Milk

Take a second to absorb that picture.

Take another second to absorb the name of the dessert: French Macaron Ice Cream Sandwich

Now, let me clarify that it is indeed as good as it looks and sounds.

It seems that the cupcake phase has dwindled a little bit since its glory days back in 2008 and 2009. More recently, I’ve noticed the rise of the french macaron (not to be mistaken with the coconut macaroon) as the “got to have” dessert. Fittingly so, its extremely small size is compensated by the flavorful bites it offers. I’m not a culinary expert, so I don’t really know what’s exactly in a french macaron. However, my taste buds scream like a crazed banshee whenever I get my hands on those things. So though they’re expensive, I’ll drop an extra couple bucks here and there to indulge in the mini treats. There’s also that other dessert, ice cream sandwiches, which everyone loves. With cookies traditionally serving as the bun with the ice cream patty in between, it’s really hard to not like such a simple but delicious dessert.

In comes The Milk Shop. They had the bright idea of combining these 2 incredible sugar treats to one unstoppable pleasing machine known as The French Macaron Ice Cream Sandwich. It reminds me a little of that one Fabolous and Ne-Yo song, “Make Me Better”. These lyrics come to mind: “I’m a movement by myself, but I’m a force when we’re together”. Or a more recent metaphor would be comparing the French Macaron Ice Cream Sandwich to the Avengers mash up, minus the shawarma.

I was quite taken aback that this treat actually existed, so I was a little apprehensive to try it. I wasn’t sure if the french macaron “bun” was going to have that flaky consistency along with maintaining it’s rich taste. On top of that, I didn’t know if the ice cream would complement or clash with the taste of the treat. O but it worked! It worked so well! I opted for the red velvet french macaron ice cream sandwich my first time at Milk. It definitely delivered as the frozen flavor rush overwhelmed me not just at first bite, but with every bite that followed. If I could draw up a scene of what I felt at first contact with the sandwich, it would be comparable to when Charlie first saw the chocolate meadow while Willy Wonka sang “Pure Imagination”.

The french macaron bun completely delivered as it was packed with flavor and crumbled in a flaky style after each bite. The added bonus is that it’s about 2-3x larger than a normal french macaron. The ice cream insides were the perfect partner and definitely brought out the overall “yum” factor of the sweet sandwich. I was so impressed that I came back about a week later (30-40 mins away from Long Beach) for a second go. I had the Thai Tea version and it was also extremely good. It had a hint of holiday eggnog aftertaste to it.

I really do have to make another trip for their famous Blue Velvet Cake. I hear it’s the “ish”.

Cruzade Rating: 9

Location:

7290 Beverly Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90036

(323) 939-6455

http://www.themilkshop.com

Desserts

I don’t care whether my pants are about to explode after consuming a heavy meal. I will opt for dessert just about every time. Nothing sweeter than sweets, right?

Milk – Cruzade Rating: 9

Royal Cup Cafe

I cannot emphasize how much I love this place. It’s the perfect combination of coffee, food, and artsy ambiance. I really wish I had more time to go here, but work just won’t allow it. While in college, I loved calling up a friend and bringing them here to study or to simply hang out and relax. It’s just one of those “go-to” places when you want to catch up with someone over good coffee. So let’s talk about my favorite offerings at Royal Cup:

Iced White Turtle Coffee- This is the basis of which I compare other iced coffees I try. A cup filled with white chocolate, almond, chocolate, and caramel. A sweet tooth can’t ask for more than that. It’s not too sugary to the point that you feel like dying, but enough to keep you more than satisfied. Also, a plus is that it’s served in a jar if you dine in. If you’re not feeling coffee, try the white chocolate green tea. Either drink is a win.

African Safari Panini- What’s inside: Worcestershire sauce mixed with mango chutney, chicken, fire-roasted sweet peppers, provolone and mayo. The combination of these ingredients in a warm pressed panini = heaven. The perfect blend of sweet and savory juices compliment the chicken and makes my mouth water just thinking about it. Also, the sandwich has my favorite cheese of all, which gives it an extra point in my book.

The Art- In no way am I an art connoisseur. I am not blessed with artistic talent, but I do appreciate art and the people who contribute to it. The walls of Royal Cup are full of unique pieces from local artists looking to showcase and sell their work. Each can be bought for a specific price. I really admire that Royal Cup does not charge the artists to display and sell their pieces.

Like many other coffee shops, Royal Cup hosts open mic nights during the week. I have not had the chance to attend any purposely, but there was a time I had to shorten my study session because it’s almost impossible to study with live music and people cheering around you. I will make it a point to come out and support one of these days.

Cruzade Rating: 9

Location:

994 Redondo Ave
Long Beach, CA 90804

(562) 987-1027

www.royalcupcafe.com

Coffee Shops

I love coffee shops simply because of the feel and the atmosphere. Study or chill time, these spots keep me at ease and help relieve stress…even if what I’m studying fills me with it.

Viento y Aguas Coffee House and Gallery – Cruzade Rating: 9

Royal Cup Cafe – Cruzade Rating: 9.5

Viento y Aguas Coffee House and Gallery

What I’ve come to realize in my years of residence here in Long Beach, and So Cal in general, is that there are a billion quality hole-in-the-wall spots in the area. Viento y Aguas is definitely one of the many treasures that Long Beach has to offer. I was looking for a new study spot and I saw that this place is highly praised on Yelp. Yelp has NEVER failed me and definitely did not disappoint me this time around. I realized upon passing the coffee shop to park that I’ve been here once before. I remember getting a fruit-based drink because I think I was in that juice phase the last time I came here about a year or two ago.

I’ve been on a crazy coffee craze as of late…well more like for the past 3 months. Before that, I was highly addicted to milk teas for about half a year. I tend to go on sweet drink phases, and they last quite a while.

So this time around, I opted for the Mexican Mocha on the rocks, which happens to be one of their core competencies (business term for something they make/do really well). I wanted something savory to eat and asked the cashier what she recommended the Killer Tomato Sandwich with a voice resounding with resilience. I couldn’t refuse. Whole thing came to about $11, which isn’t cheap nor pricey for a coffee shop meal.

I took a seat, and there was a whole lotta room here…which is a great thing because it’s a rather popular place and I can see how this place could get packed. They have a funny sign outside on their door advertising their free FIOS Internet for customers. You have to ask for a card that has the password on it, and they’ll gladly provide that for you. Before I go any further, their customer service here is definitely above average and worth mentioning in this blog. The cashier was extremely friendly when she took my order and the barista was attentive and took the time to learn my name while sparking light conversation. Big plus, and gave this place a more “homely” feel.

On top of the great atmosphere and customer service, the food and drink was definitely the “deal maker”. The Killer Tomato Sandwich consisted of a sun-dried tomato bagel, tomatoes, cream cheese, spinach, basil, avocados, and lemon pepper. For those of you know my food habits, meat is something that I always have with my savory meals. So for this sandwich to be completely vegetarian and have the ability to impress my taste buds, was HUGE! Cream cheese and avocados go well with anything and everything. But with this sandwich, they successfully served as the meat substitute and paired perfectly with the rest of the ingredients. What surprised me most was how the sandwich filled me up. I wasn’t bloated, but I was definitely content. Bravo, Viento y Aguas!

The Mexican Mocha deserves high praise too. It consists of coffee, cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar, and coffee syrup. I usually don’t opt for mocha drinks because most places make them taste too “chocolatey”, so I go for the white mocha drinks a majority of the time. It was done right here. It was full of flavor and had enough sweetness to appease my sweet tooth. A big plus was that it was served in a jar. Cool beans.

Cruzade Rating: 8.5

Location:

4007 E 4th St
Long Beach, CA 90814

(562) 434-1182

www.vientoyaguacoffeehouse.com