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Holland Cakery 'n Sweets (Holland, MI)

4:03 PM | Labels: ,

Holland Cakery 'n Sweets
11539 Lakewood BLVD Suite #30
Holland, MI 49424   616-396-0200 or Email: info@hollandcakery.com
Website:  http://www.hollandcakery.com/#!HOME/mainPage
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I received an email from Carrie (from Holland) and was asked to do a review on Holland Cakery 'n Sweets and so here it is!

The Arrival …

I arrived at Holland Cakery 'n Sweets in Holland, MI at about 10:40 AM.  It is located in a strip mall on the north side of the street.  I noticed their large pink van sitting outside and new I had the right spot! When I entered into the bakery, it was much larger than the previous bakeries and had a  welcoming appearance, as well as, aroma flowing out the door!  There are two display cases that have several cupcakes to choose from.  The front of the bakery looked very tidy and inviting, what I really liked about this bakery is that there are no walls hiding all the baking going on, so I was able to see rows of cupcakes waiting to be decorated and staff working on cakes and other items.  A much older lady asked me how she could help.  She was very friendly and patient (I had my young sons with me for this trip).  I said “could you give me just a second to look at your cupcakes and I will get right back to you”, I love that they had labels on all the cupcakes so I knew what I was looking at and the prices (their prices vary for size, filling, etc)!   I picked out the cupcakes I was going to try for this trip and she brought a pink box out and started to put all the cupcakes in the box, she asked me if she could get me anything else and I said no thank you.  She range me up on the register which came to $22.50 (6 cupcakes).  I paid her and she said thank you, we chatted some about my boys and her granddaughter that was the same age as my youngest.  I told her thank you and have a nice day and she did the same. 










Chocolate Cupcake w/ Chocolate Buttercream - Chocolate cake was dry not much flavor, the chocolate buttercream was sugary & lacking flavor, and again with the sugar crystals (YUCK!).  
Price of cupcake - $3.00
OVERALL RATING  - 2

Red Velvet w/ Cream Cheese Buttercream - Red cake was moist with alright flavor, Cream Cheese Buttercream  (this is what I was told was the frosting) didn't taste like cream cheese at all, it was very airy and "slick", it had an almost Italian cream taste & feel to it (when not biting into one of those gross sugar crystals!) but not the typical cream cheese frosting that is known for red velvet.  The sugar crystals gross, I NEVER like those because they just get in the way of the flavors and these cupcakes were doused in them! It was an alright cupcake but the frosting did not taste like cream cheese and the sugar crystals have to go!
Price of cupcake - $3.00
OVERALL RATING - 2

Almond w/ White Buttercream – Almond cake was moist, tasted almond and was delicious! The White buttercream was blah, it was a bit sugary (not as bad as some others!) but again had those nasty sugar crystals on it, yuck!  I really liked the cake portion of this cupcake but could do without the frosting they put on.
Price of cupcake - $3.00
OVERALL RATING - 3




Cookie Lovers – White cake was some what moist, the small amount of white icing filling I did not like.  the Oreo frosting didn't quite seems like an Oreo frosting and lacked flavor, the cookies pieces it was rolled in was good & the "cookie" decorations on top were good (half a chocolate chip cookie & half a Oreo).  This cupcake was nothing special for me.
Price of cupcake - $4.50
OVERALL RATING -1

S'Mores – Chocolate cake was dry and not much flavor, there was a very little white icing filling which I did not find appealing (would have been better with marshmallow buttercream or something else), the "S'mores" decoration of gram cracker, Hershey bar piece & 2 mini marshmallows was just not right for me, this cupcake needs work. The plus....instead of sugar crystals or sprinkles it was rolled in mini chocolate chips! Price of cupcake - $4.50
OVERALL RATING – 2 
Chocolate Lovers - Chocolate cake was dry not much flavor, there was no Bavarian filling (which is states it has), the chocolate buttercream was sugary & lacking flavor, the chocolate "ganache" was not the type of ganache I was used too honestly I did not like it, as for the chocolate drizzle it was more for decoration along with the chocolate sprinkles they put on (which I don't like).  
Price of cupcake - $4.50
OVERALL RATING – 1



FINAL ACT…
Holland Cakery 'n Sweets is a alright bakery but they are EXPENSIVE especially for the quality of their products!  Their cakes taste and consistency were alright (almond cake was the only one that I purchased that was moist!), frosting's were only alright as well, they need to get rid of the sugar crystals & sprinkles because they are just not needed. The atmosphere, customer service, and heavenly aromas is what helped give this place it's higher score, they get an B .  I will go back next time I am in Holland to try some of the other flavors and see if I can some winners!  Some major down falls for this bakery: prices are too high, a lot of cupcakes are covered in the sugar crystals & sprinkles (which are not needed and make the cupcake less appealing for me), recipes need tweaking (especially the frosting)! The Good:  The frosting to cake ratio was nice, I didn't feel like I was eating a pile of sugar.

Rating Scale:  1 = Bad, don’t waste your money!
                         2 = It's Alright
                         3 = Good
                         4 = Excellent, worth another taste
                         5 = Desert Heaven, Oh So Scrumptious!

PLEASE NOTE:  All items are tasted within an hour of receiving them.  By doing this, it takes out any false claims that the freshness, temperature, texture, etc. where compromised by not tasting them when served.  All precautions are taken when preserving the “freshness” of the products I receive. 

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Posted by DH

Cupcake By Design (Grand Rapids, MI)

3:24 PM | Labels: ,


Cupcake By Design
1971 E. Beltline NE Ste. 126 
Grand Rapids, MI 49525   616-364-9787 or 1-888-644-3848
Website:  http://cupcakebydesign.com/
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The Arrival …

I arrived at Cupcake By Design (located inside of Cookies By Design) in Grand Rapids, MI at about 3:00PM.  It is located in a strip mall next to a Meijer.  When I entered into the bakery, it had a very cute and welcoming appearance!  There is a display case full of cupcakes & cookies, tons of items to buy such as mugs, stuffed animals, paper products, and other various trinkets.  The bakery looked very neat and tidy, organized and inviting.  A blonde haired lady asked me how she could help, if I was looking for cupcakes or cookies or something else.  She was very friendly and patient (I had my young sons with me again).  I said “I will take 1 of every cupcake you have”, I love that they had labels on all the cupcakes so I knew what I was looking at!   She asked me if I wanted a pink box (which I think is there signature box) or a white one (I chose the signature box) and she started to put all the cupcakes in the boxes, she asked me if she could get me anything else, and I decided to grab a sugar cookie for my boys to share.  She range me up on the register which came to $29.70 (they do a price tier for their cupcakes meaning the more you buy the cheaper they get, check their website for prices).  I paid her and she said thank you, have a great day and she waited till I was out the door before she stepped back into the back of the store.  






Chunky Monkey Cupcake—Banana Flavored Cake with Chocolate Chips was dense but moist; the Peanut Butter Buttercream was very yummy, not to sweet but perfect! That was then dipped in Chocolate Ganache which was very good, perfect consistency and taste. Then it is drizzled with Peanut Butter Drizzle on to that just adds a little something special to this tasty cupcake J
OVERALL RATING  -  4



Chocolate Supreme Cupcake- Chocolate Cake was moist, Chocolate Buttercream was pretty sugary.  It was a decent cupcake but not my favorite.
OVERALL RATING - 3



Lucky Irish Mint Cupcake – Chocolate Cake was moist and had a few pieces of brownie in it which was also very tasty, again it had a mile high of the frosting which in this case was mint, it had a nice mint taste to it but was too much for me and I ended up scrapping half of it off into the trash, the frosting had a grainy texture too it.  It was dipped in chocolate Ganache which was good and then topped with a green clover candy, which had a nice flavor. For me this cupcake was alright, I wouldn’t buy it again.
OVERALL RATING - 2

Chocolate Divine Cupcake – Chocolate Cake was somewhat moist, filled with chocolate Ganache, it was then dipped in a chocolate Ganache before it was iced, the Ganache was good.  There was too much chocolate buttercream for my taste (which is how all their cupcakes are frosted), but it was good flavor, a little grainy but not as much as some of their other frostings.  It had chocolate shavings on top, which in all honesty I didn’t really taste with all the other chocolate going on.
OVERALL RATING - 3
Red Velvet Cupcake – Red Cake was good, not dry but not really moist, it had a cream cheese filling in the center which was my favorite of the whole cupcake, the taste was not overpowering, it was light a creamy, the cream cheese frosting was good as far as flavor but sweet and grainy.  I could not finish all this frosting.
OVERALL RATING – 3
Snickerdoodle Toffee Cupcake– Vanilla Cake with Cinnamon & toffee bits, was dry, I did not like the taste of this cake.  Cinnamon Buttercream had too much of a cinnamon taste to it.  This cupcake failed for me.
OVERALL RATING – 1

Cookies and Cream Cupcake- I was supposed to get one of these but she made a mistake and gave me 2 of the Chocolate Supremes instead, so I cannot rate this cupcake.
OVERALL RATING – NA

Peanut Butter Paradise Cupcake– This was an outstanding cupcake!  The chocolate cake was moist flavorful and I enjoyed it very much it had peanut butter in the center which was a nice treat!  The chocolate peanut butter frosting was oh so good, perfect texture. The peanut butter cup on top was a great added treat!  This was wonderful!
OVERALL RATING – 5

Give Me Smore Cupcake– Chocolate Cake was dense & somewhat moist, there were “gram cracker” pieces throughout the cake and a “center” of “gram cracker”  this gram cracker didn’t really taste like anything at all.  The Marshmallow frosting was good but I would have liked a little more than what was on the cupcake, then there were marshmallows a chocolate drizzle and a piece of Hershey bar on top which all were good it also had gram cracker sprinkled on top as well.
OVERALL RATING – 4

Cho-Cho Cookie Dough Cupcake – White cake with a piece of chocolate chip cookie dough on the bottom (or at least that is what it was supposed to be, didn’t really seem like cookie dough more uncooked cake dough with chocolate chips and it is described as having chunks and I had only 1 chunk) the cake was dry and the “cookie dough piece” was not very pleasing to taste, Vanilla frosting with some chocolate chips (although it’s is described of having chunks of cookie dough in the frosting, so not sure where the cookie dough was?) was alright in taste but had a grainy texture to it.  This cupcake was not a hit with me.
OVERALL RATING – 1

Vanilla Bean Cupcake – Nothing light about this cupcake (as stated in the description!)  The white cake was dense and somewhat moist, not much of a flavor at all.  The buttercream frosting was heavy, grainy, almost flavorless.  For being a “vanilla bean” cupcake I didn’t taste anything vanilla bean about it.  This was another cupcake that disappointed me.
OVERALL RATING – 1
Banana Split Cupcake  – Banana Chocolate Cake was delicious, moist and flavorful!  The Vanilla buttercream was good and the Ganache it was dipped in was very nice!  The sprinkles and Cherry on top just make it a great cupcake!
OVERALL RATING – 3

Signature Sugar Cookie  – Vanilla Sugar cookie shaped as a bunny head with yellow colored icing, was moist and oh so good! The flavor of this cookie was out of this world!!  I can see why they started out with the Cookie By Design store!! Will definitely be ordering some of these again J
OVERALL RATING – 5



FINAL ACT…
Cupcakes By Design in Grand Rapids, MI is a DECENT bakery for cupcakes but an AWESOME bakery for cookies!  Their cupcakes were delicious, their signature sugar cookies were to die for (I would have to say I liked their cookies more than the cupcakes!), add to that the atmosphere and good customer service, this place gets an A .  I was very happy with my purchases today and will defiantly be going back next time I am in Grand Rapids!  The down falls were this:  if you do not buy in “bulk” like I do you will be spending a pretty penny for a cupcake at the price of $2.95/each, they are the most expensive cupcakes in the Michigan area that I know of.  The cookies on the other hand are a nice $1.50 (give or take depending on kind) and I believe that is comparable to other cookies from bakeries in the area.  The frosting to crumb ratio is off for me I like it to be more balanced where I don’t feel like I have a mouth full of frosting, but if you like A LOT of frosting then you will love their cupcakes!

Rating Scale:  1 = Bad, don’t waste your money!
                         2 = It's Alright
                         3 = Good
                         4 = Excellent, worth another try
                         5 = Desert Heaven, Oh So Scrumptious!

PLEASE NOTE:  All items are tasted within an hour of receiving them.  By doing this, it takes out any false claims that the freshness, temperature, texture, etc. where compromised by not tasting them when served.  All precautions are taken when preserving the “freshness” of the products I receive. 

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Posted by DH

Chick'N Lick'N (Vriesland, MI)

5:11 PM | Labels: ,


Chick’N Lick’N
6420 Byron Rd. 
Vriesland, MI   616-741-5544

Hours:  Mon-Sat. 11-9pm Sun. 11-8pm (per their menu, I do know they change their hours)
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The Arrival …

I arrived at Chick’n Lick’N in Vriesland, MI at about 6:30PM.  I had placed an order to go by phone.  It is located in the same building as the Vriesland Country Store.  I didn’t have to even go inside the restuarnt for this order because they have a drive thru for pick ups!  A man opened the window and asked me for the name (who I now find out is the owner of the restaurant), he rang me up and said it would be just a moment because they are packing it up right now.  He then came back to the window handed me out the bag and said your all set and thank you.  I drove back to the hotel with my very yummy smelling food.  I arrived at the hotel created a plate of all the items I ordered and then sat down with my family to start tasting.





Mashed Potatoes with Chicken Gravy (family)—These mashed potatoes were a nice consistency, not lumpy or runny, the chicken gravy with pieces of chicken in it was VERY good!  Overall these were a really nice mashed potato!
OVERALL RATING  -  4

Mac Cheese Triangles (6pc) - Nicely fried and crispy on the outside, the mac and cheese in the center was good.  Overall a nice flavor.
OVERALL RATING - 3

Crinkle Cut French Fries (Small) – Fried to perfection, I like them to have a golden “overdone” look to them and these had that!  They were crisp and good tasting.
OVERALL RATING - 3

Fried Chicken (12pc mixed bucket) – I have heard they have good chicken and well they do!  It was fried nicely, it was moist and juicy.  Had great flavors and crunch in the skin.  I was very happy with this chicken.
OVERALL RATING - 4


FINAL ACT…
Chick’N Lick’N is definitely a place to go for some homemade fried chicken goodness!  Not disappointed with this one at all.  Food was hot and fresh, tasted great and was enjoyed by the whole family.  The Customer service was good and the drive thru for pick up was an added bonus for on the run people!


Rating Scale:  1 = Bad, don’t waste your money!
                         2 = Just Alright
                         3 = Good, what it should be
                         4 = Excellent, more than expected
                         5 = Food Heaven, Oh So Scrumptious!



PLEASE NOTE:  All items are tasted within an hour of receiving them.  By doing this, it takes out any false claims that the freshness, temperature, texture, etc. where compromised by not tasting them when served.  All precautions are taken when preserving the “freshness” of the products I receive. 


Happy Tasting!
~Briar Rose

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Posted by DH

Little Pearl Cupcake (Grand Rapids, MI)

8:50 AM | Labels:


Little Pearl Cupcake
5260 Northland Dr. NE  Grand Rapids, MI 49525   
Phone:  616-363-2700
Website:  http://littlepearlcupcake.com/Home.html
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The Arrival …

I arrived at the Little Pearl Cupcake in Grand Rapids, MI at about 4:30PM.  It is located in a little strip mall next to a Thai food restaurant.  When I entered into the bakery, I did notice that it was not the most “organized” or “appealing” bakery as far as appearances, defiantly not like many other bakeries I have been too!  But I never let the appearance of a place make the judgment on the product (even though we all eat with our eyes first).  They had a few glass cake pedestals on a small counter with 8 different cupcakes to choose from.  I heard a women’s voice from behind the folding screens that separated the front from the back say they would be with me in a minute.  She came up and asked me what she could get me and I said 1 of everything you have (I had no idea what she had because there are no signs to tell you what they are!).  She said ok and grabbed 2 plastic cupcake carriers and started to put all the cupcakes in the boxes, she then range me up on the register which came to $20.00 ($2.50/cupcake).  I paid her said thank you and I was off.  One thing I do have to say is that the customer service could be a little more friendly, I had my two young boys with me and could have used some help opening the door but she jetted off back to the back, so on the way out with struggling with the cupcakes and helping my boys out the door my youngest got his head smacked as the door shut, poor little guy!
 
Red Velvet Cupcake—Red Cake was dry & very unusual in flavor (it actually had a taste I have never had before in a red velvet cupcake), Cream Cheese frosting was sweet and VERY strong on the cream cheese taste (not a very good balance).  Between the dryness of the cake and the frosting, I did not like this one.
OVERALL RATING  -  1

Chocolate Chocolate Cupcake- (Dark) Chocolate Cake was dry & had an unusual taste to it (again something I have not tasted in this flavor cupcake) and I can’t say it was that of a true dark chocolate cake, Chocolate “glaze” was alright but didn’t really taste it, Chocolate Buttercream was more of a “runny” consistency rather than the normal texture I am used to for a buttercream frosting and the flavor was that of a grocery store taste.  Overall did not like this cake either L
OVERALL RATING - 1
Grasshopper Cupcake – I am guessing that is what this one was (that is the only one on the menu on their website that has mint in it, I would have guessed Andes Mint because that was on top of it, so I am not sure for certain, like I said they had no signs to tell you what they were).  Chocolate Cake was dry & again had a unusual taste to it (getting a little disappointed with all the dry cakes!  Seems like these cupcakes have been sitting around for a day or two before they put them out to sell, not good L) the Green Mint frosting was extremely minty and really over powered the whole cupcake and was not a good balance, felt like I was eating a mouth full of mint chalk (the texture of the mint frosting was very chalk like).  Again, not a good cupcake.
OVERALL RATING - 1

Oreo Cupcake  – Again I am guess that is what this one would have been called, I don’t see an Oreo cupcake listed on their menu but there is no other one on there that matches this cupcake at all. Chocolate Cake was dry and again had the unusual taste to it (I have a feeling now that all the cakes are going to be dry and unusual in taste), it was cored out and had a white cream filling inside that was alright, not to sweet but not to plain, the Chocolate Vanilla swirled frosting on top was alright in taste but did look pretty in the swirling of colors, and it had an Oreo piece of cookie on top.  This cupcake got a bit better than the last ones.
OVERALL RATING - 2

Birthday Cake Cupcake – This was a White Cake with sprinkles in the cake with Chocolate Buttercream with Sprinkles on top.  White Cake was VERY VERY dry (I could not even finish it, it was that bad!), the Chocolate Buttercream was not good, it was chalky and bland.  This cake failed terribly!
OVERALL RATING – Minus 1

Green Tea Cupcake – White Cake (maybe infused with green tea?) was again VERY dry, Green Tea Buttercream was none to say the least DISGUSTING!  This cupcake was in the trash before I could even finish chewing the piece I had in my mouth.  There was a red filling of some sort but it was hard to place what it was supposed to be, maybe raspberries?  This cake failed terribly as well, I am almost scared to try the last two!
OVERALL RATING – Minus 1

Almond Cupcake - White Cake was dry & had a very slight hint of almond, the Almond Buttercream was very sweet and not so much almond in taste, but it did smell like almond.  One thing I did notice is that the ingredients seem to be artificial rather than natural (artificial color, flavors, etc.), which makes for less appealing cupcakes.  This cupcake was not a big hit for me.
OVERALL RATING – 1
Little Pearl Cupcake  – White (Vanilla) Cake was dry but the overall taste of the cake was alright, the Vanilla Bean Italian Meringue Frosting was interesting, it didn’t have much taste at all let alone the claim of vanilla bean but it did have a very “oily” consistency and slickness  about it, not at all like Italian Meringue frosting I have had before.  Overall this cupcake was “alright”.
OVERALL RATING – 2


FINAL ACT…


The Little Pearl Cupcake in Grand Rapids, MI needs MUCH work.  Bottom line, they need to get their baking temperatures and timing right, their cake batters and frostings to taste better and clean up their overall appearance of their shop.  Add a little more customer service and they could turn this bakery around, but if they continue to go in the path they are, I can foresee a dark gloomy end to this young cupcake bakery. 



Rating Scale:  1 = Bad, don't waste your money!
                         2 = Just Alright
                         3 = Good, what it should taste like
                         4 = Excellent, more than expected
                         5 = Cupcake Heaven, Oh So Scrumptious!



PLEASE NOTE:  All items are tasted within an hour of receiving them.  By doing this, it takes out any false claims that the freshness, temperature, texture, etc. where compromised by not tasting them when served.  All precautions are taken when preserving the “freshness” of the products I receive.  

Happy Tasting!
~Briar Rose

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Posted by DH

Welcome!

3:30 PM | Labels:

This blog will contain all the reviews for establishments I visit.  Ever since I can remember I have had a passion for great tasting food, my parents taught us to enjoy all the different types of food from the day we were born.  Needless to say our palates became very versatile and in the end it created children that appreciated the variety of tastes that all the cultures have to offer! My passion continued to grow throughout the years but it wasn't till I was pregnant with my first child and bed ridden for 80% of the pregnancy that I found myself turning to Food Network everyday and watching all my favorite chefs all day long, learning whatever I could.  I started reading books in food and browsing through cookbooks.  I began to challenge my taste buds by taking blind taste testing to see if I could figure out what was in what I was eating. These reviews are ONLY my opinion, everyone has their own opinion and I invite you to add yours in the comment section below the post I do ask that you please do not leave a review for an establishment unless you have eaten at that particular establishment, thank you. 

Each posting will contain:  the name of the establishment, physical address, phone number, and website.  A description of the dish will be provide if needed (per the establishments description), a photo of the dish (before tasting begins), a photo of the establishment, photo of the dish as it is dissembled for tasting (only if needed), and my review for each item in the dish with an overall rating for each item, as well as, a "Final Act" of the entire dish, establishment, and service as a whole.

To Contact Me Email at  HDTTblog@yahoo.com

Happy Tasting!
~Briar Rose


P.S. -  Have some place in Michigan you want me to do a review on?  Let me know!

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Posted by DH
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