Europe Here I Come!!

image from: simplecomplexity.net

I will be in Europe next month visiting Germany, Switzerland, and Italy. I do need some assistance on what sweet stops that I shouldn't/can't miss while I'm there. I only have two weeks, so I have to make use of my time there. I'm super excited, and can't wait to see all that there is to explore. If you have any suggestions I'd be glad to hear from you. Thank you all!! xoxo

Jean Philippe Patisserie- Aria at City Center Las Vegas, NV

Located in the heart of Las Vegas's relatively new attraction, City Center, lies Aria Resort and Casino, home to Jean Philippe Patisserie. This is quite a sight for anyone to awe at, and there is a lot to see with their extravagant display of cakes, chocolates, candy, and pastries. When I first saw this location, I didn't even know that it was a Jean Philippe Patisserie. I have seen their other location at Bellagio Resort & Casino, known famously for their Guinness record setting chocolate fountain, but this was something else. Everything here seems so delicate and artfully crafted. There is so much detail in all the work that is displayed for purchase here. There are no real walls surrounding the store, so it makes for a larger atmosphere that extends beyond the stores original size. You are encompassed by a sea of cake designs, chocolate sculptures, and even carefully detailed mini cakes no larger than the size of your hand (featured below).

 

 You can't help but throw in an "awh," or "oh my gosh" in this store. Their items are truly that amazing. The location offers a retail side and also a cafe dining side. Their cafe offers a selection of freshly made crepes, gourmet sandwiches, salads, pastries, coffees, and other beverages. My favorite on a cold day is their vanilla latte. It's so light, fluffy, and flavorful. Their coffees are not overpowering, and their flavoring is not too syrup empowered. They go excellent with one of their cookies, or anything in this store for that matter.

They do carry prepacked items and gift packages, but you are also able to create your own mix of Jean Philippe Maury's famous chocolates. Pastries are a must buy here, Chef Jean Philippe is a World Champion Pastry Chef, so there is no mistake that these pastries are nothing short of HeaVenLy DeLiciOusneSS.

Candyality- North Bridge Shops on Michigan Avenue

Do you think it's possible to predict your personality based on the type of candy you enjoy eating? That's what Candyality believes. It's not a science or a mathematical formula, but owner Terese McDonald thinks that her store is nearly close to the mark on what candy says about you. This company has two locations in the Chicago area however, I visited the location in Michigan Avenue's North Bridge Shops which is also home to a Lego store residing on the same level ;). It makes for a great location because it is located in a "mall" atmosphere, so if you're with a group, there's a store for everyone to be occupied with while you take your trip through Candyality.The store is not very large, but it houses a numerous assortment of candies including bulk, retro, nostalgic, and chocolates. They also offer snack items and candy related products such as apparel, cupcake notebooks, pens/pencils, stickers, etc. 

  

This store was featured in several articles including Candybuyer.com and Candyindustry.com, which gives a brief description as to how Candality came about. McDonald was originally a sales representative and manager for a company that sold luxury cosmetics and fragrances. To obtain the attention of her employees and fellow retailers during training sessions, she used candy to bring them together, which also to sparked their interest by relating their candy selections to their personality types. As her training method became more popularized, she was able to create her own candy wonderland and hone her confectionery skills to open shop. 

It's amazing to see all the candies tucked inside this store. I wasn't aware of the history behind this store before browsing around, but I wish I had been so that I could find out my own candy personality. None of the store associates explained the store's background to me which I was disappointed about, so I'm not quite sure if they're specifically trained on the special skill of candy personalization. Most of the candies in their store brought a "homey" feel to them. It seemed more like the old fashioned kid in a candy store feel, without a real modern twist to it. One thing I did find interesting in the store was the different Jelly Bean art that was featured on the walls which were all created locally. They even had a Jelly Belly Obama piece! They also offer customizable gift baskets that can be created for any size. Usually candy stores only offer extravagant gift baskets that are outrageously priced however at Candyality, you are able to make baskets at any size (even a small assortment of bulk candy pieces). I usually don't like to take a large amount of candy at a time so these more individualized sized packages served as the perfect size for me to bring while I spent the rest of my day shopping around Michigan Avenue. :)

 

Fannie May's- (E.Wacker) Chicago,IL

Not too far from my hotel in Chicago was Fannie May's, a candy shop that has multiple locations however, it is found typically in the Mid-West (www.fanniemay.com). The location which I visited was on Michigan and Wacker. For those who have never been, but know of See's Candies, this store seemed relatively similar. The store's main product is chocolates, and they had a bunch of gourmet flavors to choose from. They have the option to either hand select your box of chocolates, or choose from the many prepackaged gifts they have all along the store walls. 

They even have cute themed candies such as the one's featured below. You can either have them placed in bags and measured by weight, or as a packaged set. If you look above, they had a few in plastic round containers (bottom shelf).

The store wasn't too large, and when I went, there were hardly any people inside; which made it easy to look and think about what I wanted to purchase while I was in the store. Their selection of chocolates included creams, caramels, nuts, dark, milk, cookie stuffed, white, marshmallow, fruit, nougat, and mint. My favorite is the fruit fudge milk chocolates which are comprised of a chocolate cream fudge with fruit and nuts covered with milk chocolate. I'm a huge fan of Cadbury's Fruit and Nut chocolate bar, and not many companies make this mix, so I like when I find stores that carry it. They have a flavor to please almost any person. I think that the only flavor they were missing from their hand selected chocolates was coffee.    

Other than chocolates, Fannie May's also carries gummi assortments, fudge, cookies, nuts, and in this location, ice cream. What I found to be unique when going to this store was that they had local souvenirs. Since this store was in Chicago, they had Chicago Cubs chocolates, and also chocolates with Chicago packaging. It sort of made me think of collecting the chocolates to say which Fannie May's I've visited, it's something I always do when I see a Hard Rock Restaurant for their pins, but chocolate is so much sweeter ;) hehe.

Towards the back of the store if you have time, you should take a look at the photos that they have commemorating the history of Fannie May's. This brand is almost a century old, so they have a lot of history. Make sure when taking a look around to read the labels on their products. Everything seems to look the same however, each box has something different. It was quite interesting to see the huge assortment of chocolates they carried. Their cookies were great too, and really fresh. It's not common to see prepackaged cookies that are still soft to the touch. I like my cookies soft and not crunchy, so I was pleasantly surprised when I picked up a few of their cookies and they were able to be bent at the slightest touch.

Serendipity 3- Las Vegas, NV

I still have a few more Chicago locations I wanted to share with you guys, but today is a special post because today was my best friend's birthday!! We went to Serendipity 3 for dessert after we had lunch with her family. Serendipity is a big sweets destination originally from New York, but if you didn't already know, Las Vegas has their own version of almost all the big tourist destinations from around the world. 

 

Serendipty 3 is located right outside the Caesar's Palace Hotel and Casino, and has both indoor and outdoor seating. Everything is larger than life in this pink explosion of a restaurant including their menus, fixtures, and decorations (almost like you're a character in Alice and Wonderland). The decor is as huge as their portions, with most of them being good enough for two. The average price for an entree here runs around $22, and their desserts are around $15 (menu can be found at http://www.serendipity3.com/food.htm). Their specialty is the Frrrozen hot chocolate, highly popularized from an episode of Sex in the City, but all their desserts and food is great. My Best Friend and I's dessert of choice for the day was their Red Velvet Sundae which was a slice of red velvet cake wedged between chocolate ice cream, hot fudge, and whipped cream. By the time we were finished with the sugar filled delectable, it had looked like we barely scraped the top of the bowl. We could only finish about 1/3 of the sundae...disappointing i know :(. 

 

To think though, that our sundae was nothing in comparion to their treasure chest sundae that will set you back around $80!! It's a chocolate treasure chest that comes filled with slices of all their cakes, pieces of their cookies, mounds of their ice cream, a heafty slathering of syrups/toppings, and coated with whipped cream. If you're ready for the challenge of sweet revenge, you're in the right place at Serendipity 3. 

Garrett Popcorn Shop©- Chicago,IL

Now that I was out of town, and my family was left at home to work, my mom asked me to pick her up some Garrett's Popcorn while I was in town. This popcorn shop is a tourist and local destination, and they're known for their famous freshly made popcorn. It's so popular, that it was named one of Oprah's Favorite Things © in 2010, and at times, it's not uncommon to see a line standing outside the doors. There are several locations around Chicago, and are found near most Chicago landmarks such as the Navy Pier, Magnificent Mile, and the Oriental Theater. They do have other locations in the Chicago area that can be found at http://www.garrettpopcorn.com.

Garrett's has about nine different flavors to choose from which include CaramelCrisp^®  (caramel covered popcorn), CheeseCorn® (cheddar cheese), Plain, Buttery, CashewCaramelCrisp®, AlmondCaramelCrisp®, PecanCaramelCrisp®, MacadamiaCaramelCrisp®, and my favorite, The Chicago Mix, which is a blend of the CaramelCrisp® and CheeseCorn®. They traditionally come in wax paper bags, and you have the option of choosing from the different sizes. Even for a sweet lover like me, a small bag was more than enough for me to share with one other person. Their portions are generous, and the prices aren't that bad; the small running around $5, and upward by size (if purchased by bag, ordering online requires them to send it in a tin which becomes a little more expensive). They do offer tin options both online and in store, and you are welcome to pick more than one flavor per tin, tin design, and tin size.  

 

Garrett's is best when consumed fresh, and when you get it straight out of the store, it's always warm and fresh. I made the mistake of buying my popcorn for my mom a day before I left, and she wasn't able to experience the true flavor of Garrett's Popcorn. I wish I had known that there was a location at the O'Hare airport, it would have made the popcorn a little fresher when it arrived back to my mom, but oh well :/. For those of you traveling to Chicago out of O'Hare International Airport, make sure to pick up your bag before leaving instead of making my same mistake, your gift recipient will be glad you did ;) 

Hershey's Retail Store-Chicago,IL

So I was in Chicago all last week, and I was unable to update the blog, but I did happen to stop by a few sweet shops around my hotel in Downtown Chicago, mainly near The Magnificent Mile. The first of my stops was at the Hershey's Retail Store on North Michigan Avenue. This store has a cozy feel to it, and almost brings you back into the beginning days of Hershey's existence, with a modern twist. 

You're initially greeted by a classic theater style Hershey's sign, and once you enter, you're welcomed by a smiling sales person offering a free sample of one of Hershey's chocolates. 

The walls are all decorated with all the Hershey brands, and are generally separated throughout the store by brand. Pictured above and below is the centerpiece of the whole store. It enables customers to become a "factory worker for a day," where you can make your own mix of Hershey's chocolates that cascade from the top of the ceiling to a bucket placed directly under the contraption. It's very interactive and great for kids, and even if you decide not to make your own mix, they do offer you a complimentary factory hat as a souvenir.

 

The customized gifts don't stop at mixing your own batch of chocolate, you also have the chance to be on the wrapper of your very own Hershey's bar (pictured below). This station at the store allows customers to place a picture of themselves on the wrapper, and also write a small message. 

 

Once you've gathered enough gifts and items to bring home with you, they have one more surprise to fill your sugar rush. Just in the back of the store, they also have a bake shop that offers delicious cupcakes, pastries, and beverages. When I was in, the weather outside was extremely cold compared to the West Coast so I chose to get one of their chocolaty Hershey's hot cocoa's, which of course did not disappoint. They also had a special that day, I'm not quite sure if it was seasonal, but they did offer flavors that you could have mixed into your hot cocoa. The flavor of the day when I was in was coconut..yummy :)

Sugar Factory - Las Vegas, NV

Love Bling, Celebrities, and Candy? Then Sugar Factory is the place for you. This relatively new store has already three locations since 2009 with stores in the Mirage Resort & Casino, Miracle Mile in Planet Hollywood Hotel & Casino, and their newest flagship location in the Paris Hotel & Casino, right on the Strip. Their new store has just opened in the first week of March with a huge grand opening hosted by Kim Kardashian and friends (Holly Madison, Mel B., and little sister Kylie Jenner just to name a few). This place has a lot of things to look at, and large candies such as their 5lb. gummi bear or larger than life lollipops. The store fixtures are also eye appealing with a two foot mosaic duck and cupcake that sit atop their bulk candies. The location offers a 24 hr. retail candy store and restaurant, a beer garden open during the day which becomes part of their nightclub, Chateau, at night, and also a chocolate lounge with gourmet chocolate lining the walls that you can awe at while you enjoy chocolate fondue, dessert drink delights, or any restaurant items. 

 

The retail portion of Sugar Factory offers apparel items for adults, children, and infants, gourmet chocolates, bulk candy, and also novelty items. Their main product that brings in all the celebrity hype and popularity is their Couture Lollipops which are rhinestone encrusted reusable lollipop handles. The top of these lollipops unscrew and have refill pops that can be replaced with any one of their seven flavors (watermelon, cherry, bubblegum, creamy orange, blue raspberry, pina colada, and green apple). Some of their designs  are
created by celebrities such as Mel B.(Purple Passion & Lilac Swirl), Britney Spears (Ring of Fire, Big Top, Baby Pink, & Charmed), Nicole Scherzinger (Hawaiian Passion), with their most popular designs by Kim Kardashian (Champagne & Silver Rainbow). They do also have Vegas Series handles aka "Holly Madison" pops & Hello Kitty handles which have dangling charms to compliment each design. All occasions are covered in this store with their seasonal products, gift items and customizable gift baskets which can please any sweet tooth. 

 Just across the way of their retail store is their restaurant that offers anything from pasta, sandwiches, and burgers to unique items such as their goblet drinks that come in four distinct flavors (passion fruit, banana, berry, and lollipop) which definitely should not be missed when visiting (featured below), and also their dessert martinis. Their restaurant is fixated on a prime location directly across the street from Bellagio, which made for a perfect view of the fountain show while I was eating dinner. It's not uncommon to rub elbow with celebrities at the restaurant, or pass them by in the nightclub or retail store. When I was in, L.L. Cool J was at the table across from me, while Nicki Minaj & Nicky Hilton were drawing attention in the retail store. Almost every week there's a new celebrity walking through Sugar Factory's doors, and they have the photos featured around the store to prove it. 

I've been following this store since they first opened in 2009 in the Mirage, and with each new store, this place keeps getting bigger and better. Their Mirage location only offers a retail section. With the opening of their location in Planet Hollywood in 2010, they added a cafe section that carries milkshakes, sundaes, cupcakes, cakes, and gourmet chocolates. With their newest addition in 2011, they now have a retail, cafe, and restaurant. There seems to be no stop to this store, and they're only going to be growing for the years to come. It's a must see attraction if you come to Vegas, and don't miss out trying any sample of their candies or ice cream. Their associates are very helpful and love to see you enjoy all the store has to offer.

The Cupcakery™-Las Vegas, Nevada

I visited one of the local cupcakeries in Vegas called The Cupcakery™ (www.thecupcakery.com) located on Eastern and Silverado Ranch. This cupcakery has a number of locations including the Monte Carlo Hotel & Casino on the Strip, Summerlin, and also a couple located in Texas. Its a family business started by cupcake queen Pamela Jenkins, and taken to the Lone Star State by her uncle.

They have traditional flavors such as their Southern Belle™ (red velvet w/cream cheese frosting), Oh My Gosh Ganache™ (vanilla cake w/ chocolate truffle center topped with vanilla and chocolate buttercream), and Chocolate Passion™ (chocolate cake w/ chocolate frosting), and also seasonal flavors such as their Mimis Pumpkin™ (pumpkin cake w/ walnuts topped with creamcheese frosting), Kir Royale™ (raspberry cake w/ champagne frosting), and also their Lemonberry™ (lemon cake w/ blueberry frosting). The Cupcakery™ is a small shop that's made for customers to come in and take their little treats to go.

They offer some beverages such as milk and coffee, but they specialize in their delectable cupcakes, and more recently customized cakes and cupcake sandwiches (aka whoopie pies). They offer customized cupcakes also which can be ordered over the phone or in store. All the experiences I've had with this shop has been positive. Their employees are friendly and glad to help you with their selections, and their orders are made on time. They now offer nationwide shipping which is new, and great, because their cupcakes are some of the best I've tried by far. The frosting can be a little excessive, but too much is better than not enough.

Make sure to also check out their store tees before you head out. Most are adult sizes, but if I remember right, they also carry baby onesies. One thing that's truely unique are their baking/cooking aprons displayed around their store. They are for sale, and make great gifts for the queen...or king of your kitchen.

Ethel M® Chocolate Tour & Cactus Garden-Las Vegas,NV

 

I played tourist today, and took the Ethel M® Chocolate tour, which I haven't been to btw in about 10 years. Not too much has changed since I last went, but the tour did get a little bit shorter since they no longer have the "molding wing" which displayed how the chocolate is inserted into the mold and cooled.  

The tour starts in an M&M® gift shop that is colorfully decorated and is nearly a snapshot of its much larger store on The Strip, M&M® World, which is a four level chocolate mecca.

After you browse around the store, you're on your own, through a FREE self guided tour that lets you preview the production and manufacturing operations that go into creating Ethel M® Chocolates. Make sure to plan ahead though to get the most out of your trip. There are only certain times that the workers are in the factory creating these sweet treats. If you come when they're off, it's nothing more than a trip spent staring at heavy candy machinery and reading explanations off the wall.

  The tour starts in the mixing room. In this room, when I visited, they were cutting a large slab of caramel into smaller pieces (featured below). I have been here before when they had the cream beaters on, which is somewhat interesting to witness since it looks like creamy chocolate being spun around and smoothed for consumption.

The next larger portion of the tour was in the melting and molding room, which is more animated than the previous. In this room, the chocolate gets melted in huge cylinders (pictured below 1), and then channeled to be deposited into chocolate molds (pictured below 2). As you can see, the machines are mostly labeled above so you can distinguish the different machines and also to understand what exactly, you are looking at.

(1)

(2)

Just like people though, not everything is perfect in the land of chocolate. If you look close enough, in the second tray, there seems to be a chocolate overload! I wouldn't mind having that piece when it leaves the cooling station ;). All misshaped defects will be gladly welcomed at my house any day hehe. From this room, it's mostly smooth sailing for these miniature delectables. They enter the cooling station, get flipped, then and packaged for their new homes.

The tour takes maybe 5 minutes to walk through, depending on whether you read anything on the walls, or watch the t.v. monitors that explain everything that goes on within the factory. The best part though is at the end, where you're greeted by some sweet sales girls that offer you a sample of their chocolate coins in either white, milk, or dark chocolate. Today however, was my lucky day because they also offered me a complimentary piece of milk chocolate caramels drizzled with dark chocolate. Delish!

If you didn't get your chocolate fix through the tour, they also have an Ethel M® Chocolate shop that allows you to mix and match your own box of chocolates to take home with you. 

Chocolate not your thing, or have someone in your group who just doesn't understand the beauty of sweets? There is also a botanical cactus garden that guests are more than welcome to walk around at their leisure and read about the different desert landscape plants. This place has a little something for everyone, and even if your group all loves chocolate, it doesn't hurt to walk around the garden to get some of those pounds of chocolate that you enjoyed out of your system before loading up into the car ;)