by Franklin on August 8, 2020
#Icecreamtuesdays is over, but that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy ice cream anymore. The beauty of living in LA is getting to have ice cream in the fall and winter. This was my first time trying Persian ice cream, and for the most part, it was pretty awesome. Walking into Saffron and Rose Ice Cream, I couldn’t help but notice all of the exotic flavors.
The saffron and pistachio was amazing. The saffron had a strong flavor and the mistakable sweet, yes savory essence was playful on the tongue. Pairing it with the very sweet date ice cream was quiet nice. The cut up dried dates were very flavorful and had a nice texture to it. The texture of the actual ice cream though, may not be for everyone. It is a bit on the “stringy” side and not like a traditional ice cream. It pulls away, kind of like taffy but is ice cream nonetheless. At first, it is a bit alarming, but the unique flavors take over.
Saffron and Rose Ice Cream was a nice pit stop. The small unassuming shop in Westwood had a lot to offer. The fresh ice cream in their unique flavors was enough a reason to give it a try. Did I miss my regular double chocolate caramel ice cream? Not really. Once I finished my ice cream, I had that yearning for that unique flavor again. Even now, I can imagine the flavors, but can’t quite grasp it completely. That is the draw here. The textures and flavors of the ice cream is like no other.
by Franklin on October 1, 2014
We all know that the best churros are from Disneyland. Something about that long stick of fried dough, rolled in cinnamon and sugar is so satisfying. At Churros Calientes, they take the simple and humble churro and make it even sweeter.
We ordered the churros with a drizzle of dulce de leche on top. The churros were crunchy and soft on the inside. The dulce de leche was deliciously sweet on top, but had a grainy consistency from the sugar. It still was sweet and delicious with the churros. I’m pretty sure I still scraped off the dulce de leche off of the plate. 🙂
Next time, I want to try the Churro Grande and hot chocolate. The churro grande is a large churro that is stuffed and then drizzled with whatever you want. Yes, it is a stuffed churro. Also, the hot chocolate I hear is very rich and chocolatey. Churros Calientes seems to have churros as the only thing going for them. I think they have sandwiches and other items, but not sure if anyone eats that stuff here. The churros though are quite delicious — crunchy, sweet, and drizzled with whatever your heart desires.
by Franklin on November 5, 2012
Fonuts? What in the world is a fonut? On Their website, it give a definition. [Fo•nut] n. – A doughnut that is baked and/or steamed, never fried. The origin is from faux-donut. Well, faux means false or fake, so I guess a fonut is a fake donut. A wannabe? No. Don’t make the mistake of calling these things donuts, because they are not! Fonuts are baked, not fried. Score for those watching their waistline. They more more cake than anything else — cakes that are in the shape of a donut. Don’t let that detract you from trying these bad boys. They are good in their own way.
In this mix, you can see chocolate hazelnut (GF), maple bacon, rosemary olive oil, peanutbutter and jelly, chorizo cheddar, and red velvet. The chocolate hazelnut, for being gluten free was one of my favorites. Though it broke and fell apart in my hands, the hazelnut crumble was quite nice. The maple bacon to me had the most intense flavor. Topped with a lot of bacon, the sweet maple and salty bacon made a nice combo. The weird ones were the olive oil rosemary and chorizo cheddar. The olive oil rosemary was bland and bready — it might have well been rosemary bread. The chorizo cheddar was interesting — it had a nice spice with cheddar, but still more bread than, dare I say, “donut”. The peanutbutter and jelly was familiar and a good take on the fonut experience. And of course, you can’t go wrong with red velvet, though, you are better off getting the cupcake next door at Doughboys.
The experience at Fonuts was a positive one. When I ate them at Taste of LA event was much better. Their fake donuts were addicting and rich in flavor. This time around though, only the sweets were considered — the savory fonuts were a total miss. Maybe my brain is geared to think that donuts, I mean, fonuts are supposed to be sweet and the thought of a savory donut is totally rejected by my brain. Honestly though, they are quite tasty. Considering these are baked not fried (super healthy) and still sweet and tasty, that is a feat in itself. I can see myself drinking my morning brew with fonut in hand. Maybe fake isn’t so bad after all.
by Franklin on January 19, 2012
I am a sucker for dessert. Cakes, pies, ice cream, you name it. Sweet Lady Jane has something special. In this small coffee shop and bakery, they offer gourmet coffees and dessert items. Walking in, it was a bit quaint and could only sit a handful of people. I just got some desserts to go to enjoy after dinner. One dessert, I shall forever put on my favorites list. The other, I would probably pass on it next time around. At the end of the day, Sweet Lady Jane is an awesome stop for a sweet treat.
It doesn’t look good, but it is so amazing. The Oreo Tiramisu was exactly what it is — Oreo and Tiramisu. This might be my most favorite dessert ever. There were Oreo chunks inside as well as some kind of chocolate cake/cookie. The cream was an indulgence in itself. The best part was the hint of coffee taste. Each bite led me to the next, which led me to want more and more. It was addicting — kind of scary. The cream mixed in with some cake bits, mixed in with some cookie, mixed in with some more cream — this was just pure bliss.
The triple berry cake was kind of a disappointment, though it was tasty. The cake was moist, yet crumbly, but overly sweet. The fruit was fresh and delicious in itself. Sadly though, the cake didn’t entice me as much as the Oreo Tiramisu. I’d say the berry cake at Alcove Cafe & Bakery was more desirable.
I bough a chocolate covered macaroon and ate it in the car. I couldn’t wait to take a picture, but I will say, it was delicious. Kind of oily and sweet like a baklava, but good. I’ll stop by Sweet Lady Jane when I am in the area for some more of that Oreo Tiramisu though. I might want to try some of their other desserts as well, especially some of Jane’s favorites. But of course, the Oreo Tiramisu will always be an item to order.
