We seem to be entering some notably positive territory with The Sun, which is all about optimism and innocent joy. This indicates that the shadows have passed and the terrain is open for childlike wonder again. What irrepressible pleasures derive from such a sweet state of being! And if one requires a burst of said sweetness and light, perhaps the following people and places can be of some help to evoke it-if even on the palate. Best Cookies RubySnap Cookies Frida, Judy, Virginia, Louise . these aren’t the ladies in your neighborhood sewing circle, unless that circle is made of butter, sugar, eggs and flour. They’re the names of just a few of the delectable cookies at RubySnap. The brain child of founder Tami Steggell, each cookie features a compelling backstory alongside gourmet ingredients, like the Suzie-a pink vanilla dough with tart cherries and milk chocolate named for the Susan G. Komen breast cancer organization. rubysnap. com 2. Chip Cookies 3. Crave Cookies Best Beignet Thirst Drinks Made from scratch and covered in a gentle snowfall of powdered sugar, the beignets at Thirst are light, warm and oh-so-scrumptious. Paired with a raspberry, honey or chocolate drizzle sauce, this is a perfect drive-thru snack. Thirst also offers glaze-dipped beignets with maple, chocolate and coconut cream-filled options to soothe your sweet tooth. thirstdrinks. com 2. Prohibition 3. Sunday’s Best Best Brownies Gooey Gourmet Brownies For the most part, the Girl Scouts’ Brownies are much more adventurous than the dessert they share a name with. Sometimes, a brownie recipe will add nuts, and if you’re feeling really crazy, you can bake blondies instead. Gooey Gourmet Brownies offer variations on the formula with ingredients like mint, peanut butter, Oreo, pumpkin and caramel apple, but never stray too far from the basics. gooeygourmetbrownies. com 2. Pie Party 3. Kneaders Bakery & Cafe Best Candy Shop Pirate O’s Pirate O’s claim to fame is their variety of oddball candies that would make Willy Wonka blush. Shelves are lined with gourmet chocolate bars containing ingredients like popping candy, cayenne and potato chips. They’ve got gummy Bagel Bites and sushi, cotton candy “animal poo” and beer-flavored Jelly Bellies. Even bacon donuts will seem tame once you taste their bacon hot chocolate. pirate-os. com 2. Hatch Family Chocolates 3. See’s Candies Best Churros San Diablo Artisan Churros Churros can be an unwieldy dessert, resembling floppy, footlong swords covered in cinnamon sugar. San Diablo’s churros are much daintier morsels, from dulce de leche-filled pastries a few inches in length to churro bits the size of walnuts (which come in sweet and spicy flavors). San Diablo also offers subscriptions and baking kits for the true churroholics. sandiablochurros. com 2. Franco’s Churros & Crepes 3. Sol Agave Cinnamon Rolls The Dough Lady This local favorite offers fresh cinnamon rolls at their Millcreek bakery as well as take-and-bake rolls that you can save for a special occasion. Their stable of staple flavors is to die for with the classic cinnamon, the lovely brown butter chai and the bright blueberry lemon, plus monthly and weekly flavors. These are truly the gooiest cinnamon rolls in Utah and you can enjoy them for yourself or give them as a gift! doughladyslc. com 2. Straw Market SLC 3. Eats Bakery & Coffee Best Bread Pudding Gourmandise Gourmandise takes not just the cake, but City Weekly’s award for Best Bread Pudding. Amongst the restaurant’s varied selection of French and English pastries, their bread pudding strikes the perfect balance of fluffy bread and moist custard. That they have locations in SLC, Draper and American Fork only means that we have more opportunities to try out this classic dessert. gourmandise. com 2. The Dough Lady 3. Laurel Brasserie & Bar Best Crepes Dali Crepes Catering & Café Enjoy the flavors of Paris without leaving Salt Lake City! Founder Dalibor Blazic’s love of crepes traces to his Serbian childhood, when his mother made him crepes before school. With a menu filled with names like Raspberry Dreamland, Strawnana and Biscoff-Rose, it’s a perfect spot for any meal or a dessert date. You can count on Dali for significant portions, excellent service and crepes that are always amazing. dalicrepes. com 2. Greenhouse Effect Coffee and Crepes 3. Monsieur Crepes Best Cupcakes Nothing Bundt Cakes Founders Debra Shwetz and Dena Tripp founded Nothing Bundt Cakes in 1997 back in Las Vegas. Today, they’re the nation’s largest specialty cake company. There are tons of flavors and sizes, all with cream cheese frosting-or without it, if you prefer. Their moist, velvety, and flavorful two-bite cupcakes-“bundtinis”-are available by the dozen. Besides the featured flavors, you can also place a custom order for any rich and delicious taste you’d like. nothingbundtcakes. com 2. Cravings Alisha’s Cupcakes 3. So Cupcake Standout Coffee Coffee is more than just a caffeine boost. It’s also about ritual-something that connects people and communities, like inviting friends to gather over a cup of coffee and catch up on life. It tastes even better when it is freshly roasted, which is why Publik Coffee Roasters is a top choice. They offer roasted-to-order coffee, which minimizes waste. Quality coffee is enhanced with quality service, like that provided at Loki Coffee’s Salt Lake location by Josh Ylst, a barista who stands out by making sure you feel good even if you haven’t had your morning coffee yet. Like his fellow colleagues, he can make some impressive latte art that provides your experience with greater fun and visual appeal. For those on the run, Java Jo’s is the go-to for a nice cup of joe. There’s usually a double line of cars waiting for fresh brew, so you know it’s good. Best Coffee Roaster Publik Coffee Roasters publikcoffee. com 2. Caffe Ibis Coffee Roasting Co. 3. Millcreek Coffee Roasters Best Coffee Shop: Barista Josh Ylst (Loki Coffee) lokicoffeeco. com 2. Pete Souvall (Bedlam Coffee) 3. Tyce Hawkins (Roots Coffee Sugar House) Best Coffee Shop: Drive-Thru Java Jo’s javajos. com 2. Bjorn’s Brew 3. Tres Gatos Coffee Best Latte Art Loki Coffee lokicoffeeco. com 2. Coffee Garden 3. Sugar House Coffee Best Cold Brew Roots Coffee Utah The point of cold brew is not necessarily about drinking it cold, but in using another extraction method to bring out different flavor profiles from the beans. Roots Coffee gets this right in spades. Try it straight, or water it down-their cold brew comes correctly with smooth and low acidity nuances. Coffee addicts (including most City Weekly writers) appreciate the consistency and quality of every cup, not being patient enough to brew their own in advance. rootscoffeeutah. com 2. Loki Coffee 3. Tres Gatos Coffee Standout Desserts If you’re looking for an excuse to eat dessert first, we’ve got five! Leave the pain of the bain-marie to Momo’s Gourmet Cheesecake Co. and enjoy a rotating selection of four seasonal flavors and four classics, available in bite-sized Minis or full cheesecakes for a crowd, plus gluten-free options. Speaking of crowd pleasers, the Choco-Mocha Bliss cake from Cakes by Edith is a chocolate lover’s dream. Think rich, moist chocolate cake, coffee liqueur and mocha mousse filling made from scratch. If that sounds good, you’ll love the tiramisu at Tulie Bakery, which has two downtown locations to quell your coffee cravings. If vegan sweets are your cup of tea, head to Sweet Hazel & Co. for a wide selection of mini cakes sans egg and dairy. Rounding out our list of all things sweet and decadent, the Butter Cake from Sol Agave is not to be missed. Best Dessert: Cheesecake Momo’s Gourmet Cheesecake Co. momoscheesecakes. com 2. Doki Doki Japanese Dessert Cafe 3. Tin Roof Grill Best Dessert: Chocolate Cake Cakes by Edith cakesbyedithbakery. com 2. The Chocolate, A Dessert Cafe 3. Chubby Baker Best Dessert: Decadent Butter Cake (Sol Agave) solagave. com 2. Affogato (MONKEYWRENCH) 3. Dulce De Leche (Twisted Tiramisu) Best Dessert: Tiramisu Tulie Bakery tuliebakery. com 2. Twisted Tiramisu 3. VENETO Ristorante Italiano Best Vegan Dessert Sweet Hazel & Co. Bakeshop & Bistro sweethazelandco. com 2. City Cakes & Cafe 3. Eats Bakery & Coffee Best Donuts Fresh Donuts & Deli What makes Fresh Donuts & Deli’s donuts so good? Some say it’s their lightness; others, the quality of the flour. The shop doesn’t have a website or social media, but they do have a popular Instagram fan account. They were ranked 26th on Yelp’s list of the 100 best U. S. donut shops in 2023. Much to the chagrin of fans who’d prefer their gem stay hidden, business has been booming ever since. 2. Banbury Cross Donuts 3. Chubby Baker Best Eclair Schmidt’s Pastry Cottage Before you inhale the deliciousness of Schmidt’s delicate puff pastry filled with custard and topped with chocolate, take a moment to notice the decorative flower made of icing. The eclairs at the Pastry Cottage are fully customizable for any occasion-choose your flower colors for weddings and showers, request holly berries for Christmas or order blue or pink baby booties for baby showers. schmidtspastry. net 2. Gourmandise 3. Carol’s Pastry Shop Best Fried Scones Sill’s Cafe Where to find Utah’s best scones has been a hot-button topic among foodies for decades, always changing as places mix things up. This year, Sill’s scones won the top honors, no doubt in part thanks to their sweet, crumbly texture that land firmly within the comfort food zone. Along with a healthy amount of butter plopped on top, they melt in your mouth every time. sills-cafe. foodjoyy. com 2. Penny Ann’s Cafe 3. Navajo Hogan Best Fudge Hatch Family Chocolates Their fudge isn’t just rich and silky-it’s legendary. Kate Masterson and Stephen Hatch are still using old family recipes. We all know it is THE best and we are grateful they are here. You go for the fudge, of course, but you stay for the vibe: they throw block parties, outdoor movie nights and neighborhood gatherings that bring fun and magic to the neighborhood. hatchfamilychocolates. com 2. Chocolate Covered Wagon Trolley Taffy Station 3. Fudge Co. Best Hot Chocolate Hatch Family Chocolates Hot chocolate at Hatch is more than a drink-it’s an experience. Their recipe is built to transport you: rich, cozy, and so decadent that it’s like drinking a melted candy bar. Each batch is a little unique-because they “eye-ball” the chocolate-so no two cups are exactly alike. Add‑ins are totally optional: the original, unadorned complexity is where the magic lives. hatchfamilychocolates. com 2. Kahve Cafe SLC 3. Monkeywrench Standout Ice Cream Whether you prefer the rich, creamy mouthfeel of ice cream or the dense, concentrated flavor of Italian gelato, the Wasatch Front has you covered. For hand-churned, small-batch scoops, nothing beats Blacksmith Ice Cream Co., where you’ll find “always” flavors like fresh raspberry or peanut butter cup alongside seasonal selections and dairy-free options. When only gelato will do, Dolcetti is the name of the game. This whimsical 9th and 9th gelateria stocks 40 rotating flavors including fan faves like coconut sticky rice and cold brew. Best Gelato Dolcetti Gelato dolcettigelato. com 2. Sweetaly Gelato 3. Picnic Cafe Best Ice Cream Shop Blacksmith Ice Cream Co. blacksmithicecream. com 2. Normal® Ice Cream 3. Leatherby’s Family Creamery Best Juicery Vive Juicery Raw, cold-pressed juices, plant milks and wellness shots delivered fresh to your door? Yes, please! Vive’s exclusively online store offers same-day delivery to all of Salt Lake County. Start a subscription and mix n’ match your favorite bottles like the Hulk, Hero and Sensei, or choose one of Vive Juicery’s three cleanses with preselected bottles in one-, two- or three-day durations. vivejuicery. com 2. Just Organic Juices 3. Hill’s Kitchen Sugar House Best Macaron Fillings & Emulsions Salt Lake Main Fillings & Emulsions put macarons on the map in Utah, and they continue to dazzle with their vibrantly colored and flavored creations like beehive sour cherry, passion & pineapple, marshmallow blackberry and caramel florentine. Swing by for a six-pack or take your next event to new heights with the 200-count macaron tower. fillingsandemulsions. com 2. Eva’s Bakery 3. Delice Bakery & Cafe Best Made in Utah Candy Bar Chocolate Truffles (Utah Truffles) With soda shops, cookie chains and the like, Utah’s sweet tooth is widely famous. But such a love affair goes even deeper than that, with Utah Truffles among our most reliable sugar purveyors. Their truffles are miraculously rich without tasting too sweet or fatty and the cocoa powder exterior lends a smooth-yet-multidimensional gustatory experience. These positively decadent chocolate truffles come in traditional sizes but are better (and slightly longer) enjoyed in candy bar form. thenutgarden. com 2. Ritual Chocolate (Heber Cafe & Factory) 3. The Chocolate Conspiracy (The Chocolate Conspiracy) Best Milkshake Iceberg Drive Inn For more than 60 years, Iceberg shakes have been the go-to treat for good grades, sweet tooths, pregnancy cravings and prom nights, without ever getting out of the car. The thick, vanilla soft-serve ice cream base is the perfect start to a scrumptious creation of your choice. The mini size is more than enough for sharing, but why would you want to? icebergdriveinn. com 2. Nielsen’s Frozen Custard 3. Dairy Keen Home of the Train Best Muffin Picnic Café Picnic Café is no novice baker, but among their scones, cakes and cookies, their fresh-daily muffins are star-quality (seriously, Publik stocks them). Go straight to the source at their storefront just south of Liberty Park to check out their seasonal pastry offerings, but rest assured that anything on the menu will be light, fluffy and perfectly baked. picnicslc. com 2. The Dodo Restaurant 3. Vosen’s Bread Paradise Best Non-Alcoholic Cocktails HK Brewing Collective Taproom & Bar HK Brewing makes non-alcoholic drinks that are anything but boring. With kombuchas that hit like craft brews and zero-proof mocktails like the Holy Trinity Shooter, High Noon Hibiscus Mule and Talk to the Peach, HK brings big flavor without the buzz. Oh-and they’re pretty, too. Whether you’re sober or just sipping smart, these are the drinks you’ll keep coming back for. hkbrewing. com 2. Sol Agave 3. 1833 Craft Best Pastry Shop Gourmandise This one’s for the laminated dough lovers! When only flakey and buttery French patisserie will do, get yourself to Gourmandise where you can choose from nearly a dozen varieties of freshly baked sweet and savory croissants, kouign-amann, mille-feuille, fruit tartlettes and eclairs. As if those aren’t reasons enough, Gourmandise also features rotating seasonal specials that keep us coming back for more. gourmandise. com 2. Tulie Bakery 3. Tomodachi Bake Shoppe Standout Pie No need to wait for Pie & Beer Day-these local bakeries cater to Team Cream and Team Fruit fans year round. With a new storefront on Highland Drive, Instagram darling Pie Party whips up flavors like chocolate cream, caramel banana cream and lemon lime coconut available by the slice, Thursday-Sunday until 2 p. m. If your pie preference is more for the peach or apple variety, South Jordan’s Flake Pie Co. serves up personal-size pies with their signature flakey butter crust. And if you get asked to bring desserts to holiday dinner, both of these pie purveyors offer whole pies to go. Best Pie: Cream Pie Party piepartytime. com 2. Flake Pie Co. 3. The Dodo Restaurant Best Pie: Fruit Flake Pie Co. flakepie. com 2. Pie Party 3. Pie Fight Best Shaved Ice Hokulia Shave Ice Summers in Salt Lake City are no joke. Hokulia Shave Ice helps patrons beat the heat with their authentic Hawaiian-style ice, prepared with a fluffy texture and drenched in dozens of available flavors. The Provo-based brand has since stretched across the United States, which speaks well of the quality of this refreshing treat. hokuliashaveice. com 2. Bahama Buck’s Draper 3. Devil Angel Desserts Standout Coffee Shops Sitting down for a cup of coffee with friends, a date or even some solo time to read a book sounds like a perfect day. Luckily, Utah has many great sit-down shops to choose from, such as Ogden’s Grounds for Coffee, which offers a variety of food options like oatmeal, baked goods and breakfast burritos to complete your morning. When in Park City, be sure to check out the cute, cozy Atticus Coffee & Teahouse right in the heart of Main Street, which doubles as a bookstore and gift shop. For those in Salt Lake County, 9th & 9th’s Coffee Garden is the place to go. It’s great for people-watching, located within a beloved neighborhood to enjoy one of life’s most simple pleasures. Further south, Provo’s Peace on Earth is a cozy environment that invites you to relax and listen to chill background music while you sip some joe. Best Coffee Shop: Ogden Grounds for Coffee groundsforcoffee. com 2. The Mercantile on 25th 3. Wasatch Roasting Company Best Coffee Shop: Park City Atticus Coffee & Teahouse atticustea. com 2. Garden Cafe at Park City Gardens 3. Hill’s Kitchen Best Coffee Shop: SL County Coffee Garden coffeegardenslc. com 2. Sugar House Coffee 3. Culture Coffee Best Coffee Shop: Utah County Peace on Earth peaceonearth. coffee 2. Java Junkie 3. The Coffee Shop Best Smoothies Space Tea We’ll note that Space Tea has the smoothie game down pat, but . if you go in for one, they’ll tempt you with all sorts of varied options, from seasonal specials to international cookies of various kinds. And of course, there’s a huge variety of bubble teas. A State Street stalwart (with new digs on the 1000 block), Space Tea is a fun, community-minded spot to hit, with options running up and down the flavor palette. IG: @spaceteaslc 2. Roxberry Juice Co. 3. Protein Foundry Best Specialty Cakes Tulie Bakery Still buying grocery store sheet cakes for coworkers’ birthdays and special celebrations? Do better! Tulie Bakery levels up your cake game with single- and triple-layer cakes in sophisticated flavors like Valrhona chocolate with espresso buttercream, carrot and pecan with sweet cream cheese buttercream and our personal favorite-olive oil cake with orange and a brown buttercream. Sizes range from 6-14 inches. Three days’ notice for special orders required. tuliebakery. com 2. Cakes by Edith 3. 43 Bakery Standout Tea More than a boba shop, Space Tea is gravity for the local scene. Brewing fresh loose-leaf teas from Taiwan daily and serving U. S.-made tapioca pearls, quality is their standard. Located in a low-to-moderate income neighborhood, they offer top-tier drinks at affordable prices. And don’t skip the treats-matcha ganache cookies, pistachio raspberry cheesecake, Dubai chocolate scones. Great tea and seriously stellar desserts! Heading across town over to Tea Zaanti, which has over 85 premium loose-leaf teas plus thoughtfully selected wines, there’s something for every kind of sipper, making it the best tea service. Owners Becky and Scott Lyttle have brewed up something special: a cozy, dog-friendly space built on real relationships-with tea, and with people. No matter if you’re here to work, unwind or just find your new favorite blend, it’s communi-TEA at its finest. Best Boba Tea Space Tea spaceteaslc. com 2. Xing Fu Tang 3. Sunny Honey Best Tea Service Tea Zaanti teazaanti. com 2. The Tea Grotto 3. Grand Spa (Grand America Hotel) Best Cold Pressed Taste of Rural Utah Rowley’s Red Barn Apple Juice Crafted from apples grown in Santaquin, Rowley’s Red Barn apple juice provides a fantastic Utah taste. Through its cider mill, Rowley’s cold-presses and bottles a truly unique rural character that is simple, but packs the flavor of fresh apples with every sip. Although you can buy it directly, it’s also available at local Associated Foods grocers. This apple juice will likely ruin all others-it’s perfect for cider season, but you’ll find yourself picking it up year-round. rowleysredbarn. com Best Kind of Neighborhood Napoleon Carol’s Pastry Shop Nestled in the Sugar House neighborhood stands a towering entity despite its size, filled with a zest that moves people and shapes lives. We’re talking, of course, about the cream cheese, raspberry and whipped cream trifecta reigning amidst the handcrafted puff pastries at Carol’s. Seek their Napoleons out and you too may be joining their loyal following. And best of all, they’re egomania-free! facebook. com/CarolsPastries/ Best Use of Mexican Flavor Azúcar Cafe Just when you think you’ve encountered all that a coffee shop has to offer, places like West Valley’s Azúcar Cafe in all modesty widen the horizons even further. Sure, you could go for a traditional mocha or cappuccino, but when you have signatures like an horchata latte or a dulce de leche macchiato, why would you want to? azucarcafeutah. com Sweetest Spoiler of Self Control The Apple Fritters at Mrs. Backer’s Pastry Shop.
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