Johanna N.Y. Franklin

I was asked to compile a list of places I've been to for desserts and the like, so here it is. The order is indicative of that of the English alphabet and not of my preferences.

Argentina Austria Canada Chile France Germany Italy Japan Mexico New Zealand Romania Singapore South Africa United Kingdom United States

Argentina

Buenos Aires

• Cadore, Av. Corrientes 1695 (Centro)
  Very intense flavors, including some unusual and interesting ones: the kinotos al whisky stands out to me as especially delicious and intriguing. (May 2013)

• Iberia, Av. de Mayo 1496
  It's really a cafe, but I'm listing it here because it has very nice hot chocolate and medialunas. I've been told that the quality can be somewhat uneven, but everything was delicious the night I was there... so clearly, the answer is that if you go here, you should take me along. (May 2013)

• Tufic, Guatemala 4597 (Palermo)
  Though the flavors are rather standard for Buenos Aires, the quality is uniformly excellent. (May 2013)

Austria

Vienna

• Cafe Residenz, Schloss Schoenbrunn
  Come for the palace, but stay and sit with a plate of apfelstrudel and a melange. The Strudelshow is silly and touristy, but I do feel like I learned something about strudel dough there... (June 2013)

• Cafe Sacher, Hotel Sacher, Philharmonikerstrasse 4
  The Original Sachertorte, of course! A pot of Assam goes very well with it. (June 2013)

• Cafe Restaurant Griensteidl, Michaelerplatz 2
  While this is a full-service restaurant, it's also a lovely place to go for a slice of cake and a pot of tea. (June 2015)

• Confiserie Heindl, multiple locations
  A nice chocolate shop with some relatively hard-to-find products. (June 2015)

• Eis-Griessler, multiple locations (Mariahilferstrasse 33)
  Very nice quality ice cream, largely organic, with a good selection of vegan options. Flavors are pretty standard, but the sour cream-blueberry was interesting and especially good. (July 2014)

• Eissalon Tuchlauben, Tuchlaben 15
  Wonderfully creamy and delicious ice cream. Mostly standard flavors, but the macaron ice cream was a delight and a treat. (June 2013)

• Oberlaa, multiple locations (Naschmarkt 175)
  While I didn't try any of the truffles or macarons, the apricot tart was lovely. (July 2014)

• Schoko Company, Naschmarkt 326
  I didn't try the ice cream, but this is a great source for Zotter chocolate. Pro tip: If you're going to buy a Mitzi Blue, look at the ring of cardboard discs that show you what each of them looks like in advance. (June 2015)

Canada

Banff

• COWS Banff, multiple locations (138 Banff Avenue Unit #111)
  Delicious ice cream with fun twists on classic flavors. The Gooey Mooey was tasty. (March 2023)

Calgary

• Hoopla Donuts, multiple locations (69 7a Street NE)
  Good doughnuts, some vegan, all interesting. I'd never expected to have a churro doughnut! Nice coffees and teas, too. (March 2023)

Kitchener/Waterloo

• Anna Tolazzi, Kitchener Market
  Lovely little chocolates in very interesting flavors with very fresh ingredients! (June 2018)

• The Silver Spoon, 217 King Street West, Kitchener (Closed)
  A very nice chocolate shop with a cafe attached. They serve different flavors of hot chocolate every day. Their ice cream is nice and creamy, too. (April 2010)

• Whole Lotta Gelata, 120 King Street South, Waterloo (Closed)
  Good gelato, naturally. I like the honey basil and the lemon poppyseed. There's also a decent cafe menu. (June 2010)

Niagara Falls

• Sweet Jesus, multiple locations (5875 Falls Avenue)
  Interesting topping combos over good quality soft-serve. (June 2018)

Toronto

• The Big Chill, 367 Manning Avenue
  A little ice cream shop, open only seasonally. I like the standard ice cream flavors better than the "exotic" ones. (October 2009)

• Clafouti, 915 Queen Street W.
  A patisserie/cafe with minimal seating. The croissants are their specialty, but the desserts are delicious too, especially a lemon tart and a most excellent Bing cherry clafouti. I was sadly disappointed by the chocolate. (December 2009)

• Greg's Ice Cream, 750 Spadina Avenue (entrance on Bloor)
  The smoothest and creamiest ice cream I've found in Toronto. I love the spice flavors, especially cardamom and star anise. And the eggnog. (April 2010)

• Future Bakery and Cafe, 483 Bloor Street W
  I've been told it's the best place to go for a slice of chocolate cake and a beer in Toronto. The chocolate cakes are pretty good (moist and densely chocolatey), and I suspect it really is the best place in the city to go if you want both. (November 2009)

Chile

Santiago

• Emporio La Rosa, multiple locations (Emporio Mall Espacio M and Lastarria 71)
  While the standard flavors like the chocolates were delightful, I was captivated by the fruit flavors like the raspberry mint. (December 2018)

• Xoco Por Ti, Av. Italia 1634
  Wow. The chocolate drinks were good, and the ice cream was amazing, but the 100% chocolate shot was perhaps the most delicious thing I tried in Chile. (December 2018)

France

Marseille

• Maison de la Glace, 94 rue Sainte
  A little ice cream and sorbet shop. I liked the apricot and cassis sorbets. (July 2009)

Paris

• A la mere de famille, multiple locations (35 rue du Faubourg)
  Nice chocolates with interesting flavors, but some of the flavors like the Szechuan peppercorn aren't very strong. The ice cream, on the other hand, was excellent. I think it was the tartest lemon I've ever had. (June 2016)

• Angelina, 226 rue de Rivoli
  A wonderful tea room with an attached pastry shop. The signature drink is L'Africain and is very likely the most lovely cup of drinking chocolate I've ever had. The macarons are very nice, too. (June 2016)

• Berthillon, 29-31 rue Saint-Louis en l'Ile
  Ice cream with incredibly deep and rich flavors. The peach and cinnamon were amazing. (June 2016)

• Cacao et Chocolat, multiple locations (36 rue Vieille du Temple)
  Chocolates for sale and ice cream and drinking chocolate that you can take away. The drinking chocolate was nice and smooth and the chocolates were well done, but the flavors weren't especially noticeable. (July 2010)

• Christophe Roussel, multiple locations (5 rue Tardieu)
  Nice chocolates. My companion refused to share his raspberry-blackcurrant chocolate. I can only assume it was mind blowing. My Earl Grey was nice but not as impressive. (June 2016)

• de Neuville, multiple locations (30 rue Daguerre)
  Very nice truffles, especially the fruit-flavored ones, and the liqueur-filled chocolates were especially well done. (June 2016)

• Ladurée, multiple locations (21 Rue Bonaparte)
  An elegant little tearoom and pastry shop. I tried and liked the Plaisirs Sucrés in the tearoom, and the mini-macarons from the shop were wonderful. (July 2010)

• Michel Chaudun, multiple locations (149 rue de l'Universitée)
  Beautifully smooth chocolates. I tried one standard dark chocolate and one flavored with honey, and both were lovely. (July 2010)

• Patrick Roger, multiple locations (108 boulevard Saint-Germain)
  More beautiful chocolates. The lime-mint was the most interesting flavor I tried, and the standard dark chocolates were perfect. (July 2010)

Germany

Heidelberg

• Eis Roma, Fischmarkt 5
  Good, basic ice cream flavors in a nice location. I especially liked the cherry. (June 2015)

• Schmelzpunkt, Hauptstrasse 90
  An ice cream and chocolate shop. The basic ice cream flavors are tasty, and the interesting ones are really well crafted (for instance, the basil-lime). The chocolate bars shouldn't be neglected, either. I can speak very well of the caramel cranberry. (June 2015)

Italy

Milan

• Il Massimo del Gelato, Via Lodovico Castelvetro 18
  By far the best gelato I had in Milan. The chocolates I had were wonderful (the Aztec was truly spicy), the peach was a true peach, and the cinnamon was a very subtle cinnamon. (July 2013)

• Peck, Via Spadari 9
  A delightful shop with all sorts of foods. The desserts are very good, especially the little tarts, and the gelato is nice but not fantastic. (July 2013)

• La Rinascente, Piazza Duomo
  A department store with a very nice food market on the top floor. The truffles at the chocolate counter are very tasty—the limoncello truffles are especially delicious. It's also worth browsing through the chocolate bar selection. (July 2013)

Venice

• Gelateria Alaska, Calle Larga dei Bari, 1159, Santa Croce
  A wonderfully experimental gelato shop with very fresh ingredients. The ginger gelato tasted perfectly of fresh ginger, and I'm very glad to have tried their arugula-orange gelato, too. (July 2018)

• Suso, Calle della Bissa, San Marco
  Excellent quality, creamy gelato. I loved the chocolate, the caramel toffee, and the fig and walnut. (July 2018)

• VizioVirtù, Castello 5988
  A chocolate gelato that is a dark chocolate bar transformed into gelato perfectly. (July 2018)

Udine

• Il Morettino, multiple locations (Piazza I Maggio, 1)
  Quality gelato with interesting and well-done flavors like licorice and cinnamon. (July 2018)

Japan

Nagoya

• Blue Seal Okinawan Ice Cream, multiple locations (3-13-26 Sakae)
  Intense and delicious flavors with an excellent texture. The Okinawan salt cookie ice cream was amazing. (March 2024)

• HARBS, multiple locations (3 Chome−6−17, Hirokoji Center Place, 2nd floor)
  Fancy and delicious cake slices. I was lucky to be here in strawberry season. (March 2024)

Tokyo

• Torindo, 1-5-7 Ueno Sakuragi, Taito
  A charming little teahouse with nice matcha and delightful traditional sweets to go with them. The brown sugar and fig cakes were really lovely. (July 2017)

Mexico

Oaxaca

• Museo de las Nieves, Calle Macedonio Alcalá 706
  Natural flavors like rose and prickly pear (tuna) that are intense but not too much so. Beautifully done. (December 2016)

New Zealand

Auckland

• Miann Britomart, 36-38 Galway Street
  I'd never had a smoky hot chocolate before, and it was exceptional. Take home some of their bars, too! (November 2019)

Wellington

• Carrello del Gelato shop, 228 Oriental Parade
  Nice, smooth gelatos and sorbets. Good classics and some new flavors (like the gingerbread). (October 2019)

• Kaffee Eis, multiple locations (146 Cuba Street)
  Quality gelatos and sorbets, including a fantastic award-winning blackcurrant sorbet. (November 2019)

• The Library, 53 Courtenay Place (upstairs)
  Nice little desserts. I think the cakes are the best (personal favorite: the gin and tonic cake). (November 2019)

• Zelati Dessert Cafe, Shop 302, Left Bank Lane, 116 Cuba Street
  Good basic flavors of gelato and sorbets with some very interesting ones. (November 2019)

Romania

Bucharest

• Cremeria Emilia Romania, Strada Franceza 42
  Very soft and creamy ice cream that's perfect for a warm summer night. The cherry with chocolate pieces was my favorite. (July 2015)

• French Revolution, multiple locations (Strada Constantin Esarcu 1)
  Eclairs with exactly the right depth of flavor in the filling and icing. The basic dark chocolate one was excellent, and so were the less usual types like lime-basil and a citrus. (July 2015)

Singapore

• 2am, 21A Lorong Liput, Holland Village
  Elegant little desserts. I've loved everything I've tried here from the chocolate desserts to the fruit-centric ones. The Mediterranean was a fascinating combination of flavors. If you don't have an old favorite yet, try the most interesting-looking item on the menu. (June 2014)

• Awfully Chocolate, multiple locations (The Star Vista)
  A nice chocolate cafe. The cold poached chocolate was delicious. (June 2014)

• Fruit Paradise, multiple locations (Raffles City)
  Exactly what it sounds like -- fruit tarts! I can vouch for the mango strawberry and the mixed berries with chocolate. (June 2014)

• Fullerton Hotel, 1 Fullerton Square
  Chocolate buffet a few nights a week (call for schedule). Various cakes, a hot chocolate bar, and other little desserts. The little mousses are beautiful. (June 2014)

South Africa

Cape Town

• Kwalapa, 31 Newlands Avenue, Montebello Design Estate, Newlands, Cape Town
  I didn't have much luck finding chocolate in Cape Town, but this shop had some nice chocolate bars. I tried the madécasse with sea salt and nibs (single origin, Madagascar) and liked it very much. (February 2011)

United Kingdom

Bath

• Minerva Chocolate, 14 Cheap Street
  Pastries, ice cream, and hot chocolate. I can only vouch personally for the shot of dark hot chocolate I drank, but it was yummy. (July 2012)

Cambridge

• Bellina Chocolate House, 8 Bridge Street
  A very large chocolate selection. I have to advertise their Pythagoras: it's the first chocolate with mathematical formulae on it I've ever seen. You can see it at the top of this page. (July 2012)

• Chocolat Chocolat, 21 St. Andrews Street
  Truffles and other candies. I really liked the dark chocolate ginger bark they make in house. (July 2012)

Swansea (Abertawe)

• Joe's Ice Cream Parlor, multiple locations (85 St. Helen's Road)
  Delicious, straightforward ice cream; the vanilla is delicious with chocolate sauce and cherries. (July 2023)

• Millefoglie, 15 Picton Arcade
  While the hot chocolate was fine, I was particularly impressed by the basil-strawberry tart I got. (July 2023)

• Verdi's, Knab Rock, Mumbles
  A very nice sundae assortment with very pleasant ice cream bases. (July 2023)

United States

Baltimore

• Diablo Doughnuts, 1035 Light Street
  Delicious yeast doughnuts in flavors like Samoa and Blackberry Lime. (January 2019)

Boston area

• Finale, multiple locations (30 Dunster Street, Cambridge)
  Delicious, elegant desserts with exquisite little touches. The Manjari Mousse was lovely. (April 2014)

• Flour Bakery, multiple locations (190 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge)
  Excellent cakes with the right intensity of flavor. I usually go for chocolate, but the lemon raspberry cake was really nice. (January 2023)

• J. P. Licks, multiple locations (173 Newbury Street)
  Quality ice cream. The Kowlua was tasty and the cranberry orange sorbet was amazing, but I really loved my ice cream soda with chocolate ice cream and raspberry syrup. (January 2023)

• L.A. Burdick, 52-D Brattle Street, Cambridge
  Hot chocolate and pastries. The single-origin hot chocolate is amazing, and the pastries are delicious (especially the chocolate lemon cake). And, of course, they sell little chocolate mice and penguins. (January 2023)

• Sweet, multiple locations (Zero Brattle Street, Cambridge)
  Interesting and tasty but not exotic cupcakes. They also have frosting shots! (April 2014)

• Toscanini's, 899 Main Street, Cambridge
  Ice cream. Everything I tried was good, but the unusual flavors like the lemon thyme and the salted raisin really stand out. The sour cherry goat cheese and Vietnamese coffee were incredible. (January 2012)

Connecticut

• Ganache, multiple locations (The location at Evergreen Walk is closed; I don't know about others.)
  The cakes look delicious, and the cupcakes I've tried are very good. (September 2012)

• Sugarbelle, multiple locations (7 South Main Street, West Hartford)
  Basic, good-quality cupcakes. The vanilla cupcake tastes properly like vanilla. (July 2013)

• UConn Dairy Bar, Storrs campus
  Standard flavors with a butterfat content through the roof. My favorites are the black raspberry and coffee espresso crunch. (August 2019)

Denver

• 5280 Ice Cream, 500 16th Street Mall
  Nice and smooth. I didn't really know what to expect from the marshmallow ice cream, but it was just the right strength of flavor. (January 2020)

• Mermaids Bakery, 1543 Champa Street
  Dense, moist cupcakes with smooth frosting. I got a filled one with a rich caramel inside. Highly recommended! (January 2020)

• Milkbox Ice Creamery, Union Station (1701 Wynkoop Street)
  The Key Lime Pie had a nice, mellow flavor that wasn't very tart, and the Cinnamon Churro was good (the churro bits had an odd texture, but you can't have everything). I wish I'd had time to try more of their flavors. (January 2020)

Honolulu

• Choco le'a, 2909 Lowrey Avenue
  Really excellent-quality truffles. The classics are good, but the specialty ones like the lilikoi and cinnamon really shine. It was strange to be eating an ice wine truffle in Hawaii, but I am delighted to have had the chance. (January 2016)

• Frostcity, 2570 Beretania St, Suite 105
  Apparently a Taiwanese version of shave ice. Light and fluffy with nice, strong flavors. (January 2016)

Indiana

• South Bend Chocolate Cafe, multiple locations (122 South Michigan, South Bend)
  Tasty, classic chocolates and good ice cream. (May 2018)

Long Island (NY)

• Baked To Perfection, 91 Main Street, Port Washington (Sadly, closed.)
  Excellent little bakery. If you like cupcakes but hate the fact that some bites won't have frosting, come here. (March 2015)

• Hildebrandt's, 84 Hillside Avenue, Williston Park
  A luncheonette with tasty sundaes. The sauce comes in a little pitcher on the side so you can add it as desired. (August 2017)

• Nana's Ice Cream and Coffee House, 225A Post Avenue, Westbury
  Tasty ice cream (Peanut Butter Pretzel! White Chocolate Raspberry!). I'm looking forward to trying their waffles. (December 2019)

• Ralph's Italian Ices and Ice Cream, multiple locations (292 Main Street, Port Washington)
  Fine, it's a chain, but they have great Italian ice. The fruity flavors are especially good. (May 2019)

• Saint Honoré Pastry Shop, 993 Port Washington Boulevard, Port Washington
  Excellent, elegant pastries and adorable cookies. (May 2015)

• Sweet to Lick, 78 Hillside Avenue, Williston Park
  A vegan bakery. It's got excellent cookies, and the tea selection is impressive. (August 2018)

• YOLO, 1355 Old Northern Boulevard, Roslyn
  A frozen yogurt shop that goes above and beyond with their smoothies. (August 2015)

Western Massachusetts

• Heavenly Chocolate, 150 Main Street, Northampton (Thornes Marketplace)
  Excellent chocolates. Some flavors are classic; some are more unusual (like the ghost chile chocolate). They also have a good selection of gourmet chocolate bars. (May 2016)

• Herrell's Ice Cream, multiple locations (8 Old South Street, Northampton)
  Classic, delicious ice cream. I loved the Burnt Sugar with hot fudge sauce on top and the Chocolate Bourbon Pecan. (And to prove that sometimes I eat ice cream that isn't chocolate, I should mention that I also like their Key Lime Cardamom.) (September 2017)

• Mt. Tom's, 34 Cottage Street, Easthampton
  Simply delicious. The Salted Butter Caramel ice cream and the Dark Chocolate with Almonds and Sea Salt had me smiling for a very long time after I left. They have candy, too -- everything from nice truffles to candy buttons. (September 2017)

Minneapolis

• Cocoa and Fig, multiple locations (651 Nicollet Mall)
  Excellent cupcakes and fascinatingly tasty ice cream sandwiches with macarons instead of cookies. (October 2016)

New Hampshire and Vermont

• Chocolate Now, 3 Lebanon Street, Hanover, NH
  A good selection of chocolates, including a very nice array of artisan chocolates. The vinegar chocolate and salted caramel chocolates are lovely. (July 2011)

• King Arthur Flour Cafe, 135 US Route 5 South, Norwich, VT
  A nice cafe with classic, buttery, delicious baked goods. The cinnamon buns are my favorite. (April 2017)

• Lake Champlain Chocolates, 750 Pine Street, Burlington, VT
  Take a factory tour, try some samples, and then go shopping in the store. Everything I tried was excellent quality, but if you're only choosing a few, the Chocolates of Vermont are a good sampling of their offerings. (July 2015)

• Morano Gelato, 57 South Main Street, Hanover, NH
  Nice, smooth gelatos. The flavor selection is fairly standard. (July 2011)

New Jersey

• Thomas Sweet Ice Cream, 55 Easton Avenue, New Brunswick
  Good quality ice cream with delicious flavors like chocolate pudding (truly a pudding flavor), dulce de leche, and coffee Oreo. And the waffle cones are delicious! (May 2023)

New York City

• Amy's Bread, multiple locations (672 Ninth Avenue and 75 Ninth Avenue)
  A standard selection of American cakes, cookies, and other treats. The plain chocolate cake and lemon mousseline cake were both moist and fresh, and the frosting was good quality. (February 2016)

• Baked by Melissa, multiple locations (526 Seventh Avenue)
  Teensy little cupcake bites. Excellent flavor, very moist, and just the right amount of frosting. The Chocolate Caramel Cookie Dough was lovely. (March 2020)

• Big Gay Ice Cream, multiple locations (125 East Seventh Street)
  Giant servings of ice cream with interesting toppings and sundae possibilities on offer. (May 2018)

• Ceci Cela, 55 Spring Street
  A little patisserie. The plum tart was especially good, and the chocolate croissants were delicious, too. (August 2009)

• ChickaLicious, 203 East Tenth Street
  A truly elegant and brilliant dessert bar. It was a lovely experience from the amuse-bouche to the coconut cream with mango salad to the petit-fours. (May 2015)

• The Chocolate Room, multiple locations (86 Fifth Avenue, Brooklyn)
  Desserts and confections. The black bottom butterscotch custard was good, but the wafer in it was a bit chewy (though the coconut whipped cream helped make up for that). The ice creams and sorbets were good, too. Please note that it's in Brooklyn and not Manhattan. This is important. (August 2009)

• Doughnut Plant, multiple locations (379 Grand Street)
  Fancy, tasty doughnuts. If you've never had a filled doughnut shaped like a torus, you should come here and try one. (August 2018)

• Empire Cake, 112 Eighth Avenue
  Possibly the best black-and-white cookie I've ever had. It's dipped instead of iced, which was a nice touch. (December 2015)

• Four and Twenty Blackbirds, 439 3rd Avenue, Brooklyn
  Wonderful and creative pies like Salted Caramel Apple and Grapefruit Custard. Their menu changes seasonally, so you have to keep coming back (as if you wouldn't anyway). (March 2015)

• Max Brenner, 841 Broadway
  Desserts, hot chocolate, and other delicious drinks. While not the thickest hot chocolate I've ever had, the Mexican hot chocolate was perfectly spiced, and the white chocolate smoothie was really good. (January 2016)

• Nutella Cafe New York, 116 University Place
  The crepes with blackberries and whipped cream were really tasty. I love the "create your own" option. (December 2019)

• OddFellows Ice Cream Co., multiple locations (75 East 4th Street)
  Nice gourmet ice creams. The cherry miso was fascinating, but I settled for a scoop of strawberry jam. (September 2018)

• The Original Chinatown Ice Cream Factory, multiple locations (65 Bayard Street)
  Traditional and creative flavors, both creamy and well executed. I loved the sharpness of the ginger flavor. (January 2020)

• Rice to Riches, 37 Spring Street
  Wonderfully creamy rice pudding in a vast array of flavors in gargantuan portions. I can vouch personally for the caramel and the rum raisin. (June 2015)

• Spot Dessert Bar, multiple locations (13 St. Mark's Place)
  Interesting "dessert tapas" and really tasty homemade sodas. The Golden Toast was a beautiful dessert version of my Singaporean afternoon snacks. (September 2018)

• Van Leeuwen Ice Cream, multiple locations (48.5 East 7th Street)
  Excellent ice cream with strong flavors. The ginger ice cream is exceptional, and the sauces are amazing. (August 2018)

New York State (non-Metro NYC area)

• Life's So Sweet, 116 West Green Street, Ithaca
  Tasty truffles! The sesame guava one was really nice, but the black pepper truffle wasn't as peppery as I'd have liked. The ginger they use in the chocolate-dipped candied ginger is really good quality. (August 2017)

• Madeline's, 215 East State Street, Ithaca
  While this is a full restaurant, it passes my test for inclusion on this page with flying colors: would I come here for dessert alone? Yes, I would, and I'd have the Spyro Gyra again. (November 2009)

• Purity Ice Cream, 700 Cascadilla Street, Ithaca
  Richly flavored ice creams and interesting ideas for sundaes and floats.(August 2017)

• Twisted Soul, 47 Raymond Avenue, Poughkeepsie
  Another full restaurant, this one with amazingly good cupcakes! They're moist, and the flavors are both well done and interesting. (April 2015)

Eastern Pennsylvania

• Ariano, 114 South Olive Street, Media
  I've only tried the gelato shop. Both the Brambleberry and Almond Nutella gelato were delicious. (August 2017)

• Callie's Candy Kitchen, Route 390, Mountainhome
  All manner of chocolates and candies. The Blackberry Brandy Cordials were so stunning when we tried them in the car, we thought about going straight back in to buy another bag! (August 2017)

• The Franklin Fountain, 116 Market Street, Philadelphia
  A charming old-school soda fountain with amazing sundaes and house-made sodas. (August 2023)

Western Pennsylvania

• Mon Aimee Chocolat, 2101 Penn Ave., Pittsburgh
  An excellent selection of high-quality chocolates from around the world. (May 2018)

• Peace, Love, & Little Donuts, multiple locations (50 21st St., Pittsburgh)
  Doughnuts dipped while you watch. I thought the lemon ginger and raspberry lemonade were especially tasty. (May 2018)

San Diego

• Heavenly Cupcake, 518 Sixth Avenue
  Lovely gourmet cupcakes. The Kahlua cupcake I tried was wonderfully moist and chocolatey. (January 2013)

San Francisco Bay Area

• Café Cacao, 914 Heinz Avenue, Berkeley (Closed, but the memories live on...)
  A full café attached to the Scharffen Berger factory. The brunch is good. They used to have a lovely chocolate panini on the menu, but it's gone now. The last time I was there, they were still willing to make it when I asked, though! Otherwise, I'd recommend the banana/chocolate pancakes. (June 2007)

• Cheesequakes, San Francisco Ferry Terminal
  Tiny tasty cheesecakes. (August 2022)

• Cioccolata Di Vino, 1801 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley
  Lovely desserts. The chocolate and almond tart was wonderful, and the lava cake was nicely done. (March 2011)

• Dandelion Chocolate, multiple locations (San Francisco Ferry Terminal)
  Truly excellent chocolate drinks and chocolate bars. (January 2024)

• Gelateria Naia, 2106 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley
  Gelato, obviously. The texture is nice and the flavors are well done (and interesting). (March 2011)

• Ghirardelli Ice Cream and Chocolate Shop, Ghirardelli Square, San Francisco
  Ice cream sundaes and hot chocolate. It's fun to order an Earthquake with friends. (June 2007)

• Humphry Slocombe, multiple locations (San Francisco Ferry Terminal)
  Cleverly flavored yet classic-feeling ice cream. (August 2022)

• XOX Truffles, multiple locations (6126 La Salle Avenue, The Montclair Village, Oakland)
  A truffle shop with an ice cream parlor. The ice cream is good and the truffles are excellent (Earl Grey truffles, anyone?). (May 2007)

San Jose

• Rollo's Donuts, 602 North 13th Street
  Delicious, classic doughnuts. Don't be late! (August 2022)

• Vegan Bistro Donuts & Cafe, 449 E. Santa Clara Street
  Excellent doughnuts and good iced teas to go with them. (August 2022)

St. Louis

• Crepes Etc., 52 Maryland Plaza, Central West End
  Lovely crepes. The only one I've had so far is the 5 Layer Lemon Meringue Crepe, which is even more delicious than it sounds. (March 2013)

• The Gelateria, 3197 South Grand Blvd.
  Very nice gelato. The chocolate is very smooth and creamy. (December 2012)

• Ted Drewes, multiple locations (4224 South Grand Blvd.)
  A frozen custard stand. It's perfect for a St. Louis summer night (both locations are seasonal, so check in advance). My favorite is the Cardinal Sin (frozen custard, hot fudge, and tart cherries). (August 2015)

State College, PA

• Berkey Creamery, University Park Campus
  Ice cream and milkshakes, all full of butterfat. Good quality and truly frightening quantity. (April 2015)

Washington, DC

• Georgetown Scoops, 2812 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
  Locally made ice cream with some classic flavors and some more exotic ones. The ginger ice cream is lovely. (March 2012)

Wisconsin

• Daily Scoop, Memorial Union (800 Langdon St.)
  Good, classic ice cream. I recommend the ice cream sandwiches! (April 2019)