VernetteOutLoud

Ice Cream Rollin’ In Sweet T&T

I am totally a dessert first kinda gal. And I have no thigh gap to prove it.

But I digress.

Thai-style rolled ice cream is the latest dessert trend to hit my sweet twin-island state and I ain’t mad at all. This handmade build-you-own ice cream treat gives you all the freedom to come up with your own satisfying combinations.

Only three months old, the founders here in Trinidad are ready for growth and expansion. As evidenced by their recent move from a tent in a garage to a bigger, more spacious sit-in spot at their new location in Woodbrook.

After my exams wrapped up this week, I headed down to Woodbrook to see what the fuss was all about.

Rolled Ice Cream: How It Works

So how it works is: you choose your vessel: waffle cone or cup. Next you select your base – you have five options to choose from. Then, your choice of mixes, anything from fresh fruit to cakes and cookies. And finally your toppings – from fruit loops to waffle sprinkles. Whatever, makes you ice-cream lovin’ heart happy! Uh, so so good.

I chose a mocha base, with chocolate cake and the add-ons were whipped cream and chocolate syrup. Oh, and I got a large cup. It was a lot of ice cream, but when is that ever a problem, right?

On a -32 degree surface, the ice cream artist will add your choice of “mixes” to the ice cream base you selected. The ingredients are blended together and the ice cream begins to freeze. Next, the mixture is spread in a very thin layer over the cold surface. After a short while, the ice cream is scraped or rolled off the surface. I posted a video of the whole process on my Instagram page, if you want to see how it all comes together.

I marvelled at the precision involved…spreading the mixture just so…to ensure you get the right amount of rolls to fit your cup. The ice cream rolls are then placed in the cup and covered in whatever topping you desired. One serving can cost about TTD $38. Not bad for an extremely customized dessert treat.

I sat in my car and savoured every bite of this bowl, while the rest of Trinidad raced to and from their destinations. My time out of time…until I too rejoined the frantic masses.

You can get your sweet fix at Roll ‘Em Up from Tuesday to Thursday Saturday 3pm – 9pm, Friday and Saturday 3pm to 11pm and on Sunday 5pm – 9pm at 40 Warren Street, Woodbrook.

Wordless Wednesday: Garden Walk

Photo by: Vernette Superville, San Antonio Farms

 

 

The Parlour Royale, A Sweet Review

The Parlour Royale. A sweet review.

A Sweet Review: Baked Treats, Chocolates & Hand-Crafted Coffee

Sharing a the love of food and trying new things is something I cherish and enjoy doing with my friends. And even more so when it’s at a new spot. Cuz, we literally live for this ish…

This soon to be café*, is a collaboration between local makers Cocobel Chocolate, Roastel Coffee and Jamie Gerard Cakes. They offer a yummilicious selection of baked treats, chocolates and you can pick up locally roasted coffee to make the perfect dessert or if you’re like me…for food for breakfast as well.

I visited this heavenly space at few months ago and have been meaning to blog about it ever since. But in light of the fact that they are converting to a “dine-in” space, I figured no time like the present to share some of the highlights of my visit.

*Unfortunately, they are closed for renovations at the moment, however, they will reopen to the public soon.

The Parlour Royale: 222-1090, 38 Royal Road, San Fernando.

Attention to details could be seen everywhere.

Samples of their treats for us to nibble on.

Give me all the chocolates!

 

Stand outs

Everything we sampled and took home.  The chocolates are made from local cocoa and are handcrafted with love. The coffee is from local small batch roaster, Roastel. And the cakes, oh those decadent cakes are also whipped up in house. Listen people, life is way too short not to have dessert, and I say go get it while it’s hot!

I bought some macarons to have at home and I’m glad I did…because it would have been embarrassing for anyone to witness the enjoyment a single  meringue-based cookie can bring a person.

I will be back for

The coffee and all the dessert things. HA! And the thrill of dining-in and sharing the love of food with my friends.

Things to note

There was no WiFi at the time of my visit and no seating. But that is about to change with the much needed and I’m sure anticipated renovations. So if you are in need of little coffee and dessert (which I am always down for) it’s worth the visit.

Weekend Away, Grand Riviere

Staycation:
A holiday spent in one’s home country rather than abroad, or one spent at home and involving day trips to local attractions.

Sometimes a reset is in order.

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Coffee Break: Novella Cafe

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I just love discovering little cafes in and around Port of Spain. It not only gives me options when I choose not to brown-bag it to work but it’s also a welcome respite when I’m having a stressful day at the office.

Enter: Novella Café. Open since September last year, I like the fact that they are not that new to the scene. After almost a year, they would have had a chance to settle in and sort out any teething problems that comes with being a new cafe in Downtown, Port of Spain.

I was immediately struck by the decor, which is mix of modern with quaint little touches apparent in the little owl figurines and owl themed decor dotted through-out the café.

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Don’t mind if I do!

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Chocolate Macarons FTW!

While the cafe does not offer a lot of seating options, that did not stop the steady stream of patrons who visited while I was there. Take-out seems to be quite popular with the lunchtime crowd.

Thankfully, we – my cousin and I, were able to score a seat at one of the tables and I was able to enjoy my coffee treat comfortably. Cappuccino and macaron get in my tummy. This sweet treat was particularly good!

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The menu offers affordable options: salads, subs, smoothies, dessert bites and coffee. For lunch, I had the California Salad – since I’ve been California dreaming lately. I’m still bummed that I missed BlogHer16. And it really doesn’t help that all the reports have been superlative thus far.

The California is an interesting mix of lettuce, red onions, cranberries and arugula topped with walnuts and feta cheese.

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My cousin and I chatted about vacation plans and how we should stop clock-watching at lunch and just enjoy the coffee and each other’s company. What’s funny, is that when I returned to the office, I had one of my most productive days for of the week. Just proves that a midday coffee break goes a long way towards maintaining my sanity and improving my productivity.

Find Novella Cafe, Monday through Friday – 7 am – 3pm at 87-89 Frederick St., Port of Spain. (Please note: They will be closed from August 15th until August 29th. They will open on August 30th but will be closed for August 31st – Independence Day.)

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