I can't believe it's not dairy!

This week at Amuse-Bouche, we’re shaking things up a little. A recent jaunt up Hope Street returned not one but two great finds in the grab-lunch-and-chill-out category. Three Sisters and its neighbor Wildflour are like Tia and Tamara or Mary Kate and Ashley (only a lot less annoying than either set of twins): They share the best things in common, probably have overlapping crowds, and seem the same on the surface, but deep down they’re like yin and yang. Three Sisters, a way-casual café, is known for its home-churned ice cream; Wildflour is vegan. Three Sisters is aggressively no-frills; Wildflour is bougie. Both sell themselves with that beautiful combination of freshly made foodstuffs, coffee and smoothies, free WiFi, and plenty of space for camping out. Only one problem: HOW TO CHOOSE?! Here’s the lowdown on both to help you decide. [Read more →]

Chocolate Bailey's Cheesecake? Yes, please!

This Saturday, March 17, is a momentous occasion in Ireland and America alike (though in few other places): the day we celebrate the Christianization of Ireland by Saint Patrick with copious amounts of green-dyed beer. Huzzah!

Lately, I’ve really wanted to make a cheesecake. Cheesecake is one of those desserts that seems really difficult to make, but is actually quite easy once you have a foundational recipe. But remember, not all cheesecakes are created equal. It seemed only fitting that this week I should test out my brand spankin’ new spring-form cake pans with a cheesecake. And due to the 100-year anniversary of Oreos, I wanted to incorporate the iconic cookie into my creation. To make this cheesecake even better, I threw in some cocoa powder (because chocolate only serves to make things better), made a dark chocolate ganache to pour on top, and added a whole lot of Bailey’s — after all, it is Saint Patrick’s Day! [Read more →]

It’s easy to get cozily complacent in the bubble that is College Hill, and for good reason — we have pretty much everything we need, from hip/creepy coffee shops to multiple Irish pubs to the GCB. But Blue Room muffins can only satisfy a sweet tooth for so long, and those cake pops at Starbucks are freaking weird. That’s where Pastiche comes in. Tucked away on a back street of Federal Hill, it’s a whole new world from our collegiate haven… Evidently, a world filled with fancy cake.

The chipper yellow awning and blue-trimmed storefront are reminiscent of cafés on the cobblestone streets of quaint European villages. A dining room that seats about 25 is flanked on one side by a working fireplace and mural of the Italian countryside, on the other by dessert crazytown. A big glass display case contains made-in-house cakes, which are sold whole or by the slice; trays and shelves and towers spill with more treats. Welcome to your dream. [Read more →]