NYC: Baked by Melissa with Stilettos & Sequins

It sounds like I stopped by Baked by Melissa in NYC wearing stilettos and sequins, but rather I had Dhruvi, the queen of "Stilettos & Sequins" take me to the delightful cupcake shoppe.

After a trip to the Guggenheim, I met up with Dhruves at Qi (both beautifully decorated and delish, btw), followed by an exploration of the racks at Loehmann's, finally making our way to Baked by Melissa.

The bite-sized cupcakes are the perfect quantity of sweet and each is filled with the exact flavor of their names. Take "Peanut Butter and Jelly" for example, it tastes exactly like a PB&J sandwich, except maybe better. My favorite was the red velvet, but *ahem* I did try them all.....

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Miami: Fontainbleau Hotel: Hakkasan

Location:

4441 Collins Avenue
Miami Beach

http://www.hakkasan.com/miami/

You know when you're sunburned and so relaxed, that even though you want to get dressed up and go out, you really don't want to go too far?

That's when dining in one of the hotel's restaurants is the best idea, ever.

Hakkasan fit the bill. Although they were fully booked, they were gracious and got us a table after a short wait.

The dumplings were the highlight for sure. Incredibly moist, and with abundant flavor and texture, we held that as the standard. Alas the fish dish was not up to par. Am not a fan of bland steamed fish with sauce poured over it. The eggplant didn't have too much oomph and the fried rice was forgettable.

Redemption came in the form of chocolate (naturally) and won us over again. If you're staying at the Fontainbleau Hotel, I highly recommend dining there. If you're not, I wouldn't bother with the trek.

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Greece: Santorini, Sugar

Location:

Zoto's

It was the same place where we got the gelato. This time around it was for the magnificent and ENORMOUS sugared puff pastry.

YUM!

Frugal Fare #7: Boston: Costco: Best Hand Dipped Chocolate Ice Cream Bar

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