What the Cake?

This is a true staple of my childhood, and of the Bay Area. Anyone who knows good food and good…read morepizza in the East Bay knows Arizmendi. It's a surprise every day, which pizza they'll make, but it's guaranteed to always be good. The quality of the ingredients is top notch, the kind you can just taste. Even their salads, soups, and baked goods are delicious, it tastes like a quality bakery, for a place that's known for great pizza. This is definitely an if you know, you know spot, the kind you'll come back to for years on end for its consistency, its flavor, its heart. It's a staple of the East Bay for a reason, and even if you're not a vegetarian, you will adore it.

Great spot for a quick dinner at an affordable price!…read more My partner and I stopped by Arizmendi to check it out and get a daily special on a Sunday. In total, we paid $7.50, which was not bad at all! The space is spacious inside with an ample parking lot, but I would say this is more of a grab-and-go place; there is some outdoor seating. We got a pizza with tomato, olive oil, feta, and olives. The service was quick, straightforward, and we were able to get our slices within 5 minutes and it came out hot which was great! The pizza itself is on the thinner side and has a good ratio of dough to cheese. The crust/base was chewy and light and did in fact, taste healthy (in a good way)! Do I think this place is somewhere you must go to try out? Honestly, no, it is a good value pizza that tastes delicious, but I would say to only stop in if you are around the area.

Slice Pizza

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Simurgh Bakery and Cafe

4.6(294 reviews)

8.9 km

Matcha Tales, Always looking to enjoy the food/drink…read moreexperience. We found a gem. Took a minute to prepare, but I am willing to sacrifice time for taste . Worked out great. All I heard was this is the best Matcha ever. Wow. Let's memorize this. Well deserved. See you

Pastry 4/5 Customer service 5/5…read moreValue 3/5 We came right before closing so the only thing we can get was pastries The honey cake is the best; moist and balanced in flavor. Everything is good and fresh. It is a little pricey @$7 per piece.

Inside

Balkan Kebab Sandwich(Cevapi)

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Cute windows of display

Mother Mcdowell's Sugar Free Bakery

4.9(20 reviews)

7.9 km•North Oakland

Called but no answer. I think they are no longer in business. Not sure why that information has…read morenot bee updated.

Ok so being that I'm all the way in Las Vegas I was very doubtful that this would be a good…read moreexperience. I called and spoke to the baker Johnathan. He was very forthright in stating that due to Covid he was baking from home but that all Covid protocols were in place. He walked me thru the types of cakes he could get by my deadline and I chose the Herman Chocolate Cake. I checked in with him the day before delivery and recd a text when the cake was delivered. The process was easy and flawless because I used CashApp. Now my dad is very particular about things re sweets due to diabetes but he told me that he hasn't ever tasted a sugar free cake so darn good. His cake was delivered on Saturday and since then he has talked about the cake. Even his wife was pretty impressed. Though I didn't taste the cake, I know it was delicious because my dad doesn't play when it comes to food. He said it was fresh and super delicious. And he couldn't believe it was super free as he continued to enjoy it!! Thank you for brightening up my dads birthday as none of us siblings are in the area and I know this made his year!! Thank you Johnathan and Granddaughter you guys are awesome!

6.8 km•Piedmont Ave, North Oakland

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La Farine Bakery

3.9(407 reviews)

What a find. I've had their products over the years that friends have brought. Never could…read moreremember the name. Then I ran into it in Oakland by accident. Been back several times. Closest you can get to grandma's kitchen. And definitely not a grocery store bakery. Go in, find something fun, enjoy with a friend, take some home.

First time visiting I was amazed at all the delicious looking desserts, cakes and pastries…read more I picked up a 6" Sicilian cake for a friend's birthday. $38 for their smallest cake is a little pricey but it was rich chocolate ganache. I don't know exactly what pistachio mousse tastes like but I wouldn't have guessed it was that if I hadn't read the description. I also couldn't taste the Frangelico that was supposed to be there. The cake looked pretty and tasted good but the birthday boy thought it was a little dry. The service at the counter was friendly and helpful. I think the next time I need a special cake I would try preordering. Some of their other flavors looked really good but they were out of stock.

9.3 km•Rockridge, Elmwood, North Oakland

Lemon shortbread (similar to the yummy edges of a lemon bar)

Inside

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La Farine

4.4(860 reviews)

Their fresh fruit tarts are works of art! They typically have a variety of fruit combinations so…read moreyou can select one that has your favorites! The right balance of cream, fruit, and flaky crust. They also have a variety of delicious morning buns--savory and sweet, depending on your preference. Parking is sometimes a little tough but worth the effort!

We came here today and enjoyed an almond croissant and a small rye raisin bun. The small rye…read moreraisin bun is very cute and the size of a palm for 1.75 which is very popular here. I enjoy the giant raisins in the rye bun but thought the bun was a bit hard to chew and dry as well. The croissant however was quite good being that it was more bread like and less airy than other croissants. It's more substantial than traditional croissants and has a nice salty flavor. Definitely will come and try some other items. They are very friendly here. It's actually an extremely small bakery but charming.

Breads

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Mini Cupcake. $2.25.

Wonder Food Bakery

4.2(416 reviews)

5.8 km•Oakland Chinatown

Wonder Food Bakery, Oakland's Chinatown…read more Yes, I'm back again for more goodies! I noticed that their BBQ Pork bun doesn't taste like how it used to be. It used to have a shiny glazed on top, fillings were sweet, juicy and it used to have onions. On that note, it's still good but It's not the same now. I still went back and bought those mini chicken biscuits/ cookies. They're so good! Would come back whenever I'm in the area.

One of the best bakeries in Oakland Chinatown. Incredibly affordable and they have a wide variety…read moreof goods. Egg tarts are $1.75 and pineapple buns are $1.25. Cash only. Service is friendly and they are pretty patient which is nice. I came in with my elderly grandmother and she needed some time thinking about what she wanted. They were gracious. The pineapple buns weren't the freshest on my most recent visit but they were still solid. They have a couple tables inside but this is mostly a to-go spot like the other bakeries in Chinatown.

Ham and green onion bun $2

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Napoleon Super Bakery

4.0(579 reviews)

5.9 km•Oakland Chinatown

Napoleon Super Bakery, Oakland…read more I always come here for the egg tarts and many delicious buns! From sweet buns to savory buns, this place has it all! They also have cakes too!! Service is good, make sure you know what you want, the line can be fast or slow, depends on the person in the front of you. lol Street parking and they accept CASH ONLY!

Stopped in for a bbq pork bun ($1.60). Good size and ratio between the bbq pork filling and bun…read more All the other savory and sweet buns I have tried here in the past (pineapple, chicken and mushroom, etc), are also tasty and a good deal in pricing. Note: they seemed to have increased the charge for a paper box container if you need one and your order is under $10. Cash only.

$28 for 8 inch fresh strawberry cake

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Tarts de Feybesse

4.2(300 reviews)

6.2 km

•$$$

I went to this place yesterday, it was amazing! These types of "trendy" fruit pastries originated…read morefrom a bakery in LA. I actually went to that bakery once. This bakery is BETTER, the mango and pistachio dessert is my personal favorite. They don't have a bathroom though.

I have always wanted to try Tarts de Feybesse since these types of desserts were trending on social…read moremedia. I didn't give myself any expectations because sometimes food that are trending are overhyped. But these desserts were really good, even the flavors I typically do not prefer. The prices are pretty up there - our order was roughly $110. Was it worth it? Yes. Would I get them again? Only on special occasions. The flavors we got are below (ranked from my personal fave to least fave): 1. Pistachio - I'm probably biased towards this since I always like anything pistachio flavored. 2. Strawberry - A little tart, sweet, and the shell is just so good. 3. Mango - If you're a mango lover, this might be your favorite. I typically do not get mango-flavored desserts, but this one was good. For it to make it to my Top 3 says a lot. 4. Raspberry - I forgot why but I remember liking this lol. 5. Avocado - This one was shocking. I do not like anything avocado-flavored. I was hesitant on trying this but it was actually delicious. Very mellow and creamy. 6. Blueberry - For blueberry fans, this might not be for you. I do not like blueberries but this one was edible enough for me because the blueberry taste was not that strong. 7. Pomegranate - This was pretty bland. It made me think what pomegranate really tasted like because I couldn't really remember from this dessert. 8. Lemon - Most disappointing. There was something odd about its tartness. Not your typical lemon-flavored items. Overall, I really enjoyed my experience here. You can see the staff work on the dessert behind the counter. The staff assisting us was very patient because we were very indecisive on what to get, but we ultimately got one of everything. I want to emphasize that none of the desserts are bad. My ranking is just based on personal faves and I'm pretty picky. Highly recommend!

5.0 km•Lakeshore, Lower Hills

No Caption just A choice of deliciousness here.

Lychee iced tea

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Box

Arizmendi Bakery

4.6(1.8k reviews)

Very cool co-op style bakery and pizza shop. They have so many cool things with great service and…read moreworkers. I got the pizza of the day and thoroughly enjoyed it! If you want a cute spot to grab a quick bite to eat make sure to check this place out

Great vibes, love a co-op…read more I've came here before for pastries and coffee and today I tried the pizza. It was solid, really cool idea that they rotate flavors daily. All pizzas have no meat on them tho which I don't have a problem with but meat lovers beware. Pizza was solid, ate a lot and didn't feel gross after which is a nod to their fresh ingredients. 7.6/10

Inside

Delicious hot slice and a lemon ginger tonic mmm

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1 slice + bonus slivers: $3.75

Ruby King Bakery

4.4(377 reviews)

5.9 km•Oakland Chinatown

Love coming here for the egg tarts with the buttery flaky crust that has rich filling custard…read more I always buy a minimum of 4 to have for breakfast/ a snack for the week. I store in the refrigerator and reheat in the air fryer for 5 mins and it's ready to eat. Their fruit cakes are also amazing. Light and airy sponge like cake packed with fruit and cream. They always have some variety and sizes in the display cases when your in a pinch too.

The BEST BBQ Pork Buns and Custard Egg Tarts!…read more I was at Ruby King Bakery at 2pm on Monday, and was able to buy some plump BBQ Pork Buns and the best Egg Tarts! Customer service was great! Big time suggestive selling! The young lady behind the counter said someone did a survey, and their egg tarts are the BEST in Oakland Chinatown. You have to come try them yourself!

August 2024

Assorted Baked Goods

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Box for the office

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Tamara K.

17 years ago

It's truly AS GOOD AS IT GETS! Natasha's cakes are not only delicious but also beautiful and fun. Just make sure to order/contact the baker ahead of time. These cakes take time to design and make. I love fondant cakes and What the Cake? is just out there with the designs and attention to details. But of course the flavor is just as important! My favorite is chocolate cake with raspberry jam and vanilla buttercream...or chocolate with bananas and buttercream.....hmmmmm.......heaven!!! :-D I enjoy checking out the photos on the website and on Facebook every once in a while just to see what the baker is up to (sometimes, when she works on a new recipe, she offers free samples to fans on the facebook page!) How awesome is that? read more

Marge L.

11 years ago

What the Cake was recommended to me by my friend Christina. She had ordered a custom cake for her bf and it was a success. So when my sister got engaged and it was time to throw her a bachelorette party I emailed Natasha to ask if she makes naughty cakes. I told her what we wanted 'IT' to look like and she did not disappoint! My sister's favorite dessert is Reese's peanut butter cups so Natasha suggested a chocolate cake with peanut butter icing. The cake tasted AMAZING and looked exactly as agreed! They delivered the cake to our hotel discreetly, in a plain box. I was relieved because I didn't want everybody in the lobby to know. I couldn't be happier!!! I'll definitely order from her again. read more

Helen E.

17 years ago

I have recently gone to a party where a beautiful cake was served! It looked amazing, like on TV. Like it was straight from a Food Network challenge or something! I'm getting a birthday cake for my sweetie next month and I'm so excited!!!! I actually met the baker that night and she is sooo nice and artistic! She seems to be open to her client's ideas and the cake I tried at the party was just delicious!!! I havent tried their Facebook page yet. But I will!!! read more

Emma N.

17 years ago

I have ordered several cakes from What The Cake in the past 2 years. Each cake has been more fantastic than the last! A ladybug cake for my 2 year old, a vertical Barbie Doll cake for my 7 year old and a soccer ball cake for my 12 year old are just three delicious examples! Natasha's European sense of style is evident in every amazing creation! Be warned-order a large cake-your guests will thank you. read more

glen p.

17 years ago

This is a home based business that offers amazing 3D cakes. The flavors are exceptional and Natasha is skillful in her art. If you are looking for a one of a kind cake, she is your gal!!. You should call at least a week in advance. Check out her website www.whatthecake.com read more

Yukit Y.

14 years ago

thx for your special cake my friend a happy and he cake is super good thx again

What the Cake? - bakeries - Updated August 2026

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Yours Truly Cake Shop

(6 reviews)

I was blessed with one of Yours Truly's cakes for my birthday! Not just any cake though, a…read moreclown-themed vegan strawberry vanilla cake!! It really doesn't get any better than that. The cake was absolutely delicious and it looked amazing! Alisia, the owner of Yours Truly Cake Shop, is easy to work with and is dedicated to making the perfect cake for any occasion. I can't wait to order through her again! Thank you!!!

I have had the pleasure of knowing Alisia for years and was thrilled when she started her baking…read morebusiness. She is so talented and creative - and it shows in her tasty and beautiful creations! I was surprised this year on my birthday by one of her cakes. Not only was it Vegan but also featured my favorite animals! Her cakes look out of a magazine - picture perfect - almost too good to eat. You would have never known it was Vegan and was hands down one of the best cakes I have had in a long time. Flavorful, light but rich, you didn't want to stop eating it! I highly recommend Yours Truly Cake Shop if you want a special dessert!

Renaissance Specialty Cakes and Desserts

4.9

(27 reviews)

We were planning a pre-parenting party and wedding event at our home. Our event planner suggested…read moreRenaissance and I'm so glad she did. We started off with a tasting box to get acquainted with the bakery's take on cakes. We loved the chocolate with salted caramel, and the summer berry. So we placed an order for a wedding cake to serve 75 people. Beth the baker spent time with us on the phone to decide the number of layers, flavors, and design. We came up with a 3-layer cake that would feature flowers to coordinate with my bouquet and our decor. Everyone loved the cake and the flavors, especially the chocolate with salted caramel. My mother, who is usually very critical of cake, said the summer berry was the smoothest cake she's ever had. The cake turned out beautifully, the delivery process went really well, and I only wish we had ordered more since everyone loved it so much!

Oh, if I could give this baker 10 stars, I would! Beth is a truly talented baker with a passion for…read morewhat she does. Her cakes are exquisite as well as gorgeous to look at! I ordered a cake for a special gathering of 20 people and within this gathering there were 10 birthdays! Beth was so easy to work with, and made lots of helpful suggestions. She had no problem writing all the things I asked her to write on the cake. From start to finish, Beth was a perfectionist and did everything right! I first bought her tasting box, which is where you choose a sample slice from 6 of her cakes to decide from. I chose the dark chocolate mousse cake, which was the most exquisite, decadent, and richly dark chocolatey cake I have ever tasted. It was a HUGE success at our party, and so many people wanted to know where I got the cake from and commented on how they loved the deep rich chocolate, which was not overly sweet. Everyone from the party wanted to take home a piece of cake as a leftover, in fact they clamored for it! I also got half a dozen of plain vanilla cupcakes in case there were those who could not eat chocolate. These plain vanilla cupcakes were also exquisitely decorated and delicious through and through. This chocolate mousse cake was the cake that catapulted Beth to local fame in the cake world when she was in Seattle. This cake was so delicious and I got so many compliments on it, I'm going to go to Beth for all my cake needs!

Miss Nikki's Cakes and Catering

(1 review)

Nikki thank you for making this wonderful cake. My girlfriend loved it. If you live in the Eastbay…read morecall Nikki she makes great cakes.

well. fed.

4.9

(11 reviews)

•$$$

My wife and I had well. fed. cater desserts at our January 2015 wedding. Alicia was very easy to…read morecoordinate with, and was able to suggest some ideas based on our input. We decided to go with a cupcake arrangement, and they were a big hit at our wedding! We chose Alicia because we wanted vegan food, and because we needed more guidance as to flavor ideas than we had gotten from other providers we'd contacted. Additionally, Alicia was able to handle drop-off and arranging a display, whereas other dessert options would require pickup. I was really happy to learn that Alicia sources cocoa according to Food Empowerment Project's recommendations to avoid slavery in the chocolate trade. I'm grateful that Alicia was aware of this issue, and that it is important to her as well. I anticipated that this constraint would require some negotiation and explanation, but it was completely painless. (For comparison, other businesses we contacted did not respond to our questions about whether this would be possible.) Working with Alicia was a pleasure, and her cupcakes were a huge hit at our wedding. The wedding was an expression of who we are as a couple, and the values we share. Alicia's cupcakes fit perfectly with our ideals -- delicious food that reflects a commitment to treating humans and animals alike with respect. Granted, that's a lot to read into cupcakes, but we really enjoyed them, as well as working with Alicia! Highly recommended!

We hired Alicia Smiley of well. fed. to create our wedding cakes. I had heard of Alicia's awesome…read morevegan baking skills through word of mouth, and our caterers also recommended her. She ended up baking several cakes for us in two delicious flavors: a triple citrus buttercream cake filled with orange, lemon, and lime curd, and a Brooklyn Blackout cake accented with raspberry coulis and fresh raspberries. Her execution was absolutely beautiful, and even more delectable. Her aquafaba buttercream is rich, fluffy, and not too sweet...the perfect melt-in-your-mouth combination (and I'm not even usually a fan of buttercream). Thanks, Alicia! She offered a very reasonably priced tasting, and payment for the final product was easy (50% upfront, 50% upon delivery). On the morning of the wedding, Alicia came on site to set up the desserts--we provided assorted cake stands, flowers, and succulents that she arranged charmingly. She is very warm, friendly, and a pleasure to interact with. The only minor drawback during our experience was that we ended up with lots of leftover cake (3+ of the 8 small cakes we had ordered). I had a hunch that we should order 6 cakes instead of 8 based on our guest count, and expressed this to her, but ultimately went with her higher estimate since we trusted her expertise. Don't get me wrong--it's a yummy problem to have (and better than not having enough), but still a somewhat costly one for our modest budget. I would still highly recommend working with Alicia, especially if you have a good idea of what flavors you like. You can try out some of her many creations at Very Vegan Sundays at SoMa StrEat Food Park, the Butcher's Son in Berkeley, and other various pop-ups around the Bay area (and drool over them on her Instagram feed).

MiLo SIX Sweet Treats

4.5

(10 reviews)

In-class birthdays present a unique opportunity to serve up something quick, uniquely flavored and…read morenot too messy, as class goes on post snack time. Since my daughter's favorite Hello Kitty sidekick is Tuxedo Sam, I went online looking for a baking pro who could rise to the challenge and I found her. Terry Cooper of www.MiloSixsweettreats.org knocked it out of the park (Tel: 510.999.0505). Not only was it so straight forward to work out all of the details, but for a modest fee, she also delivered her baked pieces of art to my house the day off. The kids went gaga in class and it took a while before any of them bit into these arrestingly beautiful and detailed cake pops. We picked red velvet cake, and I must say, they were absolutely phenomenal. Perfect flavoring, not too sweet and delicious chocolate body filled with yummy and fluffy cake. Perfect b-day treat! I highly recommend Terry's creations and I will definitely hire her baking services again -for birthdays, baby-showers, weddings, girls' night, etc. Hope this was helpful. Btw, for presentation, I picked a Styrofoam ring which I quickly spray-painted with icy blue as if they were standing on ice. My daughter walked thru class and each kid could pick of the ring.

MiLo Six Treats is great! On a whim I decided to order some macarons last minute as a gift for a…read morefriend, & they had them ready within a few days. I had 2 dozen of the mini Salted Caramel macarons & I swear when I received them they put in a few extra as well. The macarons themselves were delicious and crafted well, as opposed to other places where their macarons can either come out too flat. Also, in comparison to other places that sell macarons, I feel like you're going to get more bang out of your buck ordering from here. However, about 25% of the macarons I received had their shells crushed die to poor packaging, I had to go out and find a better box to hold them in. However, I definitely can see myself ordering from them again in the future!

Tastefully Sweet Confections

(2 reviews)

I used Tastefully Sweet when I had no idea where to start with a cake table for my best friend's…read moreparty. I ordered red velvet cupcakes and a white cake and both were PERFECT. Nekole not only came through in a pinch, professionally, but she exceeded my expectations. I had too many ideas floating around in my head when it came to cake design and she helped me narrow them down based on what she knew should execute. Although she didn't have to, she even helped me come up with a table design. I think she does full blown event planning as well? Everyone complimented the look of my table and the taste of my desserts. I will definitely be calling her again for my next event because I know I can count on her and the price was extremely fair considering the high quality of what I received. Until next time...

Tastefully Sweet has made my daughters birthday cakes faithfully for the last couple years. Their…read moredesserts are soooo good. I love the red velvet and snickerdoodle cookies. They are very professionally and dependable. Can't wait until next order !

Geli’s Bakery

(2 reviews)

Need a cake? Geli's got you covered. Need cupcakes/other delicious nibbles? I'm serious, Angelica…read moreis amazing. I have ordered from Geli's bakery multiple times and have never once been disappointed. Whenever we have a birthday or celebration in the family, this is our go to baker because her quality and flavors never let us down. Angelica's communication regarding every detail is highly appreciated and she always comes through with the creative, even on the ones where we let her just do her thing. The pricing is very reasonable for the work and I have never had any problems. I, without a doubt, will be ordering again... and again.

Amazingly fresh and tasty cakes! You can tell Angelica puts the time and effort into each of her…read morecakes. Highly recommended!

Gather & Grub

(45 reviews)

Lainie and co. have catered a number of events I have had the good fortune to attend over the…read moreyears. I have been consistently impressed with the flexibility of the menu items (appealing to everyone from meat eaters to vegans), the professionalism and efficiency of their setup and teardown, and the overall pleasantness of interacting with Lainie on all business and logistical matters. The food is always fresh and delicious and there is always a little bit of an unexpected surprise: there were *pickled vegetables* in my last meal! A piece of Baklava found its way into my Mediterranean feast. I would highly recommend G&G to anyone needing a broad range of catered events handled without any stress or frustration.

Chef Lainie and her team did a wonderful job coordinating my Retirement Party. Lainie worked…read moreclosely with me to be sure I was selecting the right entrees, appetizers, and timing for the event. The food looked elegant and everything was delicious. In addition, many of my guests had rare reviews. Thank you Gather & Grub for making my event most memorable.

Keena's Kitchen

(13 reviews)

•$$$

The chef has a bounty of knowledge of food and experiencing her menus is a unique experience. She…read morebrings subtle flavors together for incredibly tasty, and perfectly prepared foods. I loved her use of high quality local and heirloom ingredients from the beans, to the grits, to the lamb! None of the food was overly rich, but the seasoning sings for a wow factor. Wow to the grits with incredible sauce on top. Yum to the lamb with the coffee rub. Bam to the delicate and delightful ice cream and cookies at dessert. I also appreciated the through-line of flavors that showed up at different courses during the meal. Enjoying Ikeena's cooking is truly a privilege.

If you are looking for a world-class chef for your private event, look no further than the fabulous…read moreChef Keena of Keena's Kitchen. She is the complete package: superb service, sublime food--an unforgettable dining experience. To say she handles everything from beginning to end is an understatement. Her meticulous attention to detail is extreme in the best way. She painstakingly planned our menu, earnestly shopped for locally sourced organic meats and vegetables, and went to extraordinary lengths to bring, prep, cook, and serve a 5-star meal for a private party of 8 in our home. In addition, she baked a mouth-watering Carrot Coconut Bundt cake for dessert with homemade buttermilk ice cream, which left us in a state of absolute food bliss. In short, her culinary creations are other-worldly. More importantly, she is not only a brilliant chef and savvy food entrepreneur, but a warm and joyful spirit while in your home. With her meticulously curated sous chef and servers, you feel like you're dining in a Michelin-rated restaurant. Best of all, when the meal is complete, they clean up as if they were never there. Thank you, Chef Keena! Can't wait to host another event with you! P.S. When preparing your menu (in addition to the bundt cake), I highly recommend the grilled coffee-rubbed steak, crispy creole lobster bites, spiny lobster, and dirty rice boulettes! Yum!

JW Cake Designs