Take Out: Lorelai's Brown Sugar Cinnamon Latte at Nisa's Cakes and Cafe + A Little Gilmore Girls Self-Guided Tour

It is officially fall, which means I have started my annual Gilmore Girls marathon (a tradition I started in 2001 because I had recorded all of Season 1 on VHS to tide me over until Season 2 — of course, there are 7 seasons and a four-part miniseries on Netflix now so it takes a lot longer to marathon, but I AM STILL DEDICATED). My friend Chelsea, who I introduced to Gilmore Girls during COVID and is now similarly obsessed, sent me an IG post about a Gilmore Girls event at Nisa's Cakes and Cafe, where they are serving Gilmore Girls-themed drinks for the month of October. Nisa's is actually located on Main Street Unionville, where they filmed the pilot episode of Gilmore Girls, and since I live 5 minutes from there, Chelsea and I decided to check it out and then do a little Gilmore Girls self-guided tour.

"Stars Hollow at Nisa's" sandwich board menu
"Stars Hollow at Nisa's" chalkboard drink menu
We got to Nisa's around 5:15PM and it was INSANELY BUSY. Like, line-up out the door busy. Granted, it is a very small space so it fills up pretty fast, but I just wasn't expecting that many people to be there. Like, the three small tables were obviously filled, but there were at least 15 people in line with another 10 people waiting for their drinks. Still, we lined up because we're die-hards, took some photos of the cute Gilmore Girls-themed decor (this cafe event had to have been sanctioned by whatever authority handles the Gilmore Girls brand, but I'm surprised that there hasn't been more of these types of events over the years), and after a 20-minute wait, it was finally our turn to order.

"Luke's" drink station signage
"Luke's" classic books signage
Stars Hollow location signs
Lorelai's Brown Sugar Cinnamon Latte
Both Chelsea and I decided to get Lorelai's Brown Sugar Cinnamon Latte — "espresso and milk spiced to match Lorelai's beloved brown sugar cinnamon Pop Tarts" — inspired by Season 6, Episode 3 ("The UnGraduate"). There's actually no pricing or sizes on any of the menus for the Gilmore Girls drinks, but our lattes were $10 each (plus tax) and the hot versions only come in 12oz. cups. It was another 15-minute wait before we got our actual drinks (and it was so busy that they actually forgot to put "Luke's" stickers on our cups until we asked for them, which is kinda crazy considering they're charging $10 per drink). Still, the latte was, admittedly, very, very good. It had a strong espresso flavour and was surprisingly not too sweet, but had a definite cinnamon aroma to it. $10 is insanely steep for a latte of this size and caliber, but I would still recommend it over any of the Starbucks lattes, which just taste like milk regardless of which one you order.

Lorelai's route in Main Street Unionville
150 Main St. Unionville — Rose Gold Design & Build
We then took our lattes on a little self-guided Gilmore Girls tour, stopping by some of the spots that appeared in the pilot episode. Now, granted, I've walked down Main Street Unionville dozens and dozens of times in the last 39 years (my mom's music store was literally down the street from here, so my parents used to take us around Toogood Pond to feed the ducks and afternoon walks around the park when we were kids and I took art classes at Varley Art Gallery for many summers), but I guess I never took the time to actually stop at the spots that were shown in Gilmore Girls. 

139 Main St. Unionville — Unionville Planing Mill
139 Main St. Unionville — Unionville Planing Mill Gazebo
159 Main St. Unionville — Crock-A-Doodle
So we took Lorelai's route in the opening scene of the pilot. We passed by the church that is now an interior design showroom, and stopped by the Unionville Planing Mill sign which was used as the "Welcome to Stars Hollow" sign, and the little gazebo in front of the planing mill building (home to one of my favourite Markham restaurants, NextDoor) that apparently served as inspiration for the Stars Hollow town gazebo. We also stopped by the building that was used as the original Luke's in the pilot — it was most recently a questionable Chinese med spa — but it's currently vacant and looks really run-down and was frankly not worth taking a picture of (it's also on sale for $1 right now). However, the Crock-A-Doodle across the street — which is always busy — had some Luke's logos painted on their window, so I took a photo of that instead.

And that, friends, was our Gilmore Girls pilgrimage.

Nisa's Cakes and Cafe

209 Main St. Unionville, Unit 4

Unionville, ON L3R 2G8

(647) 928-0684

ARIH Dual Biotic Soda in Red Ruby Galore, Clear Lemon, and Peach Mango Horizon + Energy Drink in Tropical Wave, Lemon Crest, and Orange Hour

Okay, so ARIH's drinks were finally released in Canada at the end of August. This was actually sooner than I had anticipated since brands have to adhere to Canada's packaging (all wording has to be bilingual in English and French) as well as Health Canada's regulations (on top of approving all ingredients, they've added warning labels at the top right corner of all food/drink packaging if the product is high in sugar, cholesterol, etc.). Like the ARIH noodles, the drinks seem to be exclusive to PC (President's Choice) retailers here, like Loblaws, Real Canadian Superstore, and Shoppers Drug Mart.

I originally wasn't going to get the drinks because I thought they were going to be insanely high in sugar, but when Iris was at Loblaws getting them and asked if I wanted any, I asked her to take photos of the nutritional value tables for me. And surprise of all surprises — the Dual Biotic Sodas are only 20 calories with 1 gram of sugar and the Energy Drinks are only 10 calories with 0 grams of sugar (!!!). This is TREMENDOUSLY good news for those who are health-conscious, diabetic, or just watching their sugar intake in general. Basically: I CAN DRINK THESE!!!

ARIH Dual Biotic Soda in Red Ruby Galore, Clear Lemon, and Peach Mango Horizon
I asked Iris to get me two of each flavour. Like the noodles, ARIH have only released three flavours for each drink type in Canada instead of all seven. (Hoping this is for market testing only and not the permanent line-up here.) So for the Dual Biotic Soda, we got Red Ruby Galore, Clear Lemon, and Peach Mango Horizon; for the Energy Drink, we got Tropical Wave, Lemon Crest, and Orange Hour. They're currently retailing for $2.49 per can, which is actually on par with independent pop brands and cheaper than most energy drink brands. Basically, I think the pricing is very fair, though I do wish they would sell them by case instead of by can. (Indeed, Iris, who also got two of each flavour for herself, had to place a total of 24 cans on the supermarket conveyor belt to be scanned and had to bag them all by herself. I did thank her profusely.)

Now, having had all of September to try these, I will say: I like the Dual Biotic Sodas more than the Energy Drinks. There wasn't a single flavour of the Dual Biotic Sodas that I didn't like, though the Red Ruby Galore ended up being my favourite. While the sodas are obviously carbonated, they have a very smooth, almost milky finish — closer to a can of Milkis than Sprite. I'm guessing this is because of the pre- and postbiotics in the drinks (basically, they help with gut health over time). I would definitely buy the Dual Biotic Sodas again. I hope they bring the other four flavours into the Canadian market at some point, though — Pineapple Drift and Apple Flare sound AMAZING.

ARIH Energy Drink in Tropical Wave, Lemon Crest, and Orange Hour

The Energy Drinks actually have 100mg of caffeine in each 355ml can, which is about the same as an average 8-ounce cup of coffee. (For reference, a can of Red Bull of the same size has 114mg.) The Tropical Wave flavour ended up being my favourite, but they all have a kind of bitter chemical aftertaste — not sure if this is from the coffee bean/guarana extract they use for the caffeine, or if it's from the sugar alcohols, or if it's from the postbiotics. (However, the Dual Biotic Sodas also have sugar alcohols and postbiotics and don't have this aftertaste.) The Orange Hour was the worst of the three in terms of flavour and had the strongest aftertaste. I do have to admit that I am not an energy drink person — I prefer to get my caffeine from coffee and tea — and I likely won't re-buy these, but I still prefer them to most of the other energy drinks on the market.

New York City Summer 2026 Travel Log: Day 2 — Matcha Latte and Assorted Italian Cookies at Sant Ambroeus

What to do when it's raining outside but the kids are napping so you have just over an hour to entertain your family visiting you from Canada?

Matcha latte with pistachio milk

Assorted Italian cookies

Well, my brother takes us to fancy Italian cafes for lattes, cookies, and family gossip. Indeed, a great way to spend an afternoon!

Sant Ambroeus Coffee Bar

1334 York Ave.

New York, NY 10021

(212) 606-7070

Dining Out: Matcha Tasting Flight, Mandarin Mini Cake, Citron Mini Cake, Croissant Mini Cake, and Cacao Mini Cake at Evana Pâtisserie & Café

My friend Minji kept seeing TikTok videos on these super adorable, ultra-photogenic desserts at Evana Pâtisserie & Café, so in lieu of a birthday cake for Daniel's birthday, we decided to get a whole load of treats instead:

Matcha Tasting Flight v3.0: Earl Grey, Raspberry, Black Sesame, and Pistachio

If you're a fan of matcha, the Matcha Tasting Flight (Toronto's first and only!) is incredible. They're currently on their third version, which includes Earl Grey, raspberry, black sesame, and pistachio. It is on the pricey side at $25 for four short glasses, but I found the experience unique enough to be worth it. They even provide you with an instruction card on the proper way to try them as well as the recommended tasting order. Honestly, all of them were so good, I couldn't pick a favourite. (Minji's favourite was definitively the Earl Grey, and Daniel's was the black sesame followed closely by the Earl Grey.) I will say that the raspberry is the most unique and surprisingly the one I drank the most of, but I would happily order any of these separately.

Mandarin (left): Orange crémeux, orange gelée, vanilla bean Bavarian mousse, vanilla sponge, milk chocolate crunch, and vanilla shortbread crustCitron (right): Basil vanilla Bavarian mousse with lemon crémeux

We also ordered four mini cakes to share. Minji and I both agreed that the Mandarin one was our favourite, for both flavour and texture combinations (it is extremely similar to the Orange de Terre Mini at Patisserie Fleur). It starts with a Creamsicle-flavoured cream but ends with an incredible shortbread crust. On the flip side, the Citron was my least favourite, even though it was my pick because I love lemon desserts. However, the shape and name of this cake is a little misleading because it really just tasted like plain, slightly sweetened cream. (And for that reason, it was the only one they let baby Lillian try.) There is a barely-there hint of lemon on the outer shell, but that's it. Despite being really cute, it was just a little too boring.

Croissant (left): Coffee chocolate mousse, hazelnut almond praline, and almond spongeCacao (right): Chocolate mousse, chocolate cake whipped chocolate ganache, and chocolate crispy pearls

My second favourite was the Croissant (not to be confused with their croissants), which has a very similar flavour profile to tiramisu with a delightfully nutty undercurrent. It is intensely sweet, though, so I imagine it would start to get too cloying after a few more bites. Definitely one to share, unless you have an extreme sweet tooth. Finally, the Cacao — Daniel's pick because he's a chocoholic. It's the combination of textures in this dessert that keeps it unique, with the stretchy jelly-like exterior, smooth fluffy mousse interior, and crispy pearl topping — but as expected with most chocolate-only desserts, the flavour is quite one-note (though surprisingly less sweet than the Croissant). Daniel really enjoyed it, though.

Overall, an excellent experience. And judging from the constantly revolving door of customers in the middle of subzero winter, the hype is real here. I will absolutely be coming back — their croissants (not to be confused with the Croissant mini cake) look too glorious not to try. And maybe they'll be on the fourth version of their Matcha Tasting Flight by then!

Evana Pâtisserie & Café

390 Silver Star Blvd., Unit 118

Scarborough, ON M1V 0G5

(416) 298-1222

Dining Out: Croissant Party at Patisserie Fleur

So, my friend Minji sent me a picture of her baby daughter eating a croissant, proudly proclaiming that she LOVES THEM (actually, my baby nephew is also obsessed with croissants, so clearly, our universal love of buttery pastries starts in the womb), so we agreed: We should have a croissant party. (This is basically just going to a bakery and eating many croissants, but this is definitely our kind of party.) We were going to finally try out Cros Croissanterie, but they literally closed down this past Sunday (RIP), so we had to find a replacement bakery. After a little bit of research, we decided on Patisserie Fleur:

Iced dirty matcha latte and matcha mocha

When I got there at 3:30PM, they actually only had the strawberry and matcha croissants left. When I asked if they had any more of the other flavours, the lady who worked there (possibly the owner or manager) asked which ones I wanted to get, so I told her an almond and a chocolate on top of the other two flavours, and she just offered to make some fresh for me if I was willing to wait 15 minutes. I said it wasn't a problem at all since some friends were meeting me to eat there anyway, so she went straight to the kitchen to put some in the oven for us. I just thought it was so nice of her to make fresh ones for us because a lot of staff at other places would just say, "Sorry, that's all we have for today." So, without even trying the food or drink yet, I already had a great impression of this place.

Strawberry-dipped croissant with raspberry jam filling

Almond croissant with frangipane filling

Pain au chocolat

Matcha croissant with matcha cream filling

Luckily, all the croissants we tried were excellent. My personal favourite was the almond, but we all agreed there was not a dud in the bunch. They were especially great because the server got them fresh out of the oven for us, and there is really nothing better than buttery, flaky pastry than warm buttery, flaky pastry. The matcha drinks we ordered were also delicious — I actually had a regular, unsweetened iced matcha latte, which was delightful (it isn't pictured here because I drank half of it before Minji and Daniel arrived), but they said their drinks were really tasty (and we found out what makes a matcha latte "dirty" — a shot of espresso). 

Orange de Terre Mini: Orange marmalade, yogurt mousse, brown butter orange ganache, orange chocolate dip, chiffon, sweet tart, and chocolate leaf and steam

Minji also decided to get one of their mini cakes, the Orange de Terre, which tasted exactly like a Creamsicle and was ABSOLUTELY DIVINE. (Also, it's really freaking cute.) I said this before, but the best part of eating at a bakery is being able to get a dessert pastry to follow up your appetizer and main course pastries. (I'll let you decide on which ones were the appetizers and which ones were the mains.)

Suffice it to say, we will definitely come back for our future croissant (and cake!) parties.

Patisserie Fleur

180 Enterprise Blvd., Unit 103

Markham, ON L6G 0G4

(905) 604-8009

Orlando 2024 Travel Log: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Hogsmeade at Universal Islands of Adventure — Day 2: Fish & Chips and Pumpkin Fizz at Three Broomsticks

As we were in Hogsmeade, we obviously went to Three Broomsticks for a late lunch:

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Hogsmeade: Three Broomsticks

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Hogsmeade: Three Broomsticks

Three Broomsticks is known for "The Great Feast," which consists of rotisserie chicken, ribs, corn on the cob, and vegetables, but despite many tables having ordered this, it just seems utterly boring and not particularly Harry Potter-themed, or even UK-themed. (Read: It's typical American BBQ food.) A missed opportunity here for not offering Sunday roast instead, which would have been a much more appropriate "Great Feast" considering the theme of this park. Alas, there is not a Yorkshire pudding in sight. 

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Hogsmeade: Three Broomsticks — Fish and Chips

What we really wanted to try here was the fish and chips, which have rave reviews all over the Internet. And THEY WERE RIGHT. This was maybe the best fish and chips I've ever had. The cod is tender, flaky, and plush — almost melt-in-your-mouth — and the batter is thin, golden, and perfectly crispy. With a squeeze of lemon and a dollop of tartar sauce on every bite, it was SUBLIME. The chips are, similarly, ultra crispy, nicely salted, and on the thicker side, so they hold up to copious amounts of malt vinegar exceptionally well (the proper way to eat chips in a fish and chips). I don't know how this compares to the fish and chips in the UK, but both Minji and I thought this was truly spectacular and really hit the spot. I would get this over "The Great Feast" any day.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Hogsmeade: Three Broomsticks — Pear Cider and Pumpkin Fizz

To drink, a Pumpkin Fizz for me and a pear cider for Minji. The Pumpkin Fizz is quite literally the carbonated version of pumpkin juice, so basically, it's delicious and particularly perfect to pair with fried foods. The pear cider was also good — less sweet than pumpkin fizz, pumpkin juice, or Butterbeer — but I didn't think it really tasted that much more pear-like than apple cider (which they also offer). Still, a good carbonated option for those who don't like pumpkin spice. Now, compared to Leaky Cauldron, Three Broomsticks is bigger and has far more individual tables, but it's also — in my opinion — not as interesting to look at, nor decorated as nicely. Leaky Cauldron also offers way more menu options, as well as more traditional British fare, so if you're only going to have time to eat at one of them, take this into consideration.

Three Broomsticks

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Hogsmeade

Universal Islands of Adventure

6000 Universal Blvd.

Orlando, FL 32819, USA

(407) 363-8000

Orlando 2024 Travel Log: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Diagon Alley at Universal Studios Florida — Day 2: Traditional Breakfast with Pumpkin Juice at Leaky Cauldron

We decided to start our second day at Universal back in Diagon Alley for breakfast at Leaky Cauldron. There was only one thing we knew we had to try: the Traditional Breakfast (a.k.a. a full English).

Traditional Breakfast

Scrambled eggs, sausage links, black pudding, English bacon, baked beans, grilled tomato, sautéed mushrooms, breakfast potatoes, and a croissant. The croissant kind of threw me off because a full English usually has fried bread or toast, but I'm guessing it's because they have to serve so many people and it's easier to just toss a store-bought croissant on a plate than it is to constantly make toast. The eggs are scrambled (you don't get a choice here, probably because most people can eat scrambled eggs but a lot of people don't or can't eat raw egg yolks), anyway, so I guess you don't really need toast to dip in yolk. Regardless, I have no complaints; this was a delicious, hearty meal, and I actually enjoyed every component — even the black pudding (it my first time trying it), which is similar to Korean sundae but more meaty. It actually tasted like the regular English sausage but with a hint of liver (you know, that kind of metallic aftertaste) without the gross texture of liver. Anyway, the Traditional Breakfast is the one to go for if you want a truer Harry Potter or UK experience.

Pumpkin juice and hot Butterbeer

Each breakfast comes with a small beverage, so I decided on the pumpkin juice, which is absolutely delicious — it's like cold apple cider with pumpkin spice, somehow refreshing and cozy at the same time; and Minji got the hot Butterbeer, which reminded me of Second Cup's white hot chocolate or a much sweeter version of Starbucks' vanilla steamer — a tasty choice for those who want a hot caffeine-free beverage. While cold Butterbeer is available almost anywhere beverages are sold in both Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade, the hot Butterbeer is only available at the two sit-down restaurants (Leaky Cauldron in Diagon Alley and Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade) and two bars (The Hopping Pot in Diagon Alley and Hog's Head in Hogsmeade), in case you want to try all types of Butterbeer. Anyway, if you want to get breakfast here, you want to get an early start — they stop serving breakfast at 10:30AM. 

Leaky Cauldron

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Diagon Alley

Universal Studios Florida 

6000 Universal Blvd.

Orlando, FL 32819, USA

(407) 224-4233

Orlando 2024 Travel Log: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Diagon Alley at Universal Studios Florida — Day 1: Exploring Diagon Alley and Inside Gringotts Bank

Minji and I quite literally spent the entire afternoon exploring Diagon Alley:

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Diagon Alley: Diagon Alley — Brick Entryway

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Diagon Alley: Diagon Alley — The main street

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Diagon Alley: Diagon Alley — Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Diagon Alley: Diagon Alley — Inside Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Diagon Alley: Diagon Alley — Owl Post

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Diagon Alley: Diagon Alley — Sugarplum's Sweet Shop

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Diagon Alley: Diagon Alley — Inside Ollivanders Wand Shop

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Diagon Alley: Diagon Alley — Inside Ollivanders Wand Shop

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Diagon Alley: Diagon Alley — Inside Ollivanders Wand Shop

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Diagon Alley: Diagon Alley — Borgin & Burkes (in Knockturn Alley)

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Diagon Alley: Diagon Alley — The Fountain of Fair Fortune

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Diagon Alley: Diagon Alley — Frozen Butterbeers from The Fountain of Fair Fortune

We watched the wand choosing ceremony and then bought some wands at Ollivanders Wand Shop; sent some postcards through "owl post" at Scribbulus (not actually, but you can buy and mail postcards from Diagon Alley and a staff member will put a special Diagon Alley postmark on it for you); "adopted" (e.g. purchased) pygmy puffs and a snowy owl from Magical Menagerie; bought way too much stuff at Borgin and Burkes, Sugarplum's Sweetshop, and Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes; exchanged money and bought a bag of chocolate Galleons at Gringotts Money Exchange; and got some frozen Butterbeers (which is, dare I say, better than the original Butterbeer?) at The Fountain of Fair Fortune. 

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Diagon Alley: Diagon Alley — Gringotts Bank

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Diagon Alley: Diagon Alley — Gringotts Bank Exchange

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Diagon Alley: Diagon Alley — Gringotts Bank Goblin Statue

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Diagon Alley: Diagon Alley — Gringotts Bank Dragon

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Diagon Alley: Diagon Alley — Inside Gringotts Bank

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Diagon Alley: Diagon Alley — Inside Gringotts Bank

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Diagon Alley: Diagon Alley — Inside Gringotts Bank

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Diagon Alley: Diagon Alley — Inside Gringotts Bank

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Diagon Alley: Diagon Alley — Gringotts Bank

There is only one ride inside of Diagon Alley called Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts, but since Minji is pregnant and I have high blood pressure, we can't go on the actual ride. However, we asked one of the ride attendants if we could just go inside Gringotts to see what it looks like, and she said it's no problem at all, and if we wanted to see the entirety of the bank up until the ride starts, we could just join the line-up (and we had Express passes that came with our package deal) and exit before getting on the ride. It was amazing, and I'm so glad they allow those of us who can't ride to be able to share in the experience with everyone else.

Basically, I LOVE IT HERE.

Diagon Alley

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Diagon Alley

Universal Studios Florida 

6000 Universal Blvd.

Orlando, FL 32819, USA

(407) 363-8000