By Nanette Wiser
SWEET SENSATIONS
Let’s make Valentine’s Day a weekly event with a sugarplum or two. From downtown St. Pete to Gulf Beaches, sweet shops are popping up featuring candy, cookies, cakes, gelato, icees and heavenly desserts. Check Facebook for hours and trendy concoctions.
CHOCOLATE/TRUFFLES Let’s start with William Dean’s chocolate bars and painterly truffles in sublime color and flavors; the cherry vanilla is perfect for Valentine’s Day. Coco Addiction serves artisan chocolates (coffee, passionfruit) as well as cheesecakes and pastries. Kilwin’s ice cream, chocolate dipped apples, fudge and dark chocolate espresso beans are incredible.
FROZEN CONFECTIONS From Yogurt City to DTSP’s Clara Rose Ice Cream truck’s ice cream sandwiches and marvelous flavors, you’re sure to get brain freeze while taste testing them all. In addition to Hyppo’s festive gourmet ice pops in kooky flavors, we love Bright Ice’s small batch ice creams (coffee toffee, key lime) and a Mango Misto at Rita’s Italian Ice. For gelato (and sorbet), head over to Paciugo Gelato Caffe and Mamma Mia Gelato. Beans & Barlour’s boozy desserts and coffees is my go-to happy place.
CANDY SHOPS From jellybeans to fudge, ice cream to retro candies (Pez!), you can find it all in Paradise. Check out House of Sweets, the legendary Candy Kitchen, and DTSP’s Rocket Fizz, more a candy and soda museum of edible delights than just a shop. I love the Dr. Pepper Cotton Candy and Jelly Bellies. Cool off at Sprinkles Ice Cream Shop, Uptown Snowballs & Ice Cream, Sweet Stack Shack and Urban Creamery, where the dessert waffles and milkshakes are superb. If you love Hawaiian treats, order up shaved ice in tropical flavors.
PASTRIES/CAKES Our publisher Renee’s favorite is the flourless Gateau Au Chocolat crafted by Emmanuel Roux. Best of show for pastries and cakes is Astoria Pastry Shop and Frida’s Café & Bakery, where the German chocolate cake is divine. For sending gifts, I adore Nothing Bundt Cake minis (pecan, lemon, red velvet), customized for holidays and occasions. New to DTSP this fall is the pretty in pink The Cake Drip, and nearby is Valhalla Bakery whose new red velvet beer has me swooning. The Wandering Whisk’s pop-up shops feature holiday flavors, and her macarons and wedding cakes are out of this world.
COOKIES To market, to market for a cookie I go, especially Corey Avenue Sunday and Downtown Saturday markets. So many gluten free options, including DTSP’s HaleLife Bakery’s gluten-free and vegan options. New in Seminole City Centre is Crumbl Cookies for the Churro, a crisp cookie rolled in cinnamon sugar and topped with a swirl of cinnamon buttercream frosting and a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar or Le Macaron French Pastries in Tyrone.
