Coffee & Treats in Glendale

During a visit to a gelato café in Darmstadt, Germany, the proprietors of La Coppa met two second-generation gelato masters, Italians Alfredo and Maurizio, who dreamed of bringing distinctive German-Italian gelato to American shores. This dream was fulfilled through La Coppa Gelato Café, where dessert artisans craft more than 40 of Alfredo and Maurizio’s sweet, silky creations. They make each batch of creamy gelato and fat-free sorbet onsite using fresh fruits, all-natural ingredients, and original recipes. These artisans top their artistic dessert creations—such as the gelato ‘spaghetti’—with snickers bars, ladyfingers, tiramisu, and made-to-order waffles. When they’re not shaping gelato into thin spaghetti noodles, they craft adults-only concoctions with vodka, prosecco, and tickets for R-rated movies.

To keep their guests full and energized, friendly staff members craft cappuccinos and lattes from their own custom blend of locally roasted coffee beans, as well as a small menu of bruschettas and paninis.

When you step into Àvia Cakes, the aromas of caramel and red-velvet cake emanating from the ovens represent more than a sweet ending to an upcoming celebration. For owner Telashay Swope-Farr, they are reminders of dessert recipes and a passion for baking that have been handed down through generations of women in her family. She named the company after her grandmother, and hopes to invoke customers' own happy childhood memories with her homemade delicacies.

You can find an assortment of her 18 cake flavors at the Fondy Farmers Market, including unusual varieties such as Mountain Dew or 7-Up. In addition to peach cobbler and cheesecake cookies, Swope-Farr designs personalized cakes for birthday parties or soft-filling pies ideal for celebrating a graduation from clown college.

Edible Arrangements' chocolate-covered strawberry box merges the rich flavors of chocolate with the succulent decadence of fresh strawberries. The primly packaged red box contains 12 ripe strawberries, each of which was picked at its peak freshness before being hand-dipped in a semi-sweet chocolate blend. As students trudge back to school in the coming weeks, teacher's pets seeking domestication can gift their eminent educator with something other than the traditional red apple or slab of shark meat by arriving on the first day with a box of chocolate-covered strawberries.

Created by the Ginatta family, Paciugo satisfies cravings with hot and cold gourmet coffee concoctions and small-batch Italian gelato, made fresh daily from all-natural ingredients. Hundreds of flavors make rotating appearances on the expansive menu of confections, which boasts fruity sorbets and milk-, soy-, and water-based gelato, all with less fat than traditional ice creams or salads sculpted out of butter. Candied Italian black cherries, Piedmont roasted hazelnuts, Sicilian pistachios, and Belgian extra-brute chocolate add richness to the carefully crafted Turin recipes. Customers can fill a piccolo cup with up to three flavors ($3.99) or make the leap to the grande cup's five selections to meet the FDA's recommended daily servings in one sitting ($5.59).