Seven ways to satisfy your sweet tooth
By Leah Berry | Photography by John Michael Simpson
Confectioneries are the cherry on top of our vibrant food scene, which is flourishing with an array of bakeries, ice cream parlors and frozen pop shops. Whether you’re a fan of classic flavors or adventurous new combinations, go on and treat yourself to these delectable delights.
Sticky buns and cinnamon rolls reign supreme at Lutra Cafe and Bakery. Owner Chris McLaurin offers baked treats that are so craveable, you’ll find yourself coming back for more week after week. Lutra’s signature white miso and blueberry buns ($7) are a tantalizing blend of sweet and salty that you simply can’t resist. The cafe pops up twice a week – preorder your favorites by noon on Thursdays and pick them up at Cocoa Cinnamon on Hillsborough Road from 7-9:30 a.m. on Fridays. Or join the “Sunday Bunday” festivities at Queeny’s from 8-11 a.m., where you can preorder by the four-pack and half-dozen until noon every Saturday, though Chris says there’s plenty available for walk-up customers, too. Chris is on the hunt for a brick-and-mortar of Lutra’s own and plans to broaden its menu to include breakfast and lunch alongside its sweet treats when the right location comes along.
As the late summer sun blazes overhead, La Monarca Michoacana is hustling and bustling, serving up a refreshing escape from the heat. This family-run business, established in 2008, features more than 40 flavors of homemade ice cream and ice pops, plus mangonadas (natural fruit in a sorbet-like state mixed with chamoy, lime and chile powder), corn, nachos, smoothies and other treats. La Monarca is a chain paletería based in Mexico but has locations throughout the United States, including in Raleigh and on Avondale Drive in Durham. Treat yourself to a classic scoop of ice cream, like vanilla and cookies ‘n’ cream, or choose from unique flavors like cheese with blackberry, Ferrero Rocher or soursop. The paletas, made with fresh fruit and natural ingredients, are an exceptionally popular – and refreshing – choice at $3.49 a piece. Try the rice pudding, coffee or cheesecake pop for a more dessert-like treat, or go with the guava, strawberry and mango pops for a fruitier delicacy.
The Mad Hatter’s Café + Bakeshop is a community hub that has emphasized fresh, local ingredients and wholesome recipes since it opened in 1992. Here you’ll find Duke University students poring over textbooks with a steaming cup of espresso, while professionals converge at the West Main Street locale for productive teamwork sessions. Breakfast is served all day, and lunch highlights sandwiches, wraps, soups, salads and more, but the sweet treats are a must on any visit. The sought-after strawberry shortcake here is a delicate white cake layered with fresh strawberry filling and crowned with homemade whipped cream, creating a perfect blend of light, airy texture and natural, fruity sweetness. Buy a 6-inch cake for $39, or opt for a full sheet cake to share with friends and family for $185. The cake features milk and cream from Grayhouse Farms, strawberries from Lyon Farms, flour from Lindley Mills and eggs from Latta Family Farms.
Little Barb’s Bakery started from the ground – or rather, the kitchen – up. Owner Barbara Nigro pivoted from her career in the health care industry to pursue her dream of owning her own bakeshop in 2021. She started by perfecting her desserts at home and, just 10 months later, opened her own storefront at the Durham Food Hall, where she continues to craft elevated treats that invoke a sense of nostalgia – like cookies, cheesecake bites, cinnamon rolls, tartlets and more – while cultivating a welcoming environment for her customers. The bakery’s standout favorite are the “Barb-tarts.” “It’s our version of the good ole fashion Pop-Tart!” Barb says. “We use a homemade butter pie crust that we make in-house and all fresh, homemade fillings.” Pick up your own – available in strawberry, brown sugar cinnamon, s’mores and blueberry – for $4.50, and stay tuned for a variety box option that Barb hopes will be available soon.
We all scream for The Parlour’s handmade ice cream! The creamery, opened in 2011, houses rotating flavors inspired by both the seasons and the beloved food memories of owners Yoni Mazuz and Vanessa Mazuz – from classics like vanilla and cookies ‘n’ cream to Vietnamese coffee, plum lassi and summer corn with blueberry swirl – using dairy from Simply Natural Creamery in Ayden, North Carolina, and fresh fruit from local farms. Along with the shop’s original brick-and-mortar at 117 Market St., its second location, The Parlour Junior, is a mini scoop shop based out of The Common Market on the corner of Iredell and Green streets. This satellite venture features a smaller selection of scoops, shakes and toppings Tuesdays through Sundays (the downtown location also serves coffee drinks and homemade baked goods every day of the week). Get the fan favorite brownie sundae ($8.50), crafted with two ice-cream scoops of your choice, housemade brownie bites and hot fudge, whipped cream and malt powder.
La Recette Patisserie – a community-driven small business founded by Djamila Bakour in 2015 – brings culturally diverse desserts to the Bull City. The bakery started its journey in a one-bedroom apartment kitchen and now serves French pastries infused with Algerian and Middle Eastern influences. “Our goal is to deliver a joyful experience in a welcoming atmosphere,” Djamila says. Choose from a number of conventional baked goods – like custom cakes, cupcakes and cake pops – plus macarons, opera (coffee cake with chocolate ganache) and lemon meringue cakes, and pistachio framboise tarts – a buttery pastry filled with almond cream and fresh raspberries, topped with Chantilly cream and toasted pistachios that retails for $8. “Our monthly menus are crafted with care, aiming not only to deliver amazing flavors but also to evoke cherished memories,” Djamila says. “We aim to educate about the origins of pastries and foster a community around high-quality Algerian and Middle Eastern desserts!”
New to the scene is MilkShake Factory, which launches its first North Carolina store, headed by Alex Chandler and Kindall Palmer, in August at the American Tobacco Campus. The business originated in Pittsburgh and has since established itself as a neighborhood dessert destination renowned for its housemade ice cream, handspun milkshakes and premium chocolates. Its signature milkshake menu is the star attraction, boasting flavors like Chocolate-Dipped Strawberry, Campfire S’mores and Cookie Jar (pictured). The latter, a cookie lover’s dream and perpetual crowd favorite, retails for $8.95 and is made with MilkShake Factory’s proprietary ice-cream base, cookie dough, crushed cookies and cream, and peanut butter cookie crumbles. It’s then topped with MilkShake Factory’s homemade whipped cream and finished with a chocolate-covered Oreo.
