GreatFoodFunPlaces.com

I truly believe that  the presentation of food changes its flavor and improves the over all experience of any type of food or drink. As Tammy at Prairie Homestead says in her post about finding treasures such as attractive serving dishes at yard sales, “I’m a big believer that you eat with your eyes first”. I agree!

I do believe my coffee tastes better when it is ‘artfully’ served. Whether in a lovely ceramic cup or a paper ‘to go’ container, the ‘coffee art’ on top sets it off and mixes in nicely creating a delicious and satisfying coffee drink.

This Coffee Latte Artwork is becoming a huge aspect of coffee houses and their service.  My first encounter of a lovely decorated latte was at Lola Coffee in Phoenix.

Since then, I have experienced and enjoyed several…especially a variety of designs at Cartel Coffee Lab and other places like Urban Beans.

All of these coffee works of art take talent and is every bit as artful as a painting.

Watching the process is like a magic show.    You see it happening but it is hard to believe what the end result is with just a pouring in of milk and swishing it back and forth a bit. Coffee Art Magic

THOSE are the ones that truly impress me. However, even the others that are decorated with artful movements and additions of dark coffee or even chocolate, are amazing, too, and deserve recognition for talent it took to create them!

The following photos were sent to me by a friend.

FEAST YOUR EYES ON THESE WORKS OF ART:

And my favorites:

Those magic shows? You just have to watch! Here is another one of the many videos showing this magical talent.

Always on the lookout for a good cookie, but not just ANY cookie, it has to be at least as good as, if not better than, what we can make at home where favorite family recipes and quality control of ingredients produce the best!  Enter. . .

A unique, almost ‘funky’ (but not quite) and ‘hip’ little establishment in Phoenix, we are drawn to  their use of ‘organic’ and ‘local’ ingredients. And where, with ‘simplicity and quality as the cornerstones,’ we find extraordinary but basic soul-satisfying

Cookies….

And

Cupcakes.

Is this a new food fad: Cupcakes?

Haven’t we all enjoyed cupcakes since childhood…an easy offering at birthday parties, picnics, and bake sales. I remember in the 3rd grade, taking cupcakes to share with my classmates in celebration of the birth of my baby sister; and in high school, my homemade cupcakes sold out first at a bake sale.  So, I am amused at this recent surge of interest and offerings of cupcakes: not only at ‘cup cake only’ bakeries, but also at other places offering sweet treats. Just this week, cupcakes were served at a professional business meeting luncheon I attended. And how about, instead of a traditional tiered wedding cake, tiered wedding ‘Cupcakes’?

Perhaps it is all of our childhood memories that make the cupcakes so tempting and ever more popular with all ages!

Urban Cookies is doing their part in joining this new fad and should consider adding ‘Cupcakes’ to their name! Offering tasty little cakes piled with a thick flavorful buttercream frosting or rich ganache, they add even more fun, by creating seasonal and specialty flavors like pumpkin for October/November, Strawberry for February (Valentine’s Day), Peach with fresh local peaches from Schnepfs Farm, and how about an Earth Day Cupcake — rich dark chocolate that actually looked like it could be dirt!

And NOW?  How about a different flavor each week all summer long!