Was passing by midday and decided to stop. Had heard about this place but never been. Expecting…read morethere not to be much left, I stopped anyway (at noon). Arrived with plenty of parking on the street. Neat little storefront with lots of options. Probably even more if you can arrive early. My preferred donuts were out so I went with a cherry danish and a cinnamon roll to take home for Sunday. The Danish is large enough for two people but good enough you may not want to share. Tried the cinnamon roll after church the next day. Only ate half because they too are large! Both were delicious. Definitely worth the stop!! Not far off the interstate so worth a short detour!

Best bakery for miles around. Everything is delicious and their decorated cakes are gorgeous!read more

I made the trip to Blackbird Bakery to see what they were offering for, Javapaloza. Javapaloza was…read morea celebration in SW IL, that celebrated small local coffee shops. So it was a great and fun way to celebrate local. I enjoyed an iced version of their special Javapaloza drink. It was a Salted Caramel Macadamia Nut Latte. As a treat, I had Avocado Toast. I loved that they whip the avocado and just don't slice it and put it on a piece of toast. My latte and toast made for a perfect light breakfast. Of course, before I left I had to buy a container of Chicken Salad. Typically I don't like grapes in my chicken salad, but theirs is an exception. The red grapes and the seasoning, makes it a real treat. I also had to grab, an Apple Fritter and Blueberry Muffin. They were my breakfast for the next two days. The customer service is exactly what you'd expect from a small town bakery. It's friendly and down-home.

Blackbird is a Staunton gem. I've been here a few times for breakfast and it is consistently…read moreincredible. The B&Gs are phenomenal and my favorite in the metro area. Each weekend they feature a few different pastries in addition to the regular lineup. Everything I've tried is sofa king good. The morning buns are my favorite. The staff is also so friendly and the people around you will be smiling too (probably the aforementioned pastries). There's a sweet new mural and garden area adjacent to the building now too. Completely worth the trip.

Ordered my son's 1st birthday cake from here and they did a great job matching the theme and…read moredesigning the cake. We ordered a large red velvet cake with cream cheese icing for everyone and a small chocolate smash cake with whipped icing for my son. They threw in the small smash cake for free. Several people complimented the red velvet cake and said it was delicious. When we went in to pick it up we also picked up some donuts and danishes which were tasty. The inside is cute and they have some bar seating. They had some adorable cookies and beautiful cupcakes and cannolis on display. The staff were very friendly and helpful. They also have ice cream!

Best post workout donuts ever. The store is very cute and the workers were lovely. Plus the donuts…read morewere only 2 dollars. Will come again!

Cafe LaNae is a fantastic addition to Wood River and the entire Riverbend area. In my opinion, you…read morecan never have too many bakeries and cafes in your neighborhood. My first visit I kinda went hog wild and stuffed myself. Being a farm boy, I always have to try Biscuits and Gravy. I did a half order, which was a single biscuit. I had mine to go, so it was packaged in a Eco-Friendly To-Go Vessel. The biscuit was wrapped in foil and the milk gravy was in a separate container. Once I assembled it, it was a winner. The biscuit was fluffy and the milk gravy had a fair amount of sausage crumbles and was seasoned perfectly. It made this old farm boy happy. My other treat was a, Bacon Egg Boursin Croissant. It was a true meal in itself. There was plenty of bacon, the eggs were done perfectly and the Boursin made the breakfast sandwich sing. Seriously, I would have never thought to add Boursin to a breakfast croissant and I have it in my icebox all the time. After sampling a savory treats, I had to have something sweet. My sweet treat was their Cinnamon Roll. OMG! I am thankful I do not live closer, because if I did, I'd be having one of these delights daily. I love the open concept of seeing the kitchen. It's always fun to watch you food being prepared. The staff is friendly and makes everyone feel welcomed. With all the experience and connections that LaNae and A.J. have with other businesses; Duke's, Tony's Ranch House, Gentelin's and all the way back to Wimpy's, you know the food is going to be good. I wish them success and recommend you go give them a try.

I do not get to Wood River often but when I have, I have a few coffee shops I enjoy visiting…read more Today, I decided to try something different after seeing a newer shop open. Cafe LaNae apparently has been open about a year (as of this writing) so I went in because I was meeting someone for a Facebook Marketplace purchase. I didn't plan to be very long. I purchased an iced coffee for $7 plus a tip. After confirming my order twice (sugar-free mocha syrup), they brought me a sugar-free vanilla drink. Oh well, no biggie...It wasn't the best, but I'm not staying long. I have specific dietary metrics that I manage, so while waiting for the person I was looking for, I pulled out a muffin my wife got me that met those metrics. I took maybe three bites out of it while waiting. Quickly, I noticed one of the owners hovering over my table to see what I was eating, and within 30 seconds, the other owner came over and told me I'm not allowed to bring any food into the place. She tried to smile and act like it was no big deal, saying, "I'll allow it THIS time". Gee thanks! I tried to explain my situation and the fact that I had already purchased a drink and was planning to leave, and she talked over me, expressing once more not to do it again. I elected to leave after pondering her words for a few minutes. I understand the profit margins for these places are razor thin and I would not want people bringing in their own meals, but I bought a drink, tipped, and took two bites out of something that was mine that met my diet. This place is more of a brunch/lunch fast-casual Greek-style place. Nothing they had on their menu would have met my diet, at least not even for a couple of bites which I didn't think was a big deal. I won't return. Not after that experience.

First time at city scoops! They have an expansive flavor selection and plenty of indoor seating…read more They also have to go options in the freezer if you're in a hurry. What I ordered: I got a kids cookie dough cone. The flavor was very rich and the kids size was still rather big. My grandma got lemon ice cream with blueberries mixed in and she enjoyed it! I appreciate that they have several dairy-free options as well! The only downside is there isn't a ton of outdoor seating. Other than this, city scoops is perfect!

The ice cream is good, but it's a little pricy. The staff is kind and they have a big selection…read more They have games for kiddos for while you wait and/or if you want to sit there and have your ice cream. Vanilla and coffee chip were

Not my dish of ice cream. It's not bad, it just was not to my liking. I knew it wasn't frozen…read morecustard going in, but to me it was frozen ice milk and not true ice cream. I ordered a M&M Concrete, size Mini and it was huge in my opinion. There were plenty of M&M's, but I just was not pleased with the vanilla flavoring of the ice cream. I only ate about a fourth of my concrete and tossed the rest. Service was friendly. The shop was busy and the young staff was hustling as fast as they could. It was obvious several of them were new and perhaps still in training. The supervisor was being pulled in multiple directions and was keeping it all together. I'll give them another try, but next time I'll go chocolate and a small cone.

Italian Roast Beef sandwich is outstanding! It's a family recipe and the flavor, with a large…read moreamount of roast beef, gave me the craving for a second sandwich. I added the cheese fries which you can't go wrong with. They also make the soft serve in house. I had the Strawberry Sundae using the in house ice cream and loved it. -Had plenty of strawberries just like I like it. Service was friendly and fast. My party did not wait long for the food. The building looks remodeled/newer and was very clean. -including the bathrooms The only surprise is they do not take tips with a CC. So I left a cash tip. Again, I really liked the Italian sandwiches. So I took a couple home to share. I'll be back!

The chocolate is oh so good! Love taking family and friends here when they visit. Friendliest staff…read moreas well!

You could spend the night in a candy/chocolate shoppe right in the heart of Highland! Too…read moredelicious to be true?? Nope! When visiting Highland and Aviston, Illinois we passed by The Chocolate Affairs shop while leaving the 9th Street Cafe. We couldn't help ourselves from noticing the young owner Jen busy wheeling away carts of fresh chocolate-covered strawberries to the town's Art Festival. We went inside and were surrounding by tons of little knick-knacks, crafts, souvenirs, and of course, sweets! One of the four rooms is dedicated specifically as the "Candy Room." Caramel pecan patties, real butter creams, hand dipped caramels and chocolate potato chips, to name a few! I enjoyed the chocolate covered toffee with peanuts. Mmm mmm! They also rent out chocolate fountains for your next event. As for the bed and breakfast...It's a historic house built in 1914 by Dr. Tibbetts. The house accommodates guests with 3 bedrooms, each having its own private baths and theme (Angel, Quilt and Blue Rooms). Guests also have full use of a parlor, dining room, kitchen and deck. The best part is you can enjoy chocolate chip cookies and refreshments on arrival, chocolate gift baskets in the bedrooms and a sample from the chocolate case overnight! Continental Breakfast is the Chocolate Lovers Special featuring Triple Chocolate Mess Cake and Chocolate Covered Strawberries. What more could a chocolate lover dream of?!?! I can't wait to spend the night here during my next visit!

Pastry if this level is normally not found in this area…read moreMaybe some good croissants or a cinnamon roll But here everything is amazing Not just a few things but all And the coffee It's just the best around

If you're looking for a good pastry just go to Starbucks at this rate. 6$ for a stale croissant not…read moreEVEN the size of my palm beyond insane and then it's not warmed whatsoever.