I recently visited Le Banh Patisserie for the second time, and once again found myself overwhelmed…read moreby the quality of the baked goods within. I find that most bakeries drown their flavors in sugar, glazes, and frosting, while the pastries offered at Le Banh Patisserie deliver the perfect balance of taste and texture without being cloyingly sweet. If you are a fan of crossaints, you owe it to yourself to give these a try - they are golden and flaky on the outside with an incredibly buttery and airy center, and baked to perfection. Whether you choose the almond, chocolate, or classic butter, I guarantee you won't be disappointed, and will likely feel as if you just stepped out of a Parisian café. The scones are equally delightful with a crisp exterior while remaining soft and moist in the middle, and abounding in flavor. Also, be sure to grab a Doodle cookie (or two) before you go, and give the Vietnamese coffee a try - you'll be glad you did. Above all else, the owner/baker is one of the friendliest and most personable people you are likely to meet, and I could have spent the entire afternoon talking with her. After complimenting her on the quality of her treats and contemplating the lack of decent bakeries in the area, she was generous enough to recommend other establishments which she thought would be worth trying. In addition, after telling her I would love to possess her skill, she encouraged me to give it a try and even gave me a few resources with which to begin my baking journey. Overall, I can highly recommend this hidden gem as perhaps the finest confectionary I have ever had the good fortune to stumble across, and would honestly suggest to anyone that they would be doing themselves an incredible disservice by failing to stop in one afternoon and give Le Banh Patisserie a try​

I really wanted to have a great experience with this bakery, especially since this was our wedding…read morecake. The cake itself was beautiful, but unfortunately that's where our positive experience ended. We ordered a lemon cake, and when we cut into it at our wedding, there was absolutely no lemon flavor and the cake was extremely dry. My husband and every guest who tried it said the same thing. No one even knew it was supposed to be lemon until I told them. It was also the only dessert we served, which made it even more disappointing. I reached out afterward hoping the owner would at least acknowledge that something may have gone wrong. Instead, I was repeatedly told that she knew the cake was made correctly and that she had personally tasted everything. I was offered a discount on a future cake, which honestly didn't feel like much of a resolution after being so disappointed with our wedding cake. What bothered me most was how the situation was handled. As a small business owner myself, I understand that things can go wrong. I wasn't expecting perfection I was hoping for some accountability and an effort to make things right. I sent one final email explaining how disappointed I was and never received a response. The cake looked beautiful, but unfortunately the taste and the customer service afterward left us extremely disappointed.

Every time we go to Present Company, we have the most lovely experience. The service is so good,…read moreand the food is delicious. The tasting menu is always delightful, and the prices are extremely reasonable for the quality of the food! The ambiance is beautiful - old New England, and not at all pretentious. The dinners are never rushed, and always genuinely tasty. It's a hidden gem. Can't wait to go back again!

I've been a few times over the past few years and the food is always fabulous. Portion size is on…read morethe smaller side but really excellent quality. Tonight we had a pretty good spread across the menu and liked everything. Cocktails could be a little better, dessert was amazing (the rhubarb bar). The pace of food is a touch on the slow side but I think thats something the US should adapt more to - you want to go out to dinner and have a nice long enjoyable meal and not be rushed through it. Overall 5 starts - highly recommend!!!

I'm newish to the area and I've been hearing a buzz about this place for a while, so I had to check…read moreit out. There are two locations but the one in Canton is temporarily closed. This one is located in Avon in the Old Avon Village plaza. There were plenty of parking when I went. The bakery is pretty spacious with some tables and seats. The display was filled with delicious looking cupcakes and other treats. They are known for their cupcakes. I got a few different ones to try with my family; the Oreo, funfetti, and brownie flavors. We were all very happy with the outcome; they were moist and up there with the best cupcakes I've had in a while. They also have gluten free, vegan, mini cupcakes, and cupcakes kits. Other treat options were the chocolate covered Oreos and cannoli chips and dip. I bought a few of those Oreos and they didn't disappoint. I can't wait to go back and try out more treats!

This lovely place is already rated one of the top cupcake shops in CT so the 5 stars should come as…read moreNO surprise. Their Avon location is cute and quaint and boy of boy does it smell good when you walk in! I've gone here many times to get some sweet treats for the kids and I. They NEVER disappoint. My daughter usually cons me into getting way more than we need but I'm never truly upset about it because everything is so good. I for one am not a big super sweet frosting person. I've always preferred the whipped cream frosting or cream cheese frosting but their buttercream is something that even I enjoy. They keep their peanut butter options completely separate from the other flavors and even asked if I wanted my peanut butter cupcake in a separate box for allergy purposes. They offer dietary accommodations including gluten free and vegan as well and they have a table of delicious chocolate dipped Oreos and beautiful hot cocoa bombs. There's also an ice cream counter. They even have something for the 4 legged friends!! With multiple locations they are pretty accessible to give a try

I thought I didn't like these cookies until I tired the minis. Now I am hooked darn it!read more

Really disappointed with this experience. One of the things Crumbl is known for is the…read morepresentation--the cute boxes and the ability to make the cookies feel like a gift. I specifically ordered this as a birthday treat and added the Happy Birthday sticker and bow because I wanted it to look special. After I ordered and paid, I was told they were out of the boxes and asked if putting it in a bag was okay. I said yes, not really thinking much of it at the time. What I was handed was a cookie in a paper bag, and the chocolate was literally melting and soaking through the bag. If you sell single cookies and offer customers the option to add birthday gift packaging, you should have appropriate packaging available--or at minimum offer another box that will safely hold the cookie. Putting a warm, chocolate-covered cookie into a paper bag that it immediately starts melting through is not an acceptable substitute.

Wowowow. What a hidden banger of a meal! These tacos are so good. Beans are flavorful. Great green…read moresauce and the crispy waffle fries. Ordered it via a delivery service. I ordered a side of waffle fries which was unnecessary but so good I'm looking forward to trying morning food items! I've enjoyed the ice cream over the years!

One of the best ice cream places around for its unique flavors and a good "new location"…read more I've been a fan of their Ice cream since their old spot in Granby. I always enjoy the blood orange chocolate chip and seeing what unique flavors are concocted (geranium, key lime cheesecake, pomegranate). It's pretty pricey for what you get (1 scoop, 1.5 scoops and onward) and my scoop today was rather small. They also sell pints for $8 which is a better deal. Samples are a must because of all the options. Disappointed that they don't make ice cream cakes anymore, especially because J Foster's just isn't as good. Located near the Coffee Spot, library and Fitzgeralds, it has parking around the back or on the street.

I always return to popular places that I didn't connect with in the same way super fans do…read more Sometimes, I think I got it right. And sometimes, I have to admit I got it wrong. In the case of Tulmeadow Farm and Lacroix's Homemade (I'm posting the same update for both), I have to admit that I had it somewhat wrong. Both Tulmeadow and Lacroix's made @cticecreamtour's Top 15 CT Creameries. My original reviews for both Tulmeadow and Lacroix's were both good btw. I just didn't initially connect with the flavors I tried in the way that I did with my other CT favorites. Since those initial reviews, everything I tried at each has been a banger. At Tulmeadow, I recently had Red Raspberry Chocolate Chip, Marshmallow Toasted Cornflake, Chocolate Raspberry Raspberry Curd and the best flavor I've had this year -- Double Raspberry Crumbcake. The flavors all popped. The use of intensely flavored raspberry curd in a couple of the ice creams was next level. The colors were right on. The texture was top tier. Service was friendly and the farm setting adds to the experience. Tulmeadow is 5 Stars and I'm upgrading my earlier review.

I was recommended Tulmeadow Farm's ice cream by one of my most trusted foodie friends, so I was…read moreextremely excited to try it. That said, I don't often like high butterfat ice cream. It's also a textural thing for me. So there was a bit of hesitation as well. I thought the ice cream was excellent. They had great flavors to choose from. I went with the bestselling red raspberry chocolate chip, and then the burnt honey sea salt. Service was super friendly. I asked what the smallest size was that they could do two flavors in and they were more than willing to accommodate the kiddie cup, which was still plenty of ice cream for me. I think the sign said it's 3 oz, but it at least seemed like more to me. As good as the red raspberry was, I think I preferred the burnt honey. The flavor was strong went well with the naturally occurring cream flavor. There was a lot of parking on the side of the building. I think there was an indoor area, though I can't confirm if you can order ice cream inside. I used the outdoor window to order. I also found the prices to be reasonable. Great first experience. I would definitely recommend the ice cream. It did not disappoint, and I look forward to having it again.

A spell was casted on me…read more.. Taste of Spellbound is a bakery that does custom dessert orders. They've been around since 2012 and offers a variety of treats; from macarons, cupcakes, bars, pies, truffles, and cookies. There are three locations; Avon, South Windsor, and West Hartford. This one in Avon is super cute and whimsical; love the decor with the picture frames on the wall. There was a table and some chairs to enjoy your treats. I decided to get a few macarons, bars, and a cupcake. All were so good but my favorite were the macarons. They were the perfect texture, lightly crispy on the outside, and soft on the inside. This place is definitely a gem and I can't wait to go back!

When it comes to their desserts, calling ahead and ordering may be the way to go. I'm not a coffee…read moredrinker so I can't speak to that, and the desserts they had on hand were delicious. But there may be more options available.... Definitely worth a pop-in to get something small and taste the deliciousness. Regardless, the interior is beautiful decorated. It feels like a modern tea room with some availability to sit. The walls are a beautiful calm blue. They have some cold drinks, and the cups cakes - very moist, definitely have standing life in them. The employee was very kind and friendly, and the shop seems smoothly run. The shop seems to be in two plazas, and have designated parking on either side next to the building. Watch carefully for the signs, because the plaza is a little nondescript from the road.

Food is always great 5/5 Service is always personable 5/5…read morePretty, nice blonde woman (owner/ manager?) checking on me 10/5 Patio 5/5 Only complaint is that they have iced coffee but no cold brew ‍ Still overall a 7.5/5

Popover's is a super nice little restaurant in town Simsbury that serves a terrific breakfast. My…read morefavorite is the Simsbury feast. The feast comes with two eggs done anyway you like them, two slices of bacon, two turkey, sausage, patties, fried potatoes, and your choice of toast. The sour dough bread is top notch, full of genuine sour dough flavor. The fried potatoes have a bit of crunch on the outside while soft in the middle. The cold brew coffee is terrific and together this makes a first rate breakfast. $23

I picked up the Johnny Cage Breakfast Bowl, which included home fries, bacon, sausage, onions and…read morepeppers, two eggs, hollandaise, and chipotle sauce. It was packed with flavor and absolutely delicious! The portion itself was satisfying. My only suggestion would be to include toast or another side, especially since about half of the takeout container was empty.

My go to for breakfast is The Harvest Cafe and bakery in Simsbury. My picture this time is of…read moresomething I created called the build your own Benedict. One slice of house sourdough bread toasted and cut in half. On each half, goes a bit of grilled ham, then a poached egg with hollandaise and asparagus topped with bacon crumbles and scallions. Usually, I have a few slices of bacon on the side. Fantastic! I have iced coffee with my breakfast, as would any self-respecting New Englander. Come by the harvest for breakfast or lunch be a little creative even though the menu is full of things that are just outstanding. Say hello to the super manager, Mr. Scott and his crew of servers who never cease to amaze.

This place looks like it is shutting down The bakery choices were limited and what we picked…read moreseemed old. The eclair had a strange yellow filling and the cannoli filling was dry They also forgot one of the items we ordered All of the coolers that had frozen food were empty as was the display that used to have their stuffed breads There wasn't any signage to explain the empty displays I don't know what is up but it isn't the bakery it used to be

The best Italian bakery in the Hartford area. Delicious and…read morebeautiful pastries and delicious sandwiches and pizza.