Vegas Magazine - Niche Media - There is a place beyond the crowds, beyond the ropes, where dreams are realized and success is celebrated. You are invited.
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GUIDE devour Awaken childhood memories with Retro Bakery's Milk & Cookies cupcake. Sweets for Your Sweet LAS VEGAS ABOUNDS WITH PLACES TO INDULGE YOUR LOVED ONE—ON VALENTINE'S DAY OR ANY DAY. BY DAVID LANDSEL Thomas Keller's iconic Napa Valley pâtisserie has become a Las Vegas icon as well, with not one but three locations inside Venetian, serving everything from confections to delectable pain au chocolat to reinterpreted childhood favorites such as the Nutter Butter and the Oreo-esque T.K.O. Cookie. Venetian, 702-414-6203; bouchonbakery.com Chocolate & Spice For some of the best baked goods in Vegas right now, take a trip down West Sahara, where Megan Romano, former pastry chef at Aureole, has been making serious noise with her desserts and delicate chocolate truffles. Start things off, however, with the excellent chocolate chip cookies. 7293 W. Sahara Ave., Stes. 8 and 9, 702-527-7772; chocolatenspice.com The Cookie Bar This family-run operation opened its first retail location in December, but it's been serving up booze-laden bites at community events like First Friday for years. Treat your sweet with the brown sugar –based Cinnamon Cider cookie bar, enhanced with cinnamon schnapps, or the coconut rum– infused Piña Colada cookie, with a creamy pineapple filling and coconut flakes. Virgin varieties include the Cupid's Kiss: raspberry sugar cookie cups with raspberry white 108 VEGASMAGAZINE.COM 108_V_BOB_G_Devour_Winter14.indd 108 chocolate frosting and white chocolate chips. 3455 E. Flamingo Road, 702335-9307; thecookiebarlv.com Freed's Bakery This gleaming South Las Vegas shop may look new, but the Freed's name has been synonymous with tastiness in the city for more than 50 years, and it's still a Fried family operation. The bakery makes more than 2,500 wedding cakes a year, but we go for a taste of classic New York: linzer tarts, rainbow cookies, black and whites, delectable rugelach, and creamy, crunchy cannoli. 9815 S. Eastern Ave., 702-4567762; freedsbakery.com iced with vanilla buttercream dipped in butterscotch ganache— is worth the journey. 7785 N. Durango Dr., Ste. 130, 702-586-3740; retrobakerylv.com Suzuya Pastries and Crepes Tucked away in a strip mall in the city's Southwest, this gem boasts delicate Asian-inspired desserts that are a slightly-less-sweet breath of fresh air for pastry lovers seeking a change of pace. Try the green tea shortcake, the elegant yuzu panna cotta, or the many-layered mille crêpe cake. 7225 S. Durango Dr., 702-432-1990; suzuyapastriesandcrepes.com Patisserie Manon Sweets Raku Sweet-toothed Summerlinites have been finding all sorts of excuses to visit Jean-Paul and Rachel Layden's pretty little pâtisserie since it opened in late 2010. A pastry case full of "Are we in Paris?" must-haves—including rich but delicate éclairs and colorful little macarons—is the shop's centerpiece. 8751 W. Charleston Blvd., Ste. 110, 702-586-2666; patisseriemanon.com This chic annex to the notable robata Aburiya Raku is Japan to the hilt, a bright, white, pocketsize bistro serving an innovative $19 prix-fixe dessert, featuring intricate creations bookended by gorgeous starters and petits fours. Wine pairings are also available. 5040 W. Spring Mountain Road, Ste. 3, 702-290-7181 Retro Bakery The cupcake craze may have calmed a bit, but Kari and Brian Haskell's Centennial Hills cupcakery remains one of the Valley's best spots for those little cakes piled high with rich frosting. The Hop Scotch—vanilla cake Vosges Haut-Chocolat LET'S GET BAKED Pastry chef Megan Romano whips up wonderful at Chocolate & Spice. If you were going to eat one thing in your pastry case right now, what would it be? A delicious warm chocolate chip cookie with salted caramel ice cream! What was the first thing you ever baked? I spent time with my mom in the kitchen making simple things like apple crisp, peach Melba, and cookies. We baked and shipped Christmas packages of fudge, caramel popcorn, peanut brittle, and Christmas cookies each year. PHOTOGRAPHY BY JAMES TANKSLEY (RETRO BAKERY); RAFAEL LIZARRAGA (ROMANO) Bouchon Bakery One of the Strip's most poorly kept secrets is this civilized bar hiding in plain sight for shoppers in need of a quick pick-me-up. Pull up a chair: The Las Vegas location of the Chicago-based chocolatier serves rich, steamy hot chocolate and coffee. The Forum Shops at Caesars, 702836-9866; vosgeschocolate.com V Chocolate takes the cake at Chocolate & Spice. 1/10/14 10:42 AM