No, you sicko. It’s an ice cream parlor!

I’ve passed this place a million times on my WP excursions and that Coming Soon sign has always been in the window. Well by the end of the week, it should be open. Yeah, the name is pretty suggestive but they make ice cream! You choose what kind of dairy and toppings and they make it in a mixer right there for you. With liquid nitrogen!

Ice cream.

LIQUID NITROGEN.

ICE CREAM!

I will personally be checking this place and reporting back because hi! Have you heard? Ice cream made with liquid nitrogen!

If that isn’t cool (gimmicky or not), I don’t know what is.

(sorry, dirty minded people. only ice cream here)

source.

What do you do when friends are in town?

Take them to get cupcakes, of course!

When Deutlich and Maxie were in town last month, we had a mini cupcake crawl. First, we hit up Sweet Mandy B’s first but I settled for a cookie there. I’m so glad I did! Our next stop was Swirlz cupcakes and I could not get enough!

Swirlz is in Lincoln Park, right off of Clark on Belden. Now let me tell you, I’m super picky about cake and cupcakes because a lot of frosting is just too sweet for me. Swirlz cupcakes were to die for though! The frosting was just right and the cupcakes tasted amazing.

Pam was such a sweetheart and hooked us up! We had a taste of just about every cupcake that was in store, I think. There is a such a great variety. I also think it is pretty fantastic that they have gluten-free* cupcakes. I really didn’t know much about what gluten free means, but Pam took the time to explain to us. I had a regular Red Velvet cupcake and then tried the gluten-free Red Velvet, seriously, you could not tell the difference! Moist cake and yummy cream cheese and butter cream frosting. It was delicious.

These are all the cupcakes we ended up getting. I was a big fan of the Red Velvet and Peanut Butter! I ended up bring a chocolate cupcake and a vanilla cupcake home for boyfriend. The frosting melted a bit from my day outside but that didn’t stop him from taking them down in oh, about 3.2 seconds.

Also, I couldn’t forget about my adorable dog so when I see pupcakes on the counter, you just know I picked some up! Swirlz also got Edie’s bark of approval. I forgot to take a picture of these but I’ll be back soon enough to get her more.

Swirlz motto: Cupcakes make people happy.

Never has a more true word been spoken!

Coming to Chicago? Definitely make this one of your stops. I know I will be there next time I’m in Lincoln Park!

* Don’t know what gluten-free is either? Check it out.
** I slacked on the photo front so these are from Jess and Jenn.

I forgot to add this in my last entry, but it was so amazing, it deserves an entry all in it’s own. This was my birthday cake. We skipped candles and happy birthday and dug right in.

Instead of pie crust, it was brownie. Ice cream filling (half chocolate and half vanilla) with bits of brownie thrown in. Whip cream, more brownie bits and hot fudge.  I was going to take a picture of a slice so you could see the inside, but it was devoured in 3.2 seconds.

 I am ready to go back to the ice cream shop and eat a brownie hot fudge sundae.

It was absolutely sinful.