Candybar; Moment? No. Smile? Yes...

I came here recently on...dare I say it...Valentine's Day evening, and it was quite refreshing. Great vibe, a welcoming staff, conversational decor, an awesome menu of libations and of course, sweet desserts!

Vibe: Candlelight and some red light specials to create the mood, R&B Slow Jamz (yes, that's a "Z") to bring you back--waaaay back and pretty decor to keep you comfortable without being too comfortable.

Staff: The staff was awesome. Very welcoming, receptive to questions, nice and pleasant.

Decor: Pretty layout, urban art and...board games? Yes...they made the spot very "homey" and fun without being too loungy.

Libations: I'm a huge fan of red wines. The menu represented a nice variety to fit everyone's different tastes. The choice was easy for me...Malbec was my drink of choice of the night. The cocktail menu looked intriguing. I noticed a lot of champagne flowin'--Raspberry Delights and Strawberry Kisses seemed to be a commonality among patrons...perfect for Sex and the City Divas.

Desserts: Everything looked amazing on the menu. We opted for the Apple A La Mode: A nutty crust, cream cheese filling, baked apples topped with a scoop of Gingerbread ice cream. First bite? Warm but chilled, mushy but crunchy, sweet...and perfect.
Moment? No. Smile? Yes...

Farmerbrown; I Have Now Seen The Light...

If I were to base a rating on my overall experiences at Farmerbrown, I'd give this place an astounding 5 out of 5! But given the recent brunch buffet, I'd give it a mediocre 3...Wah Wah Waaaaaah...

The lunch and dinner menus are great. So coming for Sunday brunch, I would imagine that brunch goers were as confused as I was.

I was expecting chicken, waffles, scrambles...hearty. Instead, you get boring eggs and oily breakfast potatoes. But FEAR NOT! You are also blessed with bacon, fried chicken, grits and DRUM ROLL PLEASE....biscuits and gravy.

As a farmerbrown fan, I was a bit disappointed with the fried chicken, but put gravy over it and all is wonderful again.

I've never had grits, but I decided to try it anyway. It reminded me of plain chinese porriage and decided I liked it. Then...the lightbulb went off in my head...ADD BACON! GENIUS, JEN! GENIUS!!!!! *Applause* *Takes a bow...*

Oh, but don't forget the gravy over biscuits. I was never a fan...but I've been conformed.

I feel like I just came out of Sunday Service...I have now seen the light...

Bi-Rite Creamery; Enter: Nirvana...

Standing in line for ice cream in 50 degree weather at 10pm takes dedication. I always thought people were crazy to stand in line on a chilly night for ice cream, but at Bi-Rite Creamery, I understand why. Rain or shine, there is always a line at Bi-Rite. When I didn't think it could get any better, their new remodel includes a bakery next door! Yes! A BAKERY!!!!

What's even better about Bi-Rite is that they have the friendliest staff and are super patient about giving patrons tastes of the different flavors. The last time, however, I was being helped by this nice guy who just came back from a smoke break and I felt like could taste the remnants of his cigarrette with my Ricanelas sample as if he scooped it with his own hands. This, however, did not prevent me from getting two scoops and a pint of Burnt Caramel to go!

Side note: So...is it bad that I put spoon to pint and almost finished it by myself in one sitting?

My absolute favorites would have to be Burnt Caramel (of course...) and Roasted Banana. Scoop them in together and you get this oh-so-cream(er)y compostable (Yes, they're GREEN!!!) spoonful of goodness!

Buy a pack of chocolate cookes (or oatmeal) and eat them with your ice cream and...Enter: Nirvana.

Pizzeria Delfina; My Pizza Moment...

I never thought I'd have a "moment" with pizza...but was wrong. I had a moment at Pizzeria Delfina. I guess it's not surprising, since everyone raves about this place!

Service was awesome! The hostesses/servers we encountered were each super sweet! Even though we waited almost an hour (on a Monday night), they made sure to serve us beverages while waiting!

There were 5 of us, so what better way to experience Pizzeria Delfina for the first time than to order 5 pizzas! So, here are my thoughts:

Yes, the Margherita is good (Margherita with Hen of the Woods Mushrooms is better!) but I'm not sure it was worthy of a spot on 7x7's Big Eat. The Salsiccia (pie to the left) should have made it to the list. It's PERFECT! OMG. I think it was the fennel sausage and mozzarella that did it, coupled with the fact that it had a crispy thin crust that was to die for! The second it met my mouth, my mouth thanked me. *Moment of silence* Okay...moving on. I think I'll have to call it my favorite pizza so far.

Side note: I'm not a huge fan of sparkle(ing) water, but drop a slice of lemon in it...eat it with your pizza and you have a wonderfully balanced meal with a splash of "sparkle"! I'm sure it contributed to my Salsiccia "moment"!

The Purgatorio (pie to the right) was good too...the farm eggs were a bit distracting but paired perfectly with the spicy tomato sauce! I would have loved to see the thought process behind this one. It's such a unique combo!


The Prosciutto Pie was disappointing. I'd rather have a salad with all the arugula atop the pie (you see what I mean?). Don't get me wrong... the prosciutto was thin, salty, not too fat and oh so yummy! I pretty much raped the prosciutto off the pie, it was so good!. But it's definitely not a date night kind of pie, unless you like your date (or you) with greens sticking out of your mouth! I think it's cute...but that's just me :).

Phiz Coffee; "Wow" At First Sip...

There's finally a reason to get up (early) in the morning! I say early because I'm one of those people who usually gets up in the morning with just enough time to get to work on time. I have been inspired to get up a little early to take a detour to the amazing mecca that is PHILZ COFFEE.

Upon the very nice and informative barista's (barist-o?) recommendation, my first taste of Philz Coffee was Jacob's Wonderbar Brew. "Wow"...yes. WOW! This epic moment was followed up with "Wow's" after each sip. I couldn't help it.

Since my first experience, four days ago, I've gone back four times. Sad? Maybe. But to think of going back to regular coffee would be dreadful. I thought about going through the menu and trying each blend. So far, Jacob's Wonderbar is the best...First timer? Go with Jacob's.

With the exception of the cashier, service is excellent! The baristas are super friendly and PATIENT...which is what I love. They actually take the time to find out what you like and explain the various blends to help you find the perfect match and without a doubt, you'll find a winner. If only dating was this easy...

Dynamo Donuts and Coffee; Did Someone Say Bacon?

Let me first preface this review with this...When you say "Bacon", I say "Where"? When you say "Maple Glazed Bacon Apple Donut", I say "I'm There"! But when you say "Coffee", I say, "It better be good...".

You can probably tell that I'm a huge bacon fan (no...really?), so when I first bit into the magnificant Maple Glazed Bacon Apple Donut, I was FLOORED. No joke. FLOORED. The sweet and savory combination was perfect! But in the end...I did get the "Oy...that was too much donut for me" feeling. But totally worth it!

I also tried the Spiced Chocolate: A little on the dense side, but a great little mixture of cinnamon, sugar, chipotle and chocolate. Great with coffee, I'm sure...

The Monte Cristo is also a must, if they have it. Gruyere, Ham and Jelly? Yes. How does it taste? Exactly as it sounds. But somehow, Dynamo has managed to make it a great combination.

So. The downside? The coffee. Four Barrel was not as it was supposed to be (or how it was explained to me). It was kind of bland...sad. I'm hoping it was an off day for the french pressed coffee. Please? Nope...totally an off coffee, if you ask me. I went back again to give Four Barrel another shot and it failed me again. Oh well...Philz is a few blocks away...there's still hope!