Extraordinary Desserts

I have driven past this place numerous times over the years, but finally stopped in to try some of their desserts. Highly acclaimed pastry chef, Karen Krasne is the proprietor. She has been named as one of the Top 10 Pastry Chefs of the country in years past.

There is a distinct Hawaiian undertone in many of the desserts, no doubt a product of her years spent in Hawaii while getting her undergrad degree.


The Viking is a chocolate lover's dream. Moist and light chocolate cake is separated by layers of Chocolate Creme Brulee and Milk Chocolate Whipped Cream. Surrounded by Crushed Almond Praline makes one go into a wonderfully blissful diabetic coma. A chocolate dipped salted caramel almond finishes off the garnish.

Superb craftsmanship can be seen in every dessert. Tropical flowers and gold leaf don most of the desserts as well.

My only complaints? The line is achingly slow. No doubt by everyone in line not being able to make up their mind of what to order. With only one cash register, this could be easily remedied. The desserts here, although top notch, are more expensive than what you would find in most restaurants.



Extraordinary Desserts
2929 5th Street
San Diego, CA 92103
(619) 294-2132

Porto's Bakery

Porto’s Bakery has been a part of the Glendale community for as long as I can remember. Over the years they have expanded into what is now a huge space that encompasses two dining areas along with limited outdoor seating. When you step into Porto’s you are greeted by organized chaos. Empty tables are hard to find and are at a premium on the weekends. As you walk towards the bakery section, there is a long line that snakes through a roped off section. They have recently done away with their “take a number” system, which I think is a mistake as it is much easier for people to cut in line now, and that could really result in a mob scene.

The Cheese Roll is everyone’s favorite. In fact, they are so popular that they were sold out of the regular size Cheese Roll’s on my visit. I had to settle for the “party size”, which is quite a steal when $10 gets you 25 of these delectable pastries. These croissant-like pastries are topped with large nuggets of sugar to give it some sweetness. Inside of its honeycomb structure of butter and flour is a thick stream of cream cheese. The super flaky pastry is like biting into a nice buttery sponge. And the interplay of the sugary top mixed in with the tanginess of the cream cheese will surely make your eyes roll to the back of your head.

The Chocolate Croissant is a gigantic pastry of rich buttery goodness that is dipped in sweet chocolate on both ends. The croissant is finished with an egg wash before being baked to give it a nice golden brown hue. Beneath its crunchy exterior lies a light and airy interior that is as soft as a baby’s bottom. Like fingers in a gold mine, two veins of chocolate run the length of the croissant.

Porto’s has much more than pastries and desserts to offer. They also have a wide selection of sandwiches to choose from. The ever popular potato balls are also a winner. If you have never visited Porto’s you are missing out on a great culinary adventure.

Porto’s Bakery
315 N. Brand Blvd.
Glendale, CA 91203
(818) 956-5996

Frio Divino

This Mexican ice cream store has been around for a little over a year. I have always been curious about the place but never ventured in until this past heat wave struck. The sweltering heat and overbearing humidity veered me in the direction of Frio Divino to try some of their delectable treats.

The assortment of ice cream is rather limited, as the ice cream is made on the premises and they want to use the best available ingredients so production is made in small batches. I was expecting a wider assortment of "Mexican" flavors, but there was enough diversity to peak my interest and taste buds.


The Guanabana, or Soursop, (top scoop) has a very fresh and fruity flavor. The Guanabana tastes very much like guava with just a hint of melon, perhaps honeydew. The ice cream is very light and does not have a heavy mouth feel.

The Mamey (pink scoop) is an oblong melon with a reddish hue. The flavor has been said to be similar to pumpkin; a combination of pumpkin, chocolate and almond; or sweet potato, avocado and honey. The ice cream flavor profile of the Mamey tastes like a combination of strawberries and bananas, but has a slightly starchy mouth feel.

The Horchata ice cream has a strong cinnamon flavor. After a couple of bites, the subtlety of the rice begins to come through. A slightly starchy mouth feel can also be discerned with this ice cream, but does not get in the way of the enjoyment of the ice cream.


The Pistachio ice cream is topped with fresh crushed pistachio's. The ice cream is not sweet, like many store bought brands are. The distinct flavor of pistachio bursts through, with the sugary sweetness playing a supporting role. The only negative I had with this ice cream was that it was a little bit icy, which detracted from the expected creamy texture that the other scoops of ice cream had.

I would consider Frio Divino to be a boutique type of ice cream place. Small batches are made on the premises using only the freshest ingredients. For flavors that are normally hard to come by, Frio Divino is a nice choice.


Frio Divino
6200 Van Buren Blvd.
Riverside, CA 92503
(951) 689-1596

Beverly's Best Bakery

A review has been written on OC Food Blogs. The entire review and pictures can be found here.

Patisserie Chantilly

With the influx of Beard Papa popping up almost as fast as Pinkberry franchises all over the Southland, one can easily overlook what many consider to be the best cream puff around. Where is that you might ask? At Patisserie Chantilly in Lomita. Set in a small strip mall, what you see on the outside is a mirage. The center has seen better days, but step inside Patisserie Chantilly and you enter another world. Very sleek and modern, you can tell that you are in a bakery different than any other you have set foot in before.

The cream puffs are made to order and come in two varieties, vanilla and sesame. Unlike many cream puffs, these are split in half and are generously filled with a custard and whipped cream mixture.

The Choux a la Crème shell is baked to a deep golden brown to give it an extra added crunch. It is fairly eggy and tender on the inside. The luscious and delicate filling is very subtle in flavor, but the vanilla still shines through. It is then dusted with powdered sugar to give it a slight sweetness. Like most Asian pastries, these are not overly sweet.

The Choux aux Sesame is a black sesame cream filling drizzled with mesquite honey and dusted with kinako (roasted, ground soy flour). The black sesame seeds give the cream puff a definite nutty flavor and added texture component. The sesame flavor tended to overwhelm the delicate nature of the cream, and this didn’t really appeal to me.

The Goma Blanc Manger, a white sesame flavored cream with a kinako sauce. This is a very attractive dish. The cream comes in a kidney shaped dish and is topped with white and black sesame seeds. Not really a custard, the texture was a little off putting to me. It reminded me off mixing scrambled eggs and yogurt together. The kinako sauce is fairly sweet, which helps accentuate the sesame cream. The contrast of the white sesame cream and the roasted kinako sauce helped to mask some of the blandness of the cream.

The Lavender Macaroon is a very attractive looking cookie. It has a very delicate texture, although there is somewhat of a crunch to it which quickly melts in your mouth. A definite floral quality is present. There is a thing layer separating the halves of the macaroon, but I was unable to distinguish what it was.

The Chocolate Macaroon also has that delicate quality to it. Crunchy on the outside, it quickly becomes soft as a pillow once bitten in to. A whisper of chocolate touches your tongue as you first taste but becomes a little bolder on the palate as you continue to eat it. There is a slight bitterness from the dark chocolate that sneaks up and hits the back of your throat. A thin layer of chocolate glues both halves of the cookie together.

Patisserie Chantilly
2383 Lomita Blvd., #104
Lomita, CA 90717
(310) 257-9454

Cream Pan

Going in search of something that every one raves about far and wide, usually leads to disappointment. Everyone on both Chowhound and Yelp praise the Strawberry Croissant at Cream Pan to be the best pastry item ever invented. Ironically located in the same parking lot as Bally’s gym, I wonder how many people exit the gym and head straight to Cream Pan as a “reward” for a good workout.

Several display cases greet you warmly as you enter, certainly whetting your appetite from the get go. Racks of bread and other pastry items adorn one side, while a refrigerated case line the back wall. The space is very tiny, maybe 10 people can fit in there but it would certainly be crowded.

The Katsu sandwich is a nice thick breaded cutlet that is covered in a sweet and slightly sour katsu sauce. Lettuce and a couple slices of cucumber finish the sandwich. It is set in a roll with a slightly sweet taste, like Kings Hawaiian bread “light”. The sandwich is good, although I think it would be better if it were served hot. A microwave is accessible inside the store, but I think nuking it would harden the bread.

The Croquette Sandwich is a thick mashed potato patty that is about the size of a hockey puck. The croquette is mixed in with various spices, breaded and topped with the same sweet and sour katsu sauce. It is finished with a lettuce leaf and shredded cabbage to add some textural crunch.

The Caramel Custard comes in a nice little cup and comes with a caramel sauce that is the end result of being cooked in a caramel base, much like flan. The custard is rich and thick and is very “eggy”. The caramel is a deep mahogany color with a very distinct “burnt” flavor. If you like your custard in this fashion, this will certainly be to your liking.

The Chocolate Horn is sort of a disappointment. The bread is rather thick and dense, but still has that faint sweetness to it. The inside is filled with a rich filling of dark chocolate and whipped cream. The filling is rather sweet, but the bitter undertones of the dark chocolate help to quell the sweetness. The horn is then dipped in chocolate. Like the filling, the chocolate topping is on the sweet side.

The Azuki Cream Pan marries a croissant and an An Pan together. The rich, buttery and flaky pastry envelopes a large dollop of whipped cream under which a thick mound of azuki beans lie. Some of the azuki beans still have a little bit of bite to them. The crunch of the croissant crust is a perfect textural contrast to the whipped cream.

The star attraction and favorite of many is the Strawberry Croissant. Take a rich, buttery and flaky croissant, cut open a little pocket add a thick, creamy custard and top it with a few slices of strawberries and some confectioners sugar. What could be better? Not much, to tell you the truth. This sublime pastry is not overly sweet at all. The custard is mildly sweet and the confectioners sugar is offset by the tartness of the strawberries. This presentation opens up a Pandora’s box of other types of croissants, blueberry, peach, etc.

There are still a few types of pastries I would like to try, but after this sampling the best of the bunch are the Azuki Cream Pan and the Strawberry Croissant. This little hidden gem has gained fans from all over.

Cream Pan
602 El Camino Real
Tustin, CA 92870
(714) 665-8239

Glacier Ice Cream & Gelato

Only open a short time in Manhattan Beach, Glacier Ice Cream & Gelato has picked up a big following in Colorado and to a somewhat lesser degree in Las Vegas. The space is fun and funky, which fits in with the beachy atmosphere just a few steps away.

The staff is very friendly and generous with samples. They have many flavors available at any one time most of which seem to have either chocolate, caramel or Oreo’s in the mix. Donald, the co-owner, is super friendly and wanted to know how we heard about them. I told them that they have gotten very good reviews on Chowhound. He came over and talked to us for a while, and even offered us a free cup of coffee and gave us some coupons for free scoops of ice cream in the future. He reminds me a lot of Dan at Fredo’s Phillys, a real nice guy who is very appreciative of the recognition that their product is receiving. Asked why they have a lot of ice creams contained Oreos, he said he though that it went well with a lot of their flavors. In addition to being co-owner, Donald, is also the “chef” of all their ice creams and gelatos. You can tell he takes pride in the ice cream and gelatos he makes daily.

The Banana ice cream tastes like a frozen banana that I used to enjoy as a kid. Lots of real bananas are infused into the ice cream, which is very refreshing on a cool summer day. The ice cream is not too sweet, as the bananas used are at their peak of flavor.

The Chocolate Peanut Butter ice cream is a mix of dark chocolate ice cream with peanut butter swirled into the mix. This is a very rich ice cream, but is a little bit on the sweeter side. The peanut butter helps to cut the sweetness as does the bitter after taste of the chocolate. This is a great combination, and when eaten in conjunction with the Banana ice cream is a heavenly mixture.

The Banana Caramel Crunch combines caramel and banana ice cream with the crunchy texture of Oreos. The caramel comes to the forefront while the banana plays a supporting role. The texture contrast of the Oreos is a nice surprise.

The Funky Monkey is a base of banana ice cream with peanut butter and chocolate bits. It’s reminiscent of Ben & Jerry’s Chunky Monkey with the addition of peanut butter. The light and refreshing banana ice cream is offset with the peanut butter and chocolate, but this is also a winning combination.

Overall, the ice cream at Glacier is top notch. The ice cream is creamier and denser than that of Fosselman’s but is also a little sweeter. While Fosselman’s has a lot of fruit flavors and those that are more subtle, Glacier has much bolder flavors on their menu. If you’re in the area, definitely try Glacier out.

Glacier Ice Cream & Gelato
1605 N. Sepulveda Blvd.
Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
(310) 545-9730

Cafe Du Monde

One of the classical icons of New Orleans, Cafe Du Monde has been around since 1862. They are open 24 hours a day except for Christmas. One of the great things about Cafe Du Monde and New Orleans in general is that you get people from all walks of life, and the later you go the more varied the cast of characters you are likely to meet. Go after midnight and you can bet your bottom dollar that everyone is trying to sober up after a long night of drinking.

The beignets come three to an order. Shaped in squares, these fabulously fried pieces of dough are then given a liberal sprinkling of powdered sugar. Cooked to a nice golden brown on the outside, and moist airy and a bit dense on the inside, these are perfect for either filling you up or absorbing some of the alcohol in your system.

After placing our order and taking a seat at one of the tables, our waitress arrived shortly after being seated. The beignets arrived piping hot, fresh out of the fryer despite it being 3 AM. We started talking to her and she told us this story of two guys coming to Cafe Du Monde each with a gallon of milk in hand. They both proceeded to eat 48 beignets (16 orders) each while each polishing off the gallon of milk. Like I said, who knows who you're likely to run into here.

Come for the beignets, stay for the atmosphere!



Cafe Du Monde
800 Decatur Street
New Orleans, LA 70116
(504) 525-4544

Leonard's Bakery

We're here! We're here!

"Huh? Where?"




We've arrived at the Temple of Temptation, Leonard's Bakery and their world famous malasadas.

"But, it's just a donut."

Shut your mouth before Pele gets mad and lava suddenly starts spewing beneath your feet. In fact, let me move over a few steps because I don't want any lava shrapnel coming my way in case you really pissed her off.

Leonard's and malasadas are synonymous and go hand in hand, just like peanut butter and jelly, fish and chips, etc.


The malasadas are a hole-less donut akin to a jelly donut, but oh so much more. They are fried to a deep golden brown and dusted in sugar. There is not a hint of oil to be found in one of these magical mounds of dough. They have a slight crunch to the outside and are light, airy and moist on the inside.

The chocolate malasadas are filled with a thick, rich creamy pudding with a deep chocolate flavor. The pudding is not overly sweet but has just enough sweetness to make you stand up and take notice.

The vanilla cream malasadas are similar to the chocolate malasadas but are filled with a vanilla pudding. Again, these malasadas are top notch.

If you are a coconut lover, the haupia malasadas are filled with a intensely flavored coconut cream filling. These tropical delights have Hawaii written all over them.

I'm not sure what makes the malasadas at Leonard's so special. Maybe they employ Menehune in the back to make and fry up the malasadas.



Leonard's Bakery
933 Kapahulu Ave
Honolulu, HI 96816
(808) 737-5591

Tex Drive-In

Tex was regarded as one of the Top 10 donut shops in the US a few years ago. I'm still trying to figure out why. The malasadas came out fresh from the fryer, but was still greasy and had a very heavy texture. The plain malasadas are just topped with sugar, while other malasadas have different fillings.

The plain malasada was less greasy and dense than the filled ones, but had a mild burnt oil taste, like it hadn't been changed for a while.

The custard filled malasada was heavy and greasy. The custard filling was pretty good, and had a rich vanilla flavor. The combination of the two, however, was too much for one person to eat that many.


Tex Drive In
45-690 Pakalana St.
Honokaa, HI 96727
(808) 775-0598

Beard Papa

This is the second Beard Papa that I have been to, so naturally a comparison is in order. The exterior is very similar, nice and crunchy on the outside, and light and airy on the inside. These cream puffs were a sorta flat, like a French pastry type of UFO. The pastry shell had an off taste though, sort of like rancid oil. The cream had a rather unpleasant gritty texture and not much flavor. Specks of vanilla bean could be discerned in the filling, however, I seriously doubt they used real vanilla beans while making the custard.


Overall, the cream puffs at this Beard Papa location was a huge disappointment.


Beard Papa
301 W Valley Blvd. #105
San Gabriel, CA 91778
(626) 282-3089

Auntie Em's Kitchen

Already being well regarded for their Red Velvet Cupcakes, Auntie Em’s Kitchen gained even more notoriety after spotlighted on Throwdown with Bobby Flay recently. Auntie Em’s Kitchen is known for their moist cupcakes with a sweet cream cheese frosting, but not cloyingly so. They are also known for have cupcakes that are larger in size than most. For their price point, they are definitely a bargain compared to Sprinkles.

Arriving later in the day, I was disappointed to find out that they were sold out of the Red Velvet Cupcakes. I did, however, decide to get one each of the remaining three types of cupcakes that they did have left: Coconut, Carrot Cake and Chocolate.

The Coconut Cupcake is a yellowish cake with a slight hint of lemon flavor to it. The cupcake is topped with a cream cheese frosting and sprinkled with shredded coconut to finish things off. The cake itself is heavy, dense and noticeably greasy. It could be that the oil started to render out after being on display for most of the day. The cake is not sweet in the slightest bit. The cream cheese frosting is sweet, but not cloyingly so. The shredded coconut atop the frosting is not sweetened otherwise this would be a diabetics worst nightmare. The combination of the cake and frosting eaten together changes the whole complexion of the cupcake. Somehow, the cake doesn’t seem as dense, heavy and greasy but transforms into a light ethereal cupcake. The intentional blandness of the cake helps to cut down on the sweetness of the frosting and this turns out to be a delightful little treat.

Like the coconut cupcake, the Chocolate Cupcake was a little dry inside. I attribute this to the cupcakes being left on display the entire day. The cake was not heavy like the coconut cupcake was. The frosting on its own is not too sweet, but sweet enough to put you into a diabetic coma on the spot. The frosting is very light in texture and is made out of dark chocolate which helped to cut down on the sweetness of the frosting. The combination of the two together is a nice mixture of light whipped dark chocolate frosting with the dense deep chocolate flavor of the cake.

The Carrot Cake Cupcake was still moist. The cake was filled with carrots, walnuts and pineapple chunks. The cake itself is not too heavy and had a light cinnamon taste. The spices did not overpower the cake by any means. The frosting is cream cheese based, and like the coconut cupcake was not overly sweet and still had a little tang to it from the cream cheese. The combination of the cupcake as a whole has a nice balance from the sweetness of the pineapple and frosting, spiciness of the cake, the crunch from the walnuts and the zing from the cream cheese.

I would like to get some more cupcakes from Auntie Em’s Kitchen early in the morning at some point in time, so I know what they taste like when they’re freshly made.

Auntie Em’s Kitchen
4616 Eagle Rock Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90041
(323) 255-0800

Maggie Moo's

With a bevy of new restaurants and other businesses popping up in the new Crossroads Entertainment Complex, Maggie Moo's has joined other businesses such as Harkins Theaters, Juice It Up!, Que Paso, a new medical building complex and a Hampton Inn.

Another contender in the marble slab/mix in ice creamery, Maggie Moo’s is slowly making its way into California. While most locations are in San Diego and Orange Counties, a few are popping up in other places.

Although the mix ins are a good idea in theory because you can customize your ice cream, I now think of it as more of a marketing ploy. I think the mix ins detracts from the ice cream, and I wonder if these types of places are trying to hide the fact that their ice cream may be less than premium. You know, the fact that the flavor and richness of their ice cream can’t stand on their own. High end super premium ice creams will be made with very few ingredients allowing the quality of each ingredient to shine on its own.

Some of the ice cream at Maggie Moo’s looks like it’s been made in a nuclear reactor because of their bright and fluorescent colors. The Twizzlers is a shocking bright red, like a pool of fake arterial blood; and the Very Yellow Marshmallow is a disturbing shade of yellow, like somebody blew up Tweety Bird and turned him into ice cream.

The peanut butter is a rarity to find. Many places have a variation of peanut butter, such as peanut butter and chocolate, but not straight peanut butter. Maggie Moo’s makes their peanut butter ice cream with the addition of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. It has a strong peanut butter taste, but it doesn’t taste like fresh ground peanuts. I could not discern any chocolate taste from the Reese’s, so in my estimation it’s still a pure peanut butter ice cream. The ice cream leaves a greasy mouth feel, which I believe is from the peanut butter and not how the ice cream is made.

The Espresso Bean ice cream has a strong coffee flavor with specks of ground coffee beans infused in the ice cream. The sweetness of the ice cream offsets the bitterness of the coffee beans. Unlike the peanut butter ice cream, the espresso bean ice cream leaves no oily after taste.

The ice cream at Maggie Moo’s is on par with what you’d find at Cold Stone Creamery. It will do in a pinch, but I’d rather wait for $1 scoop night at Baskin Robbins for this type of ice cream, or wait and go to Fosselman’s or Lappert’s for the truly super premium stuff.

Maggie Moo’s
3090 Chino Ave.
Chino, CA 91709
(909) 628-5368

Italian Tomato

The Japanese bakery with the funny Italian name, the Italian Tomato is situated in the food court of the Mitsuwa Marketplace in Costa Mesa. The Italian Tomato is half café and half bakery. The bakery portion has a small but impressive looking line-up.

The Maccha Tiramisu was something that I had never seen before, so I thought, why not. The worse I could do was being out $4.00. The best, find an impressive new pastry.

The Tiramisu is made up of two layers of genoise cake sandwiching a white chocolate mousse layer. The top layer of cake is then covered with whipped cream and then sprinkled liberally with green tea powder.

The genoise cake was light, moist and had a rich, yet subtle vanilla flavor.

The white chocolate mousse was very light; not heavy at all. The white chocolate was folded into whipped cream to lighten up the filling.

The combination of flavors may sound good in theory, but sadly, this missed the mark badly to me.

I am not a big white chocolate fan, and the heavy use of green tea powder gave the whole thing a sort of bitter after taste. This dessert does have a very subtle flavor, so if you’re looking for an over the top type of dessert, this one probably won’t do the trick.

I also had the cream puff ($1.50). The pastry shell is cut in half and a generous serving of pastry cream fills the middle. Compared to Beard Papa, this pastry shell is a little heavier. The pastry cream is a little heavier than Beard Papa as well. This type of filling was more to my liking, as I prefer an almost pudding like filling. The pastry cream at the Italian Tomato is also a little flatter too, as it is a very straightforward vanilla flavor. Beard Papa, in comparison, has a crème brulee type taste. This is not a bad cream puff, and if I were in the area again, I would be happy picking up one of these.

Italian Tomato
Mitsuwa Marketplace
665 Paularino Ave.
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
(714) 557-6699

Fosselman's Ice Cream Co.

Fosselman’s has been churning out ice cream for over 80 years. It has won numerous awards and is considered an institution. All ice cream is made on the premises. This is super premium ice cream (16% butterfat) and does not contain any preservatives. They use only top quality ingredients and fresh fruits in their ice creams, sherbet and sorbet. They typically have over 40 flavors at any one time, and this can change daily depending on the season and what’s available.

Their Banana Walnut Ice Cream is made with fresh bananas and big chunks of walnuts. There are small chunks of bananas throughout their ice cream, and biting into one of these nuggets is a real treat. It has a smooth mouth feel, and melts slowly in your mouth. The ice cream is not overly sweet, but its subtlety is part of its charm.

The Lychee Ice Cream is another spectacular treat. Mixed in throughout the ice cream are small pieces of lychee fruit. Upon putting in my mouth, I really didn’t taste anything, just a creamy, delicate top notch ice cream. As the ice cream ran down my throat, big waves of lychee flavor exploded in my mouth. It tastes like a fresh picked lychee, full of flavor, strongly sweet then slowly dissipating leaving that wonderful taste on your palate.

The Taro Ice Cream has a shockingly purple hue for those who don’t know what taro looks like. For those who have tried poi before, don’t worry; it tastes nothing like poi. It has a slightly earthy taste upon hitting the palate, but then quickly mellows out into a creamy, slightly sweet treat. Upon first tasting it, it had a strong coconut like flavor, and one would think that this was actually coconut ice cream with a Barney-like purple disguise. Upon further tasting, one can distinguish the taro taste coming out. There are also very small pieces of taro throughout the ice cream. When I first ran across one of the taro pieces upon eating, I had to take it out of my mouth to make sure it wasn’t coconut. After being re-assured that it wasn’t coconut, the whispery taste of taro could be discerned.

It’s hard to call yourself an ice cream fan if you haven’t tried Fosselman’s. The employees are super friendly, and being in their small store gives you a sense of nostalgia.

Fosselman’s Ice Cream Co.
1824 W. Main St.
Alhambra, CA 91801
(626) 282-6533

Joe's Italian Ice

Located near Disneyland, this 5-year-old spot has been cooling customers during the hot summer months. An offshoot of the Philadelphia Joe's Italian ice, their delicious Italian Ice is slowly gaining popularity. In what looks like an old taco stand with an over the top Italian colored awning, this unassuming business churns out some delicious treats. Their Italian ice is like a very refined Slurpee, but that description doesn't do it justice. It is made with fresh fruit juice and the texture and mouth feel is similar to ice cream but without the dairy. It is very refreshing; just the thing to hit the spot on a hot day.

The Strawberries and Cream Italian Ice, tastes like peak of the season strawberries mixed in with thick, heavy cream. It is not overly sweet, but has a dense texture like ice cream. As the fine ice crystals melt in your mouth, the flavors get more intense and burst like a Starburst fruit rainbow.

If you haven't given this place a try, it's definitely worth a try. The next time you're near Disneyland, drop by Joe's to start the day off right, or to end the day on a high note.



Joe's Italian Ice
12302 Harbor Boulevard
Garden Grove, CA 92840
(714) 750-1076

Beard Papa

Located in the Puente Hills Mall, Beard Papa's has gained fans from several locations throughout the country including California, Hawaii and New York.

One of the unique things about Beard Papa's is that their cream puffs are filled to order. The shells are baked throughout the day. By filling the cream puffs when the customer places an order the cream puffs don't get soggy, as they tend to get if they sit around for long periods of time.

There are three flavor of cream puffs to choose from: Vanilla, Chocolate and Coffee.

The cream puff shells are crunchy and flaky on the outside, and soft on the inside.

The vanilla filling is light and fluffy, a mixture of custard and whipped cream, or so it appears. The cream also has a distinct creme brulee flavor, without the burnt sugar topping. Although good, I wasn't too fond of this cream puff, because I like the filling to be really a really thick custard, almost like pudding.

The chocolate cream puffs are dusted with a small amount of cocoa powder, giving you a sign of whats to come when you bite into the cream puff. The filling is also light and airy. The chocolate flavor is prevalent although not overbearing. The cream had an unusual grainy texture, as if the vanilla cream and chocolate weren't thoroughly mixed before being ready to serve.

The cream puffs at Beard Papa's have a nice contrast between the crunchy puff and light and airy cream. These are ideal when you want to something sweet, but not too heavy.


Beard Papa's
Puente Hills Mall
1600 Azusa Avenue #160
City Of Industry, CA 91748
(626) 839-1240

Chocolate Mochi

Picked up a few pieces of Fugetsu-do's chocolate mochi at the Cherry Blossom Festival in Monterey Park. They are about the size of a silver dollar pancake. The mochi is almost the color of milk chocolate with a dusting of corn starch. The mochi is pillowy soft and has a nice chew to it. It has a subtle yet distinctive chocolate flavor.

The surprise is when you get to the middle of the mochi where there is a soft, fudge like chocolate center. It reminds me of the dobash at King's Hawaiian Bakery.

Don't know how long the chocolate mochi has been around, but the next time I'm in J town, I'll be sure to pick some more up

Fugetsu-do Confectioners
315 East First St.
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 625-8595