Coffee & Treats in Branford

With more than 100 rotating flavors, Cupcake Gourmet's tastes range from indulgent (red velvet, chocolate raspberry, chocospresso mocha, Boston cream pie) to inventive (rainbow-sprinkled funfetti served in a waffle cup) to imaginative (cakes modeled after puppies). Romantics can even woo the DMV clerk of their dreams with a cupcake bouquet with each "flower" delicately topped with pink and red roses and greenery, all made from frosting. New flavors are introduced into the cupcakery's purple and lime-green habitat every week, and you can mix and match however you choose with today's Groupon. Cupcakes cost $1.50 for a mini, $2.50 for a regular, and $3.50 for a jumbo. Call ahead for special flavor requests.

In the Mood Coffee & Ice Cream is a nostalgia-infused old-fashioned ice cream parlor that offers delicious homemade ice cream, sorbet, and other delicious snacks, all made fresh daily. Prices for icy treats range from $3.95 to $8.50, and come in more than 30 flavors. They range from classics done right, such as rocky road and coffee break, to wilder variants such as howling brownie, mountain lion crunch, and funky pretzel gold mine. Sorbet—ice cream’s fruity and lactose-intolerant cousin—features tastes of mango, orange, and strawberry, as well as sugar-free ice cream options. If cold sweets make you anxious for bready treats, nosh on a Monte Cristo panini ($5.49) made with ham, turkey, Swiss and cheddar cheeses, then bury the evidence under a banana-flavored smoothie ($5.70). In the Mood also carries delightful specialty coffees, so wake yourself up in the morning or avoid terrifying dreams of hearing friends endlessly recount their dreams with a large cappuccino ($2.59).

Pastry traditionalists may question the cannoli nacho. But consider this: the triangular pastry shells can be dunked into an edible chocolate bowl of sweet-cream filling, forever circumventing the soggy fate that so often befalls cannoli shells. This deconstructed cannoli is just one of DiMare Pastry Shop’s many inventive spins on traditional Italian desserts.

Founded in 1976 by Italian-born Ugo DiMare, the pastry shop is now helmed by his two daughters, who have updated the menu with award-winning European and American creations. In addition to scratch-made pastries, the confectioners frost nearly 30 kinds of cakes, ideal for special events such as weddings, company picnics, and Take Your Cake to Work Day.

Alexandra and Romeo fell in love in France over cups of flour and sugar as Romeo completed his professional boulanger and patissier training. Today, the couple recreates quintessential French flavors in their West Hartford bakery-café, where the menu kicks off with breakfasts of pain au chocolat and almond croissants. For lunch, chefs build sandwiches such as Le Brie with cheese and butter, and the Eiffel, whose roasted chicken breast, carrots, and cucumber stands 324 meters tall. Desserts such as macarons and chocolate-hazelnut mousse cake pair with a cauppuccino or café au lait to round out each meal.

La Petite France also rolls out its portable crepe cart to special events throughout the area, where French-speaking chefs (upon request) whip up sweet or savory crepes for parties of 20 or more.

Much like its name, Sugar & Spice combines two temptingly complementary culinary ventures: a gourmet restaurant focused on modern American takes on seafood and beef, and a full onsite bakeshop. Chefs rise early, preparing brunch dishes such as peppercorn-crusted tuna and shaved-black-truffle omelets. At dinner, they plate arrangements of new york strip steak, daily fish catches, and five-cheese mac 'n' cheese, and grind and blend their burgers in house to ensure none contain rare vintage baseball cards. Inside the bakery, cake-makers and designers build 50 flavors of cupcakes and more than 50 cake combinations, as well as custom wedding cakes, fruit and chocolate pies, and decadent cookies. Sugar & Spice also provides catering services and have supplied meals for special events such as backyard barbecues, film shoots, and other large gatherings.

During the sweltering summer of 1984, former Philadelphia firefighter Bob Tumolo decided to open the first Rita's Water Ice, naming it after his wife. The specially formulated treat fueled Rita's growth, expanding the family-run business to more than 500 franchised locations nationwide. Despite the incredible expansion, each Rita's stays true to the company's origins by mixing their Italian ice according to Bob's original recipe. Their most famous dessert, the Gelati, features layers of his signature Italian ice between two giant dollops of custard, combining flavors such as mango with vanilla or introducing recently emigrated Swedish fish to vanilla or chocolate. Rita's also promotes community awareness with regular fundraisers for organizations such as Relay for Life.