The custom cake that Lucia made for us could not have been more perfect. I emailed an inspiration…read morephoto and she replicated it perfectly. She was even able to make a matching smash cake and cupcakes. The cakes themselves were delicious. Rob and Lucia were very responsive and super easy to work with both via email and phone. They helped me pick up complementary flavors. Absolutely recommend and would not hesitate to work with them again for all of our cake needs!

Ordered a military cake for a major corporate event and even did a tasting prior to ordering. The…read morecake was delicious at the tasting, but the day of the event the cake was so dry it was inedible. We provided feedback to the bakery as a courtesy and received no response. We were very disappointed and embarrassed by the cake. Total waste of money. We ended up donating it to a shelter. We could have gotten a better tasting cake at Wegmans and saved on cost.

So I recently went back to Lala for a last minute cake I needed for my mom's 70th birthday. I was…read morevery happy she was able to squeeze my request in within a few days from the party. Her prices did go up but Lala has really showed her growth over the last few years in how skilled a home baker can be. My mom's party was a pink/orange theme and I loved the bow details on the cake. With her skill set, her prices did go up. I believed I paid around $150 so something to keep in mind.

I booked an 8 inch vanilla cake with vanilla buttercream icing. LaLa did an amazing job. She was…read moresuper quick with responding and explained everything. The cake was reasonably priced compared to other estimates I got. She did a superb job. The cake looked as great as it tasted. I was so impressed by how delicious it was. I definitely recommend!

I cannot believe that it's come to this...but it needs to be said…read more This past Sunday I had the displeasure of eating an overpriced ($90), bland, atrocious looking cake that had no business being consumed by anyone. Stella's used to make my birthday cakes growing up; and while I wasn't fond of Napoleon, they were known for it. Well, not anymore. Not sure if they switched owners or lost the desire to make anything remotely tasty, but what on Earth happened?! The cake was stale, the fondant tasted like cheap candy, the sides were sunken so the middle had this odd protruding shape, the cream was tasteless, and it looked average at best. That's being generous. We were celebrating a special occasion only for it to be ruined by their vanilla cake. Everyone at the party looked confused. Like how did this happen? Who is baking? Which recipe are they using? I'm, in a word, appalled.

This is by far my favorite place to order cakes in the DMV. The cakes and fruit tarts are an…read moreongoing staple for my family's birthdays/celebrations. Because my family enjoys subtle--and not overpowering--sweetness in desserts, this European bakery offers the perfect selections. We consistently order the mousse cakes for celebrations and fruit tarts for smaller functions or just as a random treat. Cakes can be preordered (3 days ahead of pickup) or purchased on-site; they offer a complimentary custom message on the cakes. For certain holidays, such as Mother's Day, they offer heart-shaped cakes which makes the cake even more special. Our favorite cake to order is the white and dark chocolate mousse cake. We hardly ever have leftovers because everyone gets seconds or thirds the cakes are light, subtly sweet and airy. To be honest, everything I have had at Stella's is amazing, and I've had their cakes since childhood. The staff members are patient, kind and informative of serving instructions/suggestions. Highly recommend!

Chris made the beautiful cake for my military retirement ceremony. He was amazing to work with,…read morecaptured every detail, and made the tastiest cake I have ever eaten. We chose three tiers made of chocolate, lemon, and marble. They were incredibly moist and flavorful. I absolutely cannot wait for the next event so that I can order another cake from Chris.

Chris created the cake for my husband's promotion ceremony and it was absolutely delicious! Moist…read morered velvet, that wasn't overly sweet (which it shouldn't be), and cream cheese with vanilla buttercream. This cake was by far the biggest and most important cake we have ever had and Chris just blew our minds! He was so awesome during the planning process and super adaptable with having to deliver the cake to Quantico which required having his van being inspected for base access. All 150 of our guests were so impressed and commented on the cake. I'm sooo happy that Chris helped us make this important day in my husband's career that much more memorable!!

Revisited Sunday Morning this past weekend and ordered myself a Hojija latte (one of my favorites)…read more Also ordered a breakfast sandwich for a friend. It was slightly busy but the line moved fairly quickly. The restaurant has a good amount of seating and a lot of people dining in were simply enjoying their weekend. Unfortunately I had to work so everything was to go for me. I would love to have the opportunity to just dine in one day. I also want to try their Virginia location since that recently opened as well. I'm also still waiting on their rainbow/chantilly filled croissant because it had to be the best pastry I've ever eaten. Would happily return here. Wish they had a punch card for their regular customers.

Picked up a few croissants and a hot tea. I got the Almond Croissant (love) and decided to try the…read moreBlackberry Pistachio Croissant as well. The Blackberry Pistachio Croissant was flaky and full of a sweet-tart house made blackberry compote and rich pistachio frangipane. For the hot tea, I got Island Mango just on the description - sweet bits of mango, pineapple, orange, safflower & hibiscus. It was served as decaf. Once I let it cool, it had a citrus taste, but not sweet. I am still glad to have tried it and did not have to wait long for the order. Within a block of leaving the business, while holding the hot cup with one hand (the sleeve only helped a little), some of the hot tea spilled on me suddenly (I now have a burned scar on my knuckle). I don't know if the cover was on right, or if my movements made the top come off. I couldn't blame anyone. I did go back and had them replace the top since the other fell on the ground outside. When they say "hot" tea, they are not lying. Moving forward, no more hot drinks for me.

À "pop-up" store for King Arthur Flour Company products recently opened at the Wildwood Shopping…read moreCenter in North Bethesda, MD. This is a "pop-up" review of the store. I visited the store on a Saturday afternoon. For those readers who are not familiar with the brand, King Arthur Baking Company is a well-known brand specializing in high-quality flours and other baking ingredients. They are particularly known for their unbleached, high-protein all-purpose flour and various other specialty flours like bread flour, cake flour, and gluten-free options. King Arthur is also recognized for its commitment to quality control, ingredients sourcing, and its history as a 100% employee-owned company. This store has an utilitarian decoration, with shelves and rows displaying a dizzying variety of King Arthur Flour products: boxed mixes for scones, muffins, breads and cookies of every kind. On display were also a variety of baking instruments, such as mixers (such as the Ankarsrum Original stand mixer, a famous Swedish known for their unique designs), measure spoons, containers, etc. The establishment was practically empty, with at least three employees, one of them engaged in animated conversation with someone whom may have been a client. The other two employees were behind the cashier counter, also engaged in a vary animated conversation... With each other. I walked around the store for about 20 minutes, taking pictures and making myself known. My expectation was that at least one of the employees would approach me to ask if I needed help. After all, this was a "pop-up" store, and companies, restaurants and shops temporarily open these as an branding excercise. I was not approached or even acknowledged by any of the people at the store. I hope that this behavior is an outlier for this store, because if this is what King Arthur Baking's customer service is, I do not foresee lasting much longer. Pictures attached.

I was so excited when they opened this!! I used to drive to the Fairfax pop-up or pay for shipping…read moreonline. Coming here is always a joy. It's clean and simple - just well stocked shelves and friendly staff. The employees checked if we needed help and were ready to explain all the 500 varieties of flour. (But then left us alone to shop) All good bakers know that King Arthur is a cut above every other brand. PLUS they're 100% employee owned and legitimately care about maintaining product quality over profit. If you're sick of everything getting crappier while corporations jack up prices, come spend money at one of the few companies doing things the right way. And then go spend money at Penzeys, which is also top quality with ethical ownership. :)

New garage parking system requires getting ticket from the machine. IT IS VERY ANNOYING. It is hard…read moreto reach the machine. You have to pull very hard to get the ticket. And you don't have to pay anything. You don't need even validation! So what purpose does the system have? The building will become partially residential condo or apartment, and new parking system is related to that development. It's nothing to do with Wegman's shoppers. Make parking free as it used to be!

It's been a whole year since Wegman's has been opened?! It's definitely my grocery store of choice…read morebut I will say that their prices are still quite high and inventory can be hit or miss depending on what time you go in to shop. Usually any time 9 pm or after, I've noticed the produce wasn't fresh. The employees are very helpful though. A lot of them are happy to assist and will look things up for you if you're looking for a particular item. For the most part, the store is clean however I did find a grasshopper that jumped on me a few weeks ago in the fruit section.

I love Chateau de Rockville. It has been a year since they opened and the quality and service is…read morealways excellent. When, I am looking for my comfort drink, I always order my mango lychee frappes. It is full of fruit, delicious taste, and perfect for a summer day. The ambiance inside the shop is modern, wood style decor, with lots of seating and nice lighting. The only thing I don't like is trying to find parking in their lot. It is always crowded. But, the delicious sweets and yummy drinks make it worth the extra effort. Thank you, Chateau de Rockville.

Cute little café with a nice, relaxed vibe. I could definitely see myself coming here to log on,…read moregrab a coffee or tea, and get some work done. The sweets selection wasn't huge, but there was a decent variety. I tried the blueberry cheese danish, which was pretty good, along with a couple of cookies. I'd say the quality is a step above Paris Baguette, which I wasn't expecting. The customer service was excellent, and the café itself appeared clean and well maintained. My only little observation was the front glass doors and they could definitely use a cleaning. And why do I ALWAYS notice the windows and doors at restaurants and cafés? Go figure! Apparently, clean glass is one of my things. Overall, a cute spot with good service, decent pastries, and a nice atmosphere for coffee, tea, or getting a little work done.

Cakes are scrumptious. Clean and welcoming environment…read more Staff is always courteous and helpful. The manager is great.

I dipped into this location while out and about, to try the new limited-time Turtle Cheesecake…read moreSwirl Bundtlet. Ordering went quickly, the location was clean, and the staff were very friendly. As always though, I forgot to bring a fork (they don't have them available in-store), so I had to wait to eat my bundtlet until I got home. Verdict: The Turtle Cheesecake Swirl Bundtlet did not disappoint, as it was a nice blend of chocolate and caramel that went well with the cheesecake flavor; and it's oreo cookie crusts was a nice added surprise! +Quick ordering +Clean location +Friendly staff NOTE: Remember to bring a fork if you want to eat your treat immediately

Amazing bakery. Love how they employ and train those with disabilities. They are kosher as well.read more

I stopped by this morning to buy Hamantaschen cookies, which are the traditional cookie eaten on…read morethe Jewish Purim holiday. Apparently Purim Hamantaschen is a big business for Sunflower. They take advance orders in addition to selling over the counter. I was pleased to see that they opened this storefront location at 8 am today due to the holiday demand. A special aspect of Sunflower is that they employ and train disabled people. So buying a cookie is not only a transaction and a tasty treat; it's an educational and vocational experience. This might mean you wait a bit longer and must exercise patience. But clearly worth it. I've had Sunflower's challah bread and Hamantaschen before. These Hamantaschen were definitely good. I won't say they are the best I've ever tasted, but they were darn good! They have a bunch of baked items, so it's fun to return and try the many offerings. I will definitely return!