Category: Restaurant Reviews

Nothing Bundt Cakes Review

Alison P. on

Recently, I have heard praises of Nothing Bundt Cakes, a bakery specializing in (surprise!) bundt cakes. Of course, I wanted to try it. And let me tell you, this bakery offers more than good puns, they have a variety of different flavors of moist bundt cakes in tons of sizes, from bite-sized “bundtinis” to large two-tiered cakes. Each bundt cake is adorned with signature sweet and thick cream cheese frosting “petals” on the sides, although you can opt for a lighter drizzle of frosting if you want. For my brother’s birthday earlier in May, we bought the chocolate chocolate chip flavor of cake which was delicious, chocolatey, and definitely satisfied my sweet tooth. (FYI, the leftovers are as good as the original.) I have also tried the lemon and carrot cake varieties in miniature “bundtlets”, as well as a sample of this month’s featured flavor: strawberries and cream. All of the cakes were flavorful and tasted of high quality ingredients, yet personally, I agreed with my family that lemon was the most delicious and prominent flavor of the assortment that we had. This little yet vibrant cake shop is located next to Cafesano near the Dulles mall and welcomes you with a sweet aroma of cake and frosting and free samples of the featured flavor. I encourage you to give Nothing Bundt Cakes a try!

*picture from https://www.winningcause.org/agapechristi/25-gift-card-to-nothing-bundt-cakes.html

Review: Sub Zero Nitrogen Ice Cream

Alison P. on

Over spring break, I went to Atlanta, GA for a volleyball tournament, and I got to try Sub Zero NItrogen Ice Cream, and it’s not like your normal Ben and Jerry’s. Their ice cream is made to order with liquid nitrogen, the coolest (get it) part! You can customize everything about your order, with any type of cream, including lactose-free and vegan, and with countless flavors and mix-ins. If you’re indecisive, like me, then there are also delicious pre-decided menu orders you can get. The “cool chemists,” what the employees that are ice cream mixers are called, make your order right in front of you, and you can see the vapor of the liquid nitrogen. When I went, I ordered mint and fudge with twix mix-ins. The ice cream had a really smooth and creamy texture, and I wouldn’t have guessed it was made with liquid nitrogen. All-in-all it was a unique experience, with tons of options, and puts a twist on the causal ice cream shop! Anyway, it’s totally worth it to see and take a picture of the steam-like vapor coming off the ice cream!

 

Shows to watch if you love food

Alison P. on

Image result for food network competition

Being the foodie that I am, my feeds are constantly filled with food-related content, and I have a knack for wanting to check what’s on the Food Network channel when I turn on the TV. From cooking competitions to your grandma’s favorite cooking shows that are on at 7 in the morning, I’ll watch it all! Some of my favorite shows are Chopped, any of the Baking Championships, Cupcake Wars, Pioneer Woman, and Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives (a classic). You’ve probably heard or seen Chopped before but if not, here’s a refresher: it’s a cooking competition in which four competitors receive a basket of challenging ingredients (that sometimes go along with a theme) and have to create a meal incorporating those ingredients in three rounds, appetizer, entree, and desert. Each round the plates are judged by a table of renown chefs and one competitor is kicked off, or “chopped.” It’s a pretty entertaining and intense show, and will keep you watching. For seasons and holidays, Food Network airs different Baking Championship competitions in which the bakers are given a topic and goal of baking something, and whoever produces the best baked treat wins! Sometimes Food Network also airs a Kid’s Baking Championship, in which I watch as 8-13 year-olds make scones and Swiss-meringue buttercream while I can’t memorize a chocolate chip cookie recipe. Anyway, Cupcake Wars is yet another competition show that is all about (you guessed it) cupcakes! Bakers are chosen from bakeries and cupcakeries around the country to create cupcakes that will compete against other chefs to be displayed at a large event. The Pioneer Woman is all about the delicious recipes ranch-living Ree Drummond dreams up. Fun fact: she actually began as a blogger, and eventually got her own Food Network show and wrote a cookbook! Check out her blog about life on the ranch and recipes and videos that’ll make you drool here! Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives is fun to watch if you want to explore different restaurants around the country with Guy Fieri’s engaging commentary. Besides these picks, there are so many more shows to watch! Comment what your fave foodie show is below!  If you made it this far on this post, let me know what you want to see next on my blog!

Pics from: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Food_Network_New_Logo.png 

http://www.foodnetworkgossip.com/2014/01/chopped-tournament-of-stars-coming-in.html

 

Restaurant Review: B. Doughnut

Alison P. on

* Excuse my terrible photography (but good donuts)

For this Thursday’s post, I dug into my distant food-related memories and remembered this donuts place I went to last year. It’s called B. Doughnut, and I remember waking up early on a Saturday to drive to the historic Leesburg area to wait in a long line in the cold that stretched far outside of the small donuts shack to get these donuts.The donuts themselves, I think, were worth the wait. They were much different than other donuts I’ve had in that they had the thick, fluffy consistency of Shopper’s Donuts but less dense and with a fresh, hand-made taste. According to their website, B. Doughnut’s recipe is based on Hawaiian style Malasadas, which are Portuguese donuts. B. Doughnut is the home of the Everything Bagel Doughnut, filled with different cream cheeses and topped with chives, bacon, and smoked salmon. In addition, there is also a variety of other filled and non-filled donuts as well as Vegan donuts, and their weekly specialty flavors. They have multiple locations in Northern Virginia, Washington, D.C., and Maryland. Although, be sure to get there early because when they sell out for the day, they close up. Anyway, I highly recommend trying B. Doughnut for their fresh tasting donuts and unique flavors or just a drool-worthy picture! Check out B. Doughnut online at http://www.bdoughnut.com/

Would you try an Everything Bagel Donut? Comment below!

Restaurant Review: Coal Fire

Alison P. on

Coal Fire is located in the new Epicerie Plaza in Cascades near Cava and Chuy’s Tex-Mex. I have had Coal Fire’s pizza a few times after late-night practices and on weekends, and the unique style and garden-fresh flavor of the pizza was memorable. The restaurant is a chain, but just to be clear, their pizza isn’t like the mass-produced Papa John’s or Domino’s. At Coal fire, the crust is thin and slightly blackened, which gives it a subtle burnt taste that is actually very appetizing. The pizza is baked in a 900 degree coal fire oven, hence the name. This style of pizza is different than the usual thicker and crispy crust, but it just depends on your preference. Another reason I found Coal Fire’s pizza to be so delicious was the fresh tasting cheese and other toppings. Besides choosing your own sauce and toppings or a signature pizza, Coal Fire also offers wings, salads, pastas, Coalby’s (sandwiches), and side orders. All in all, Coal Fire is a great restaurant if you want to try a different pizza place than your usual go-to! Where should I go next? Comment below!

Restaurant Review: BurgerFi

Alison P. on

Hi everyone!

About two weeks ago I went to a restaurant called BurgerFi in the Village at Leesburg.  BurgerFi is what you would think it is, just by reading the name — a casual burger joint, one of the many that have been popping up recently. Yet, it’s totally worth choosing over your local sports bar to get a satisfying, juicy burger. BurgerFi’s menu isn’t overwhelming, but definitely not lacking in options. You can choose from the original BurgerFi Cheeseburger, with two patties (although you can opt for one), the Breakfast All Day Burger, complete with hash browns and a fried egg among other toppings, a VegeFi Burger for the vegetarians out there (or if you’re just curious). The menu is not limited to these three selections, as there are other mouthwatering burgers and toppings to choose from, as well as hot dogs, crispy french fries and onion rings, and, of course, shakes, custard cups, “custard concretes,” and custard floats with your choice of soda. When I went, I ordered a single BurgerFi cheeseburger and fries to share with my family, and it was all crazy delicious, complete with the burger hot off the grill, and freshly stamped with the BurgerFi logo. I tried some of my brother’s vanilla shake he got, and I’m glad I didn’t get one, because it was creamy, delectable, and would have been gone in two minutes. Overall, BurgerFi is the perfect place to go if you’re craving a tasty burger and maybe a dessert! What restaurant do you want me to try next? Comment below!

Picture from: https://burgerfi.com/menu/

 

 

Fun Foods Blog Introduction

Alison P. on

12/3

https://www.pexels.com/photo/bake-baking-cinnamon-rolls-confectionery-302544/

Hi everyone,

This blog is going to be all about my passion for food, from desserts to dinners, but mostly desserts ;). I’ll be sharing all sorts of recipes on here, baking and cooking related, and my attempts at making them. I will also include some local restaurant reviews on here too! When I start posting, go ahead and check out my blog if you are interested in tasty recipes or just pictures of good food!