Cinnaholic

Rocky Road

It would be difficult for me to engage in enough praise of Berkeley's little gem of a vegan bakery, Cinnaholic, to qualify as hyperbole. My sister and I decided to check it out when we found ourselves unexpectedly taking a short trip to Oakland. After a quick drive we found ourselves in what seemed like it was downtown Berkeley--though it was my first and only trip there, and thus, I wouldn't really know. Suffice it to say that Cinnaholic surpasses even my most hedonistic of piggy fantasies. And it's really a whole package kind of deal. The decor is a mixture of modishly crisp black and white and a punk/tattoo kind of aesthetic. Lillies on the counter; Misfits posters framed on the walls. The spotlessly clean food area was presided over by cute tattooed girls with black hair, who were more sweet and patient than my slack-jawed wonderment really warranted.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

Preparing our order and ignoring how spazzed out I was.

Beth in contemplation

Fudge Brownie Chunk

In addition to a cooler full of drinks, coffee, and a small selection of grab-n-go pastries, the whole business of Cinnaholic is cinnamon rolls. These perfect, large, fluffy, and delightfully soft goodies can be topped with any of a huge variety of flavored frostings and toppings. For the delirious and disoriented, they have a small selection of specialty cinnamon rolls for which they've already combined frostings and toppings to create specific effects. B ordered hers with butterscotch frosting and marshmallows while I ordered the chocolate chip cookie dough. For our people who weren't lucky to accompany us on this magical adventure, we got a fudge brownie chunk and the rocky road. When all was said and done, I definitely ate more than my fair share, and I found it incredibly difficult to stop eating them even after the last bits had lingered in the fridge for a few days. Truthfully, the only thing that stopped me was my over-developed sense of shame.

C likes to accuse me of being hyper-critical because of my inability to name an eating-type establishment with which I don't have some kind of quibble. Truly, I have wracked my brains before in a vain effort to prove him wrong. I don't like to think of myself as all that much of a curmudgeon. (ahem) For whatever it's worth, then, dear readers, let me just tell you that I have nothing bad to say about Cinnaholic, and that is truly the highest endorsement I can offer. I loved it. 

I need one of these. Right now.

Beth's creation: Dandies, walnuts, and butterscotch frosting