Welcome to Back to Basics, where we classy ladies try to establish just how basic one can be in the Orlando area. Each month, we’ll be taking on a new theme, and we’ll be searching for the best in basic trends. We’ve all heard some of the most recent popular foodie trends: charcoal, galaxy, and unicorn as well as familiar classics such as pumpkin spice and peppermint. We hope we can inspire the rest of the Nonahood to embrace their inner basic.
This month, in this very special digital edition, peppermint and all things winter are in full swing! Check out some of our favorite sweets and treats of the holiday season!
Order: Cinnamon Bun Cookie Dough
Place: Wonderland Cookie Dough
Final Review Nicole: Talk about enjoying Christmas in a cup! This is literally what fills your senses and home when you bake the Pillsbury Cinnamon Buns and there is nothing better than that! My mouth is watering just thinking about how I always looked forward to those Sunday mornings. I love cookie dough and I love this concept, but it’s definitely way too much at once to finish in one sitting. My favorite part of this idea is that whatever you don’t finish, you can bring home and bake to enjoy later! I should mention that I tried the hyped up location found in New York and waited an hour in line to experience it back in May when the trend went viral. Although it was good, it surely wasn’t worth that long of a wait, but hey, it’s all about the experience, right? I’m just glad we have a similar shop nearby!
Final Review Vanessa: This was SO SWEET! Now, I love cinnamon and sugar, but eating a whole cup full of this stuff would not have been pleasant. The holiday cheerfulness of the treat was definitely present; cookies always bring back fun memories of baking in the kitchen and having fun with family. The shop itself was incredibly cute. The yellow and blue theme felt warm and homey, like a grandmother’s kitchen. I definitely enjoyed the cookie dough, but in my opinion, it’s definitely one of those treats that you have to split with someone else to truly enjoy.
Taste: 7/10
Aesthetic: 8/10
Environment: 8/10
Price: 5/10
Proximity to Nonahood: 6/10
Order: Cranberry Truffle and Very Berry Cranberry
Place: Tropical Smoothie Cafe
Final Review Nicole: Oh my goodness, this smoothie is so good! You can definitely pick out the cranberry & white chocolate notes and boy, do these flavors pair beautifully together! This is hands down a seasonal favorite for me. It should be available year round, it’s that good! It’s on the sweeter side, but still refreshing. A nice treat!
Final Review Vanessa: I had the Very Berry Cranberry, and trust me, it was love at first sip. This smoothie perfectly combines the tartness that so many of us love about cranberries with just the right amount of sweetness to create a perfect balance of flavor. The smoothie is refreshing enough to fit right in with the warm Florida winters, but also thematic enough to be fitting for the winter months.
Taste: 9/10
Aesthetic: 8/10
Environment: 6/10
Price: 7/10
Proximity to Nonahood: 10/10
Order: Classic Hot Chocolate, Snickerdoodle Hot Chocolate, Peppermint Hot Chocolate, Peppermint White Hot Chocolate, Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate, Toasted White Chocolate Cocoa, Toffee Almond Milk Hot Chocolate, Chestnut Praline Latte, Iced Caramel Brulee Latte, Iced Peppermint Mocha with Almond Milk, Toasted White Chocolate Mocha, Holiday Spice Flat White, Eggnog Latte, Gingerbread Latte, Holiday Turkey and Stuffing Panini, Cranberry Bliss Bar, Gingerbread Loaf, Peppermint Brownie Cake Pop
Place: Starbucks
Final Review Nicole: First of all, I’d like to disclose that no, we did not actually have all of these items in one visit…but can you imagine if we did?! The Iced Caramel Brulee Latte was pretty good, but also pretty sweet. There was a nice hint of caramel with a faint mocha aftertaste, but we all know how much I like my caramel. The Holiday Turkey and Stuffing Panini was so tasty! The cranberry herb stuffing is definitely the yummiest part of this panini. The turkey breast, savory herbs, and rich turkey gravy compliment each other perfectly and now I reminisce about Thanksgiving. It’s so warm and toasty and is a perfect comfort food on the go. It’s hearty and homey and I want another ASAP. The best hot chocolate was by far the Peppermint White. I was in literal peppermint heaven. It tasted like melted peppermint ice cream and my favorite seasonal white chocolate peppermint bark. The Peppermint Hot Chocolate is for you if you prefer milk chocolate to white and enjoy York Peppermint Patties. The Snickerdoodle Hot Chocolate was the second favorite for me. It smelled like cinnamon oatmeal and tasted like heaven. It was creamy, rich and pretty sweet. The Cranberry Bliss Bar was to die for! Bliss is the perfect word to describe it. The cranberries and white chocolate perfectly complement one another and I’m a happy basic girl right now, ready for the holidays.
Final Review Vanessa: SO MUCH HOT CHOCOLATE!! I’m not complaining though! Even though these drinks were all very chocolatey and very sweet, I can’t say that I didn’t like any of them. Snickerdoodle is really quite incredible, with the rich foaminess of the milk on top of cinnamon and sugar ( a classic holiday favorite). Starbucks is the king of seasonal items, especially when it comes to fall and winter time treats. The food we ordered was really quite good and exceeded my expectations completely. The cranberry was probably my favorite. The sweetness of the frosting and the warmth of the loaf was absolutely delightful. All of these items provided exceptional flavor, along with a festive cup for the season. I love a good peppermint mocha (I love chocolate!) and I always look forward to seeing it back as a holiday drink option. I was less of a fan of the Caramel Brulee Latte, just because I don’t like caramel NEARLY as much as Nicole does. Overall though, it was a good taste of the season.
Taste: 6/10
Aesthetic: 7/10
Environment: 6/10
Price: 6/10
Proximity to Nonahood: 10/10
Order: Harpoon Cranberry Cider-Massachusetts, 4.8%
Place: Nona Tap Room
Final Review Nicole: This cider is on the lighter side of the sweet scale, yet still enjoyable. The subtle flavor of cranberries laid over apples makes for a perfect winter cider. I’d say if you’re not a huge beer fan and find most ciders too sweet, this is a nice middle ground to transition into.
Taste: 7.5/10
Aesthetic: 6/10
Environment: 8/10
Price: 6/10
Proximity to Nonahood: 10/10
Order: Winter White Wine
Place: Cooper’s Hawk
Final Review Nicole: I think I found my new favorite adult beverage for the holidays. I’m not joking…I love apple cider and this wine is the alcoholic version of the classic drink. The only difference is that you don’t have to spike it with anything, it’s already done for you and is literally perfection! This wine is very aromatic, releasing notes of apple pie, orange, honeycomb and brown spices with the apple pie and spices being the most pungent. It is medium-bodied and pleasantly but not overpoweringly sweet with flavors of poached pear, orange marmalade, baked apple, nutmeg, and clove. The warmth of the winter white glides through your palette and brings the essence of the holidays straight to your taste buds. I need a bottle of this right now…no, seriously. It’s best served warm straight from a crockpot, stovetop or electric kettle and I was in love. I’m not kidding…this drink had me at a loss for words. I had never tried a warm wine before and was not disappointed. I cannot stress enough how I encourage everyone to try this wine.
Taste: 10/10
Aesthetic: 8/10
Environment: 8/10
Price: 8/10
Proximity to Nonahood: 6/10
Order: Cranberry Wine
Place: Cooper’s Hawk
Final Review Nicole: This wine is literally cranberry juice in a glass. It emits an aroma of tart cranberries with light scents of gingerbread and candied mandarin orange. The sweet/tart taste in the beginning transitions into a smooth finish, making your mouth water. However, I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone who doesn’t like cranberry juice. This would pair nicely with cheddar or goat cheese with cranberry.
Taste: 6.5/10
Aesthetic: 8/10
Environment: 8/10
Price: 8/10
Proximity to Nonahood: 6/10
Happy Holidays from the Back to Basics crew!
