Coffee & Treats in Brighton

Gen Perryman, owner of The Cupcake Orchard, has always loved to bake desserts but admits that she was inspired to open her bakery by the influx of cupcake shops across the country. She says on her website, “As I saw these cupcakeries popping up around the country, I thought, 'why not package what I love doing into a sweet cupcake?'” Every morning, Gen and her staff freshly prepare each batch using eggs and butter from local farms, seasonal fruits, and Belgian chocolate. The shop carries eight “everyday” flavors—favorites include chocolate-chocolate and red velvet—as well as three to five seasonal flavors such as pumpkin, caramel apple, and snowball.

The tantalizing aromas of both hot, toasty sandwiches and sundry cupcakes, pies, cookies, and pastries fill the halls of the historic springhouse that Katherine's on Monroe Bakery & Cafe calls home. Katherine’s satisfies pre-dessert quotas with a full café menu that ranges from egg-laden breakfast sandwiches and quiches to sandwiches stuffed with both classic staples, such as that of the BLT or the Reuben, and more exotic flavors, such as the swiss-cheese-, pickle-, and mustard-studded pork and ham of the cuban panini. Once diners have finished off every bite of their sandwich, leaf in their salad, or sip of their soup, they can peruse a bakery case teeming with creative cupcakes, cream-filled pastries, dessert bars, and other decadent treats.

At Yo Betty Frozen Yogurt, customers step up to the stainless-steel self-serve machines and fill their cups with one of eight flavors of frozen yogurt on rotation. Options include low-fat American peanut butter; nonfat, no-sugar-added pink grapefruit; and lactose- and gluten-free Mango Sans Souci. Patrons may dress up their yogurt dishes with an array of healthy toppings, such as banana chips, yogurt pretzels, and sunflower seeds, or splurge with indulgent treats, including cookie crumbles and cheesecake chunks. Knowing that each serving of yogurt contains real fruit puree, certified live and active yogurt cultures, and calcium, guests can feel good about what they're eating.

The boldly colored, retro-inspired plastic chairs welcome guests to take a seat indoors, and the outdoor dining area lures them to a challenge with the sun to see who can make the yogurt disappear fastest.