Last weekend was the third time that Mazzotta's cupcakes were the centerpiece of our family…read morebirthday celebration! As always Maria's cupcakes were delicious , moist and flavorful. They were also beautiful! The ones frosted with vanilla buttercream looked like beautiful white roses, and the strawberry cupcakes were topped with yummy whipped cream frosting and a strawberry. Mazzotta's is awesome!

I stopped by this bakery looking for end-of-school gifts for teachers and principals, and it ended…read moreup being a huge success. I picked up an assortment of Danish pastries to share, and they were a hit. Everyone loved them, which made gift-giving easy and stress-free. It's always nice finding something that feels thoughtful and is appreciated by so many people. Of course, I couldn't leave without picking up a few treats for myself. I brought home the chocolate hazelnut and coconut ice cream flavors, and both were absolutely delicious. The chocolate hazelnut was rich and creamy, while the coconut had a refreshing flavor that was perfect for a warm day. I also purchased two breakfast pastries. One was a raspberry-flavored pastry that I really enjoyed. The other was supposed to be filled with vanilla, but the filling tasted different than I expected. It wasn't my favorite item, but with so many options available, that's bound to happen sometimes. The selection was impressive, everything looked fresh, and there was something for every sweet tooth. Whether you're stopping in for dessert, breakfast pastries, ice cream, or gifts for a special occasion, this is definitely a place worth visiting. I'll definitely be back to try more flavors and discover a few new favorites.

Hyper realistic cakes are not plentiful in Connecticut (nor does Hope from A Little Imagination…read moreCakes brand herself as such), but take a look at the shoe in the cake she made for my wife's birthday and tell me that doesn't look real! If you need a special cake for a special occasion, you need to reach out to Hope and she will work with you. Shoot her an email, and you are replied with an automated list asking for the date of the event, serving size, inspiration of images, flavor choices, and phone number. She initially requested a phone call to follow up, but we just replied back and forth and we got this thing finalized. Not only was this cake beautiful, but it was delicious - I picked a simple red velvet with vanilla buttercream, and it was done to perfection. A special cake my my special girl on her special day. Thank you, Hope!

We picked up birthday boys' cake today, and immediately after seeing it, I had an…read moreohmygodjusttakemymoney moment. I kept my cool though, because I'm the adult (even though I also watch the show this cake was based on) and got to see my son's magical reaction to seeing the most amazing birthday cake he's ever seen in his life. Cake weathered the ride home like a seasoned passenger while dad and I fielded questions about why we can't eat his birthday cake before his party tomorrow. The process of requesting a cake and specifying certain parts and asking for input on others was painless and smooth. Will update with how the magnificence tastes tomorrow. Edit: Bomb cake. Very eatable and worth the calories.

"She got muffins for sons, she got cornbread too Sweet rolls…read moreand jelly, boys I'm really tellin' you She had the baker shop boogie It's the nicest thing in town" (Willie Nix) We had a wonderful visit to Bake Market today and walked out with a ton of high-quality stuff for under $39 before tax. Our haul included a big tray of eggplant parmesan ($11.99), a small container of chicken salad ($7.99), a big container of Street Corn Salad ($11.99), a serving of Mango Pineapple Bread ($2.95) and Coconut Zucchini Bread ($2.95), and an Everything Biscuit (just $1.49). Bake Market has refrigerated and freezer cases on the walls with entrees and pastas and sauces and salads and desserts. It reminded me of the Pasta Vita store we used to visit in Avon. We split the chicken salad for lunch on Wednesday and enjoyed it very much, it was heavy on diced chicken and light enough on the diced celery and mayo that it was very hearty and not overrepresented by the rest. We decided to split the Everything Biscuit with lunch and I really liked the texture and savory taste of the everything spice. We split the Street Corn salad for Friday dinner, and it was a big portion of sliced Romaine, diced bacon, sliced radishes, roasted corn, tortilla strips, and grated Cotija cheese. It was very good; the lettuce was super fresh with plenty of bacon and corn. We split the Mango Pineapple Bread for dessert and that was excellent too. It was dense, sweet, full of flavor, and quite wonderful. The Coconut Zucchini Bread was so-so. I didn't think it had much of a flavor, and besides the blandness it was incredibly messy with shredded coconut everywhere. Our Bake Market sampling ended with their Eggplant Parmesan. It was a massive 2-lb tray that cost just $11.99. And how can I NOT mention that containers of fresh pasta AND sauce were included! We made four servings out of it. The eggplant parm was made out of a very thick single slab of breaded/fried unpeeled eggplant, and not the multiple layers of thin slices stacked up lasagna-style you customarily see. It had plenty of sauce and plenty of cheese, but how was the eggplant itself? I gotta tell you, when I saw that thick slab, my radar went up because I had a feeling it would be rubbery, tough, and unappetizing. But my doubts were short-lived after my first bite. It was delicious and tender and full of flavor without a hint of grease. Honestly, it was one of the best representations of eggplant I've had in a while. So, there you have it, a nearly perfect score on a variety of foods, and a very satisfactory $39 haul that scored high on quality and value.

Naturally, I sprinted here after seeing on social media they started selling the viral crookie…read more(cookie croissant) and it was SO worth it. I didn't know what to expect, but it was delicious -- the perfect mesh of flaky and doughy textures with the slight warmth was divine. I also saw they had pistachio matcha lattes so I decided to try one. It was surprisingly pretty tasty despite the color not being a very deep green. They also offer several samples, which I was excited about, but I was disappointed because they were all salty -- even the zucchini bread that I expected to be more neutral/sweet. The bagels were also very flat. Maybe their sweets just happen to be better?

"Jenny Jenny you're the girl for me Oh, you don't know me…read more But you make me so happy" (Tommy Tutone) Pastel prettiness will be your first reaction when you cross the threshold and enter Jenna's sweet world. Pastel colored macarons, pastel colored cupcake icings, and a pastel pink greeting of "Sweet Life" on the wall. The showcases and counters are filled with beautiful baked goods - cakes, cookies, cupcakes, cakesicles, macarons, bars, custom chocolate dipped treats, and cannolis. We had a tough time deciding what to buy, and after much deliberation chose a Brookie ($4.75) - a Blondie-ish half brownie and half cookie, and a mini blueberry cheesecake cupcake (also $4.75). They were both very good, but that Brookie was in a class of its own! It was amazing, and if you like dense, chewy, sweet, chocolatey treats, well you really need to get your sweet self over to Sweets By Jenna!

Cookies, cakes and more. Almost too beautiful to eat! Stopped in here while I was in the area and…read morewished I had this type of bakery near me. Staff greeted us and gave us suggestions of things that she enjoys. Their designer cookies look so beautiful with so many different options. I highly recommend purchasing from here, especially if you're going to be having a party. The cookie sandwich was delicious and my husband enjoyed the cheesecake tart.

We came in for a visit after moving away a few years ago…read more The business changed ownership The coffee is locally sourced Spacious enough for large parties

Stopped by this cool coffee shop in Downtown Middletown. I was really impressed about their coffee…read moreselections. I got a brew iced coffee and a raspberry chocolate iced coffee. Bother were fantastic! The raspberry coffee drinks had a nice unique flavor. The staff were super friendly, and the place has a cozy, welcoming vibe. Lots of pastries options too. I got a chocolate chip cookie and it was so good. Service was fast and pleasant. Definitely a great spot to relax and enjoy a coffee and a pastry.

Super cute little Bakeshop with the friendliest people with the best coffee and breakfast…read moresandwiches. Consistently great, I love coming here

I've been wanting to try out From Chan for awhile now, ever since I saw a YouTube video featuring…read morethem. We took a ride over this weekend and checked it out. First of all the owner and employees are wicked friendly and appreciative of your business. I definitely got the make-you-feel-like family vibe they offer. It was noticed and appreciated. They have a display of all the days baked goods, lots of different danish, cinnamon rolls, and really interesting pizza-like items. I went basic though and just got a regular coffee and egg and bacon sandwich. The sandwich was good, it was basically a cheesy omelette on a very fresh roll. I enjoyed it. The coffee, wasn't the freshest though and honestly a little burnt and plastic-y tasting. I also tried the blueberry cheese danish which was delicious. What I didn't really enjoy, yet understand to a degree, is the pricing and the itemized fees on the receipt. They are a small business, so I understand the struggles and necessity. However they are charging an "Inflation Service Charge" of 4% on top of the subtotal. My receipt also indicated another "Service Charge" of 4%, presumably because I paid with a credit card. In the end, a coffee, a latte, an egg sandwich, and a danish, 7.35% tax, and a tip cost me over $40. I think to me, it is psychological, while I understand they need to increase what customers pay, I guess I just rather they build it into the listed item price rather than tack it on at the end.

Mozzicato's is one of Connecticuts classic italian bakeries around. The original store is in Htfd…read moreand they have expanded out to other town around CT. They do well at their establishment and are well known. I have been here for cannolis in the past but came today especially for the Italian St Joseph Zeppole's which they had still available for the month of March. They were very fresh and still a good size bit getting alittle pricey. They tasted very good but not my favorite location for them. I especially like the ricotta cheese ones. I've been to other places for them It's a great little restaurant with a huge variety of baked goods all showcased and displayed nicely. The staff is very helpful and patient. They also have pizza and stuffed bread available on the premises and baked fresh daily.

Food was great - cookies were tasty, we also had cannolis (chocolate and ricotta) crunchy shells…read moreand light filling. service was nice. The woman were attentive and patient as we chose our food even through the place was busy. The cappuccino and espressos were solid. Not sure why there are so many bad reviews. This place is as good as The Modern in the north end in Boston.