Kat's 9 Lives

As I mentioned before, I'm very into drinks that come in cool bottles! Even though I was on crutches, I still made my way to Icy Cream Roll because of their fun drinks.  They were very busy at night so I went again in the day time and it was a much shorter wait.

The place was packed to the brim.  Even though it is already brisk outside, it does not stop patrons from coming by for a quick bite or drink.  They offer two types of caramel, burnt or salty.  I decided to get their infamous B3 (Brown Butter, Brown Sugar, Brownies) and one of the caramels.  Can we say sugar overload? lol
There were many delectable flavors to choose from.  I couldn't decide and due to the limited time, I had to maximize the visit.  The staff was friendly and I tried a bunch of flavors.  There was one that was totally named for me that I was tempted to get but so many choices! lol The Black Kat pictured above was very tasty and chocolatey.  Later I realized that it was a Kit Kat bit inside to give the extra oomph and bite.
All in all the texture was very smooth and Toscanini's had a lot of fun tasty flavors.  It was too bad that there was no space for us to sit and relax in the cold winter night.  The ambiance was very hip and a great place for friends to hang out.

Toscanini's Ice Cream
899 Main St,
Cambridge, MA 02139
(617) 491-5877

Who doesn't love ice cream and donuts?  Now imagine them harmoniously together in one bite! I decided to finally try Afters for dessert, even though it is a bit far but worth the trip.  They were pretty packed the night I went and very hard to find.  There isn't really a sign that pops out for them.  I kept circling the plaza and had to look real hard to find them.  What helped that night was that there was a crowd of people waiting.
The line was way out the door but you could tell that it must be good or something special to make it so popular.  Most of the crowd were teenagers and college students.  The interior is very simple and the line wrapped around inside.  They have tables outside for you to sit and eat there if you like.
I liked the variety of ice cream flavors they had.  Not your typical flavors, which is what I love.  My favorite is the Cookie Batter.  It is really good! They have Thai Ice Tea, Vietnamese Ice Coffee, Cookie Monster, and more.
If there isn't too much of a line, I would suggest to ask and try some of their flavors.  You can choose to just eat the ice cream or make it into an ice cream sandwich.  You can either get it glazed or without it.  Personally, I like glazed but it does tend to get heavy because it is all bad sugars for you.  So bad, but so good O=D.
The first time I went, I got two sandwiches and could barely even finish one.  Still, I ate the yummy ice cream! The Cookie Monster is very colorful and just fun to eat but flavor wise, it was just okay.  Surprisingly the Cookie Batter was great and if you add a little Captain Crunch, it would really add to the texture.
All in all I really enjoyed the place because you can't find many good ice cream places in Orange County like you could in San Francisco.  I heard the owner say they are thinking of opening down in Tustin, which would be great and I would go more often.  The sandwiches are more for splurging.  If I went more often, I would just get the ice cream and enjoy a bunch of different flavors.  =)

Afters
18030 Brookhurst St
Fountain Valley, CA 92708

It's been a long time since I've been back up to the Bay Area.  During this trip, I'm making it a goal to eat all the good food I can! Actually that's always my goal! O:)

During my stay with Ms. Lin Guide near Universal Studios I decided to explore some tasty treats.  I happened to come across Quenelle.
They offer a variety tasty and innovative concoctions.  What really caught my eye was that they had plenty of yuzu flavored items.  I am an avid yuzu fan so whenever I see it being served, I must get some.
Ms. Lin Guide and I tried a bunch of different flavors.  He was so nice and patient with us that I really wished there was a tip jar to leave tip.  We ended up just leaving some money on the counter because he was so sweet and gave us extra service.
First we tried the different ice creams and sorbets.  There were just so many things that looked good and I was going to be very greedy and order a ton.  Luckily we just started with 2 scoops and then move onto the popsicles followed by the baked goods.  We chose to try the passion fruit kaffir lime and the jackfruit tonic.
The flavors were very vibrant and fresh.  For me, the passion fruit was quite tart.  The jackfruit complemented well as it was much sweeter and lighter.  For the topping, I chose the caramelized rice as it sounded very interesting.  They had quite a few toppings that sounded very tasty.
For the "On a Stick" flavors, I wanted to try a bunch of them but in the end we agreed upon yuzu mojito and the hibiscus watermelon.  The guy warned me that the yuzu is very tart and I thought to myself, "yuzu is always yummy."  Oh man! That was one tart popsicle! I gave it to Ms. Lin Guide as usual since she always takes the bullet for me on food I don't want.  The hibiscus watermelon was very light and not too sweet.  For me, I prefer a heavier flavor and sweeter treats.
The service there was impeccable because as I stood there eating the popsicle, he could sense I didn't like it and offered to change flavors for me.  I didn't want to be any trouble so I told him that we were good since he let us try so many flavors.  After we were done, he scooped out a generous serving on the new ice cream that he was testing.  This was also a yuzu flavor based, I believe with jasmine tea.  I really enjoyed this as it was sweet and flavorful.  This really hit the spot and it was so sweet of him to give us extra free items.
That was not the end of the friendly service.  We broke down our stay with ice cream first, then popsicles, and baked goods to finish.  After all the goodies and free goods we were offered, I was getting full but I still wanted to pick up some of the tasty baked goods they offered.  Everything looked very tasty and I wanted to get one of everything.  We debated for a long time on which items we should get because we were trying to be good about not overbuying and not finishing the treats.  There were alfajores, peanut butter and jelly cookies, brownies, blondies, red velvet cupcake, and more! I was a kid in a candy shop.  We didn't get everything but the guy was so friendly and sweet that he put a bunch of extra sweets inside for us! I felt so guilty because he was so nice and that he didn't need to.  We ended up with almost twice as much baked goods! He was just the nicest guy and wanted us to try the tasty pastries.
Man! The service here was so friendly and welcoming that we talked about the whole car ride.  I would definitely come back to try any new flavors and for the service.  It's a very small but quaint shop.  Everything was very clean and neat.

Quenelle
2214 West Magnolia Boulevard 
Burbank, CA 91506
(818) 843-1035

What happened to the good ole days where a kid can go into a local candy shop to pick up some treats?    
Well times have changed a little bit as B. Candy is not the same candy store our parents grew up with, no it is much more colorful and vibrant than before!
Even before you enter through the doors, there are colorful and decorative treats showcased outside.  It's almost like you are in a candy wonderland!
They offer a wide variety of treats that you would not find anywhere else.
The first thing that drew my gaze was the vast treats featuring Angry Birds! Who hasn't played that fun game! =D
I just had to pick up a few treats and was so torn on which ones to buy or just to pick up some toys... for myself! When I open the treats, I will be making the bird tossing noise when I eat them O=).
They even have a section dedicated to some fun bacon treats! I was very tempted to get the bacon and eggs headset in honor of my love for bacon.
Not only do they offer candy, they have a wide selection of gelato to choose from.  I really enjoyed the unique flavors that they offered.  My favorite was the chocolate covered potato chips and caramel! Sure, it may sound weird at first but it really works.  It's the perfect blend of savory and sweet with a crisp twist!
B. Candy is not a place just for the kids as adults have a lot to look forward too.
For that evening they served up a Cake Batter Martini for the crowd to enjoy.  Whoo! I might need a driver after a few of these.
The sprinkles around the rim just adds the mystical wonderland touch and it really tastes like cake batter, with a kick.
Don't worry they have non-alcoholic drinks for those who would like to wet their lips with a sweet and refreshing drink.  They offered a nice rootbeer float that I just couldn't resist! First I tried it with the normal vanilla gelato and it really hit the spot.
After the first cup, I wished I thought of using some of their unique gelato flavors! They were sweet enough to offer another cup and I had to have it with the chocolate covered potato chips with caramel! Now that really hit the spot with the tasty crispy texture.  It's a must!
I love their counter with the decorative ice cream cone and cupcake seats.  It is great and fun to grab a seat at the counter and a drink or snack!
They are available to hold small parties, which is a great treat for the family.
There are many cute baked goods in the case that are so vibrantly decorated.
They have a nice assortment of cupcakes to try as well.  All their cupcakes were eye catching and looked great.
My favorite was the peanut butter cupcake.  They were moist and just the right amount of sweetness.
Everyone there was super friendly and helpful.  You can feel the joy they have for the store and the great products they offer.
On your way out, don't forget to check out the vast amount of candy they offer on the wall by weight.  They even have a column of sugar free candy for those who need to watch their sugar levels, which I thought was great.
For me, I was glad to see that they offered a wide variety of flavors for the gummies.  I particularly liked that they had watermelon as one of the flavors.
Everything in the store is beautifully decorated and eye catching.  It's a great place to go crazy and enjoy different treats.  If you are a sugar addict, this will be your heaven!
B. Candy
3100 East Coast Hwy 
Newport Beach, CA 92625
(949) 675-3910