Rao's Bakery and Cafe on Dowlen is a midsized restaurant with ample parking in front. There is an…read moreinviting old fashioned atmosphere, pay for orders at counter then given a table number, friendly staff bring meals to tables, large display of baked goods and home gifts for purchase. I enjoyed 1/2 cup of Tomato Soup- one of their soups of the day, and a 1/2 Pesto, Turkey, bacon, and Swiss cheese on wheat sandwich. Both were a delicious combination. Arrived at lunch, they'd already ran out of their muffato. I thought it unusual since they are a bakery. There are multiple locations available. Service is slower for large groups. Recommend calling ahead first for groups of 10+. Met Beck Riviera, Folded Book Artist. He purchases used books for $1 and crafts artwork for the page edges. The papers strewn on the table represent his carefully crafted blueprints. He shared mastering this craft took lots of trial and error. Zoom in on his business card on the table for his contact info.

We ordered Gelatos and a slice of Tiramisu. All were amazing! I loved their Pistachio Gelato so…read moremuch. It was so creamy. Their tiramisu was moist and delicious! The place was so neat and cute. They have mouth watering sweets display. And the coffee aroma just hits you when you come through the door. This will be our new go to cafe for sure

Many of us were waiting to be attended and the adult on the floor goes to back and gets her staff…read moreand informs them I don't need to be ringing customers if I have you. WOW!! We all just looked ourselves and couldn't believe that statement. That adult needs to be retrained on customer service. Very disappointed.

If I could give this place 0 stars, I would…read more I asked them if they could serve me a coffee... Just a regular coffee, as I looked at the coffee pot brewing...Not only did the employees continue to talk amongst themselves, but they said they "didn't have any". Racism at its finest.

I love this place. The girls are always so nice and friendly. I feel like family here. The pecan…read morepie is excellent. The macaroons are delicious. Not sure what I'll be getting today but something sweet. Thanks keep up the good work, ladies and gentlemen

If you find yourself here it's more likely than not that you're staying here at the L'aunerge Hotel…read moreand Casino and you're happy about something, it could be you're on vacation or they comp'd you a room or they comp'd you a cupcake because it's your birthday. But if the reason you stopped in here is not to celebrate but to drown your broke ass in something sweet to forget about the bad run you just experienced in the Casino they have something that can help with that too... It's call ice cream Whatever the reason do stop in its delicious!!!!!

BEST gelato I've had in Houston!…read more There's a wide array of Asian-inspired flavors such as black sesame, taro, and Vietnamese coffee. They have lots of unique flavors I haven't seen anywhere else, such as goat cheese with sage oil and sea salt, and my personal favorite, SWEET CORN WITH RICOTTA! Be sure to sample it if it's in rotation, it tastes just like movie theater popcorn! The workers are very patient and accommodating, I probably asked for a sample of every flavor that was available! There's not too much seating, definitely more of a grab and go unless you have less than 6-7 people in your group! Note to the owner: If you see this, PLEASE put pandan, pandan coconut, or pandan matcha in rotation!

The Gelato Spot is right next to and also accessible directly from Hyde Park. We decided we needed…read moregelato while we were eating our pizza. According to a sign in the store, the gelato is made in house, which is cool. There were lots of unique flavors and I should have taken a picture of the case, but alas I did not. They offered samples and Mark sampled the Lemon Pie (or a similar name) and loved it. He ordered two scoops - one lemon and one coffee. I tried both and WOW, the lemon was fantastic! I ordered one scoop of Tiramisu, which included alcohol. I almost passed on it because we don't drink, but I figured it couldn't be any stronger than 'near beer'. I'm glad I got the Tiramisu. It was delicious. I would never suspect there was alcohol in it. Because we would be heading home after, we decided to have a seat and eat it in the shop, which is very clean and cute. There are three two-seat tables in the shop (it's small), so be aware. There are a few tables out front. There's nothing not to like here. I want to try every flavor! It was absolutely delicious!

We discovered Rita's when we were here in February. The staff are always helpful plus patient as…read morelittle ones make their choices. And there is so much to choose from. My grands usually go for the custard and not the cool ones like Dream Cream but the normal vanilla chocolate swirl custard. But they do get toppers like gummy bears today. All the varieties look amazing. It is adorable inside with tables to sit at. Outside seating is provided as well. Definitely give them a try!

One thing that is certain is Rita's is consistent, wherever you go (at least for me, thus far)…read more We came early afternoon after spending some time at the beach. The service was quick and friendly. Most importantly our italian ice was tasty! (Come on good and faithful mango and good and faithful strawberry). If you haven't experienced Rita's, the best time would be after being in the heat, yummmmm!

My family and I decided to go to Gelatissimo for a sweet treat after shopping and having dinner at…read morethe mall. Gelatissimo has indoor and outdoor seating. When you walk in it's nice and bright. There is a lot of natural light from the windows. You can see all of the gelato and ice cream choices on one side and seating on the other side. It's not a very big place but you could buy your gelato and head outside to the huge outdoor area that surrounds the restaurants and stores. My son decided to go with a scoop of chocolate mint in a chocolate and nut cone. He thought it was yummy and finished the whole thing. My husband and I shared a cup of the lemon sorbet. It was a good size, not too much, and perfect for the both of us to share. The lemon sorbet was very good. It was light and tangy. You could definitely taste the lemon flavor with your first bite and then it became addictive. Overall it was a great place to stop for a sweet treat. It was clean and bright, the service was good, and the sorbet was yummy.

On my way to the theater, I knew that Gelatissimo would be my first stop when my movie was…read morefinished. The aroma of delicious sweets caught my attention. The staff was super helpful. It's a small store with little room to stand, so if you're going to ask for a sample, try not to get a sample of everything like the gentleman in front of me. First, I sampled the dragon fruit with lychee. It was good, but not what I wanted. Next, I sampled the decadent cookie dough, and that was it for me. I ordered one scoop on a vanilla waffle cone, and my husband got one scoop of their cotton candy in a cup. Both flavors were amazing! Prices are fair for gelato, especially considering the quality.

We stopped in here one evening while in Galveston. Upon arrival, the staff warmly greeted us and…read moregave recs on what we should order. I had the pecan-flavored decaf latte. It was so incredibly good. I believe my husband had a mocha. We've been to other coffee shops on the island, and the one was his favorite. The shop wasn't busy and was quiet, but I imagine it's quite packed in the mornings. We will definitely be back!

Located in the small community of Evia, Sugar Bean Coffee and Cream is an incredibly cute &…read moreaesthetic coffee shop. The cafe features plenty of indoor and outdoor seating as well as easy parking either on the street or a lot behind the storefronts. Plenty of customers were busy studying or working, giving it a cozy atmosphere. While cute, the menu availability was rather disappointing. A good potion of the items that were listed on the back of the menu were either no longer offered or unavailable. I had been looking forward to ordering a Seasonal Smoothie Bowls, only to discover it was no longer offered since Basin Bistro next door now offers them instead. They were also out of fruit for the smoothies. In the end I was able to order a smoothie substitute.