business out!

Black Pearl recently provided red wine and fruit compote tarts topped with sweet goat cheese and…read morepoached pears for an event I attended. I was stunned. It's actually worth talking about their appearance before I get to the experience of eating them: On the table, their products look elegant--striking without being intrusive or gaudy. They set a great mood. These are some of the best-presenting tarts I've ever seen. I can't vouch for their full line of products, as the only tart on offer was the Mulled Fruit & Goat Cheese, but it was shockingly well-thought-out: Every texture at play in the tart--firm, crumbly shell; jammy compote; smooth sweet cheese; crisp poached pears--kept its distinct profile throughout the evening. Coming to them later in the night didn't result in a soggy crust, limp fruit or runny compote, and the textures recombining in your mouth were a delight. Of course texture doesn't mean much if it isn't backed up by flavor, and so I saved the best for last. As I mentioned above, it's obvious that everything about this dessert was carefully considered, and considered with excellent judgment, at that. Every element was in balance, announcing itself clearly on the tongue without overwhelming the other notes: The mild cookie-ness of the crust, the deep mulled wine in the compote, the sweet tang of the goat cheese--this was a joy to eat. Full disclosure: Black Pearl is operated by Christina Marie. I do know Christina personally--we have a number of close mutual friends, though I don't know her terribly well. I'm writing this review because Black Pearl is a local start-up whose food really impressed me, not as a personal favor to someone I know.

What's great about this bakery is that you can place your order online and pick up your order at…read moreyour local farmers' market. I highly recommend doing this because then you can be sure to get exactly what you want since what is at their booth goes fast. One of my favorite things to get is their Asiago cheese bread. My daughter loves their seasonal jam (particularly the raspberry) bars, and I am crazy about their chocolate babka (it's amazing)! Their frosted brownies are oversized fudgy goodness. The items are pricey (but their baked goods are high quality). Be sure to get a punchcard (and remember to bring it each time you come to your local market. Bon appetit!

If you find yourself wandering around Union Market craving a sweet treat, give Ravenhook a visit! I…read moretried the cherry scone, strawberry-rhubarb pie, and brioche. The pastries were buttery and not overly sweet, although the bread was a bit dry. With relatively affordable prices, the cost was worth sampling the case. Already filled up on pupusas, bread pudding and other market staples? Fear not, as most of the items would probably travel well.

I saw Caroline on the Kelly Clarkson show and decided I must order these delicious cookies! Guess…read morewhat, they are scrumptious. I placed an order online and they shipped them over to me. They took such great care in boxing up the order. Plenty of extra cushion so the cookies didn't break. Super thoughtful folks! The online customer support was fantastic. Super helpful in helping to decide which of their delicious items we should have. The millionaire's shortbread bar is outstanding!

Run, don't walk to your nearest Greenisland Bakery. Or, check out their website and order online…read more Their Irish Shortbread cookies are absolutely delicious. I have tried their entire line and honestly can't say which cookie I enjoyed the most. Fortunately, it is the holiday season. The perfect excuse to give a gift guaranteed to please ... and don't forget to get some for yourself. Enjoy!

While we were eating lunch at Union Market this past Friday, our gaze landed on Saku Saku Flakerie…read moreas the option for our post-lunch dessert. I was surprised to see a Saku Saku location open here, but apparently they've been open since last August. MATCHA LAVENDER MOCHI ROLL - 6.95 My mom and I decided to go with this one because it was there was only one left, which meant it must be good! We also love matcha and lavender. However, the matcha frosting consistency was a bit weird -- more gloopy and didn't stick well to the mochi roll and kind of got everywhere. The lavender notes within were delightful, however. The mochi roll itself was hard to cut through because it was so sticky. We thought the dessert was overall too sweet and didn't end up finishing. Probably an off day, or the dessert just wasn't for us. Given their interesting flavors and being Japanese-inspired, I would be open to trying the pastries here again.

I was very excited to try this place during my trip! The service was nice, it was only one worker…read morebut they were very sweet. I tried each of the cookies available, and they were okay. Not super sweet but I felt that the cookies leaned a bit more heavy and dense. Additionally, when we went they were not doing drinks, which I was disappointed about but perhaps it was just an off day.

Move over spiked milkshakes, these adult cupcakes might just crunk you up! Very excited to try…read morethese two very nomnom alcohol infused cupcakes. Birthday Blackout (5/5 NOMs) Vegan alcohol delight with funfettie cupcake infused with marshmallow whipped vodka topped with vanilla vodka butter cream. Its a whole lot of alcoholic sweetness. It was like tasting cotton candy rainbows! Irish Car Bomb (4/5 NOMs) Guinness chocolate cake infused with Jameson topped with Bailey's butter cream. It was like taking a shot of yummy bailey in a chocolate glass. Its a great day to be an adult and sweets lovers. Bacon Cupcake (5/5 NOMs) Holy mother of bacon!!! Get ready to enter becany pork heaven. Its a very soft and light cupcake filled with jello and bacon flavor goodness. Great mixture of sweet and salty smoky flavors. Its not bacon awesomeness until you stick giant piece of bacon on top. Now, that is a great creation I was super happy to try. This is my favorite bacon cupcake in town. You have had bacon until you tried this.

Crunkcakes (as the name implies) are booze laden cupcakes with an equally great balance of flavor…read more I had the privlege to have their mini-cakes (which I thought were perfect shots) at Little Miss Whiskey's for a Whiskey Tasting Night. Irish Car Bomb: Chocolate cake perfectly balanced with the moist Jameson center. The bailey's frosting is the sweet compliment bringing out the rich chocolate. Cowboy Coffee: EXTREMELY chocolatey, with a rich dark taste. Hint of espresso goes back and forth with the Jameson. Both have perfect moist centers that taste as if they were lightly soaked in alcohol, and the cake was ACTUALLY BETTER than the frosting (only other place that accomplishes this is The Sweet Lobby). I'm not downing on the frosting, though. It is perfectly complimentary. As of right now they sell them in bars/private events/festivals. But I hope to see a store front in the future.

I ordered their new brownie Bundt cake…read more Couldn't finish it in one sitting or even the same day because it's soo rich But when I finished it I wanted another and another

I had just gotten a Bundt from nothing Bundt cakes and stumbled upon this one at the union market…read morethinking the cookie butter flavor one isn't one the chain brand has and two sounded freaking delicious that I had to try. Well I gotta say my hopes were set to high and the Bundt was just mediocre at best. Was it edible yes was it good, kind of I mean all I can say is that it tasted just like cookie butter and that's it. I can't say much more but that it tasted like they put cookie butter in the batter and on top after cooked and stuck another of the cookie on top nothing more nothing less. They have other flavors I would give a try but no rush here.

Multiple people came up to us and said it was the best wedding cake they've ever had. The cake was…read moreso pretty and exactly my vision. The flowers from the florist were places beautifully by Southerland Desserts. They are also an extremely reasonable price because they are newer to designing wedding cakes. Do yourself a favor and and book Southerland Desserts, your guests will thank you! We got vanilla cake with raspberry filling, and chocolate cake with Oreo filling. We also got our top layer to be lemon cake with strawberry filling and have been eating it as breakfast every morning. I cannot say enough good things about this vendor. Looking over and seeing our beautiful cake next to our sweetheart table during our reception brought such a smile to my face!

I recently had my first experience with Southerland Desserts and I am a big fan and will definitely…read moreuse them again. I ordered their Strawberry Crunch Cake for the holidays and it was (and still is) a BIG hit! The cake was beautiful and fresh. Due to the size, I sliced up portions to freeze, and once thawed, the cake is still as delicious as it was when I received it. I also appreciated that they were still offering delivery during COVID, and were able to accommodate my needs as necessary. I'll be putting in an order for my birthday cake next!

this place was tucked away right in Union market. Super cute space serve good drinks and amazing…read morefood. The staff was super nice and helpful and I love the space as it made the show feel intimate and fun. Parking is a little tricky, but there is options around union market from garage to street parking. I will definitely be back for more shows!

I have a friend who is starting to do music gigs, and he invited me to see him perform at this…read morevenue that I had never been to before. It's in Union Market just a few doors down from the new F1 Arcade... parking right nearby may be tricky, but there's always the Union Market parking lot and more options if you're willing to walk a bit. It may not be ideal on really cold days. They have a spacious outdoor seating area, and entry is easy -- just show your ID, ticket, and you're good to go. I'm not sure if it was because of the show, but there were just a few tables along the closest wall and near the stage. I would see there were five to six high tables total. Before ordering anything, I grabbed the only table left -- I had a feeling the others coming would appreciate that. I had already eaten, but I absolutely had to have the jerk chicken sandwich, it looked too good. I ordered it at the bar, was given a buzzer, and it was ready in about 10 minutes or so. It was indeed tasty! A bit pricey to just be the sandwich and nothing else, but it was good. The bar is fully stocked, and there are water cups at the far end to refill at your leisure. The show itself was really fun -- vocals and the sounds of the instruments were excellent. Certain vocals got drowned out by certain instruments, but that's just how sound works, you know? All in all I'd come back to this venue, it was a vibe with the disco ball overhead! I don't mind it, but for the less tech savvy, I could see the dependence on an app to retrieve the ticket for the concert being an inconvenience for some. There was no way to pull up the ticket without downloading Dice and activating the QR code on there.