Needed a coffee and a sweet treat to help me power through the day. When I stopped in, I was…read morepleasantly surprised to find a nice selection of pastries, and even better, my app informed me that I was eligible for a free beverage of my choice. As I browsed the display case, one item immediately caught my eye: the Strawberry Croissant. My love of croissants and strawberries made the decision an easy one. For my complimentary drink, I selected the Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew. Both choices hit the spot for my craving. The croissant was a good treat, and the cold brew provided a nice boost of caffeine to keep me going through the rest of the day. Moments like this remind me why I am glad I downloaded the app. Between the rewards and occasional free treats, it is a nice perk for anyone who visits regularly. I enjoy the consistency of the brightness of every location, and they have a fairly clean station where you can retrieve utensils, sweeteners, and, if you want to add milk to your beverage. The garbage hole is found in the same area.

My love for Korean bakeries runs deep. When I heard a new Paris Baguette was opening up in this…read moreHolmdel complex, I paid a visit on their grand opening day. Things were wild yet well managed on the grand opening day, and nearly entirely half of the space is dedicated to seating - either at tables or high window tops with stools - so that your chances of finding a place to park and chill with a few pastries remains relatively high. For the lovers of sweets out there, there's a lot to explore. Mochi donuts, inventive cereal-based treats, and all kinds of croissants with all kinds of flavors. But for me, the real hidden gems are seemingly plain and savory offerings. Any of the milk bread loaves are unimaginably soft and elevate any sandwich or French toast I might make that week. I'm also an enormous fan of their sandwiches and pizza-like breads (which - hot tip - can be warmed for you upon purchase). On another note, I've noticed - and chuckled at - the complaints about the self-service aspect about this establishment from other reviewers. I imagine that's what happens when a Korean bakery is planted in an area that doesn't have many others. In some parts, where there are spots with Asian bakeries on every other block, it's seems a common thing to have customers picking up their own pastries with tongs. But I'll offer this as a broad panacea to any paranoia about cleanliness - during my visit, I loved seeing how frequently the workers came by with fresh pastries, which for me was assurance that - (1) everything is freshly baked, and (2) there are eyes on the pastries (and presumably any one potentially mishandling the goodies). The complex is enormous, so parking wasn't an issue even with the throngs of crowds coming by to check out the shiny new store installment.