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Category: Bakeries
Neighborhood: Noble SquareDivision (Blue)
Mon-Fri. 7:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Sat. 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Sun. 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
"Il Giardino Del Dolce came through for me yet again! I needed a cake to feed 50..and it had to be The Nightmare before Christmas themed.…" read more »
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They have the BEST blueberry muffins I have ever had, for these reasons:
1. They are baked into mini-bundts and just pretty.
2. VERY fresh blueberries.
3. Spongey, angel cake-like consistency...not greasy and crumbly like other muffins.
4. Half-off on Mondays (with a coffee)...making it something like 70 cents.
I get one at least once a week, I like them that much...no shame about it.
If Anthropologie were a cafe...
aka: a definite "new Victorian" vibe with adorable pastries to die…
Read more »
A desperate need for coffee and a taste of their potato dill soup (oh so yum!) changed my mind about Lovely. It is lovely indeed. Very vintage and quaint.
I still maintain that a bake shop you cannot be without bread, but I can get over that.
Yay for a coffee place down the block. And double yay for delicious potato dill soup.
I walked in today with hopes of walking out with a tasty baguette, or some kind of a loaf. Huh. So,… Read more »
For those who know me, I have a little bit of a sweet tooth. A very teeny tiny sweet tooth. Miniscule. Microscopic even.
And the lil' bugger can easily take control of my every action when chocolate or carmel pop in to view.
Bastard.
Pretty much every morning and many afternoons about every day I drive wearily to work. Bleary eyed and tired. I think of what I need to do during the day I have often missed even recognizing that this place existed. Until yesterday when I needed to grab lunch and having perused their web page a few scant days earlier, I knew they had some sandwiches which would be perfect for a lunch on the go.
Walking in, cute. Uber cute. As in, super super cute and cool, give off friendly and warming, "c'mon in and stay awhile" vibes. Wood decor all around, glass coke bottles, (love them!) in the back of the register. People on laptops typing away, sipping on coffee or tea, friends catching up and then... then... I stare beyond them and the iil' bugger starts to kick in. My first instinct is to push people out of my way and run up to the glass and press my nose against the glass, smearing my drool all around it and going I want that one! And that one! Oh and definitely that one!!
I am far beyond 6 years old, so I calmly and quietly walk over and order a turkey sandwich and peruse the sweets while my sandwich is being made. Cupcakes, brownies, mini pies all making my body twtich and quiver as I resist the urge to buy a large box of sweets to take home. Then I spot the brownie. This massive brownie the size of my fist. Thinking...
Oh yes... you will be mine. You don't know it... but you will be mine...
Quickly I asked for a brownie to be scooped up in to my bag and voila! Dessert included with my sandwich and bag of chips and off I went. When I finally sat down, the sandwich was good, really good. The bread was great, not too much fillings, but still nicely balanced. After I finished that, I sighed, because being a good boy and cleaning my plate, I saw it was time. Time to delve into my treat. Soft, rich and chocolaty and oh so good. My inner sweet tooth was happy. I was happy. Smiles abound, dreams of the next visit danced in my head.
This cafe, with its lovely interior is one of three places around this neighborhood where you can get free internet along with your coffee, with one caveat--no power outlets! Lovely loses one star for this but you can still make it work if you head here with a full charge and a focus because the battery meter will keep you on the task :)
If you want free internet and outlets, head to Alliance or for free internet and outlets AND a social environment where you can chat with your friend(s) head to Ballou. These days very few cafes welcome laptop users and are willing to give up a table all day for a $2 bottomless cup of coffee. They have bills to pay!
The bakeshop comes first so that is the best thing you can get here. As with all items that involve baking, don't expect perfection. It is very difficult to make things perfect every time even at home. Yeah somethings will not be so good every now and then but why leave disappointed when all you have to do is let the friendly people behind the counter know?
The coffee experience here can be inconsistent which will cost them another star. Start small or go with the Teas.
I'm sitting at Lovely having a bowl of lentil soup with mint and lemon, a pumpkin chocolate chip mini cookie, and a big cup of peppermint tea. I'm wondering if this is heaven?
Did you know they put pumpkin into their chocolate chip cookies in heaven? It's true.
I think it takes serious cajones for them to close up all the power outlets. It's really a non-issue… Read more »
Delicious pies! And they come in individual sizes, which I love, because then you can try all the flavors!
The shop is also ridiculously cute and I found the staff to be very sweet and helpful. This looks like a nice place to hang out or do some reading while satisfying your sweet tooth.
I haven't tried the cupcakes because they appear to have buttercream frosting, which I don't usually like, but I'll definitely go back for the pies.
I have stopped in twice in the past few weeks, hoping my first experience was just a fluke, but the second was even more unpleasant. I really wanted to love Lovely, but my review is as follows:
Decor-super cute, shabby-chic, comfortable, inviting
Coffee-fresh brewed, delicious Intellegentsia, you can't go wrong
Baked Goods-pecan pie was tasteless, peanut butter brownie had good flavor but a bit dry, cardboard-like yellow cupcake with greasy, chunky icing, yuck
Lunch-yummy, but ridiculously small tuna sandwich, equally small salad
Service-hit or miss, one super sweet helpful gal, one annoyed to be helping me hipster
Unfortunately, cute decor is not enough to keep me coming back to this place.
Lovely is just what it is... lovely. With a lovely selection of baked goods and some lovely coffee, it is always lovely to sit and take advantage of Lovely's free wifi. All of their items are terrific. The decor is also indeed... lovely. Don't miss this cafe, I ensure you will have a lovely time.
Walking into Lovely: A Bake Shop, one simply cannot deny how cute the decor is or how friendly the staff is. To be honest, if decoration alone could satisfy then this place would be nirvana. However, as we've all been told, looks can be deceiving.
Perusing the cupcake display, I decided upon a vanilla cupcake that caught my eye and made my mouth positively water. I then proceeded to place my order, which included a bottomless coffee. The price was fairly reasonable, although I don't see how any cupcake could really be worth $2.00, but I digress...
A minor annoyance to me was the fact that the only table available had crumbs all over it so we had to clean our own eating area. The coffee is served in a do-it-yourself manner, which I actually did appreciate, as it's always easier to taste and add accompaniments at your leisure. Unfortunately all of my high hopes were dashed. The coffee was positively dreadful, too strong and bitter beyond belief. I blame poor water/coffee ratios. After dumping in about half of the additives offered at the coffee station, I was able to make it somewhat palatable, but was left with nausea later on in the day. The cupcake plain sucked. The cake itself was bland and really dry. The frosting was like biting into a lump of vegetable shortening. Sadly enough, the sprinkles atop the cupcake were about the only highlight of my meal.
I'm all for supporting small businesses but I would much rather take that $5 and spend it at Starbucks, to be perfectly honest.
Next time I visit Lovely, I am going to do so donning a floral apron and flowers in my hair, riding my bike with my Macbook in a basket...
Because that is what it makes me feel like.
Read all of the other reviews to get a taste of the perfect coffee, personal sized pies, moist muffins (half off on Mondays!), and any other of their sundry of mouth-watering morsels... The attraction of the food is obvious, the intrigue of the customer base is another. Surprisingly, not everyone here is wearing floral aprons and seersucker...
We have -
A couple practicing lines for a play
A tattooed pair sketching comics
A nonprofit lady sorting a plethora of forms
A business man on a conference call
A helmet toting hipster reading a book
Several families of all ethnicities.
Not to mention the countless readers, writers, and laptop fiddlers.
What a lovely mishmash of patrons consuming lovely treats.
Okay, I know this place is beloved, and I have friends who refuse to go elsewhere, but I can't get into it. The decor is cute, but I don't go to a coffee shop to ogle their antique white cupboards or giggle at the barista's super-ironic retro apron. The outdoor patio redeems the uncomfortable interior (chairs too tall or short for tables, which are awkwardly large), but that's obviously off-limits from November to late April.
Despite the fact they sealed off their electrical outlets, every time I go in, 40% of their clientele is still on a laptop. That's not a problem in my opinion. People can do what they want, and if it's being quiet instead of having a really loud conversation on a cell phone, fine by me! But don't let the management's notices about how once the plugs were sealed, people started communing with each other fool you. There is no commune. This is still Chicago.
So what do I go to a coffee shop for, if it's not to surround myself with cuteness and hug the person to my left? I go to drink coffee, read or study, and talk to my friends. Lovely's coffee tastes moderately bad. I'll still drink it, because I have a problem, but it's not good. I think the reason is that they serve it in giant carafes. It just seems like a flawed plan to make coffee by the gallon, and then store it in containers that were not made to be cleaned well, or often. They started charging extra for refills, too, which I think is bizarre - they'd sell more coffee if it always tasted fresh, and I know they don't sell every drop of every carafe.
Their pastries are overpriced. I am sorry, but I am not paying close to two dollars to buy a muffin far smaller than my fist. I just refuse. I am an American, and I demand quantity. They've recently added drink/food specials that do reduce the disincentive, but still. With other coffee shops mere blocks away, selling tasty, substantial bagels for the same price as Lovely's stale eensy ones, *coughmercury* only the company of my stubborn, delightful friends could entice me to patronize this place.
0
8
Two words...
Muffin Monday
Half priced muffins on Monday has me singing "Muffin Monday" to the tune of "Manic Monday" by the Bangles.
On the negative side...
-no power for laptops which to me seems rather cheap and stingy
-have a minimum sale amount for credit cards which is not allowed by visa's terms of service
They do have free wifi and some good coffee. I have never really tried more then the muffins, but the atmosphere is exactly what you'd think of a movie coffee shop to be which is why I give it 4 out of 5 stars. Definitely the place to take in if you have 10 minutes to have a coffee and take a breather.
These Lovely women just did nine flavors of cupcakes for my wedding and each one was more awesome than the next. I have been getting compliments ever since the wedding for various aspects, but the cupcakes are always mentioned. They were fresh, gorgeous, yummy and just perfect. Brooke and Gina were very easy to work with from picking the flavors to delivery and set up. I didn't have to worry about a thing. Just perfect.
I love lovely. I think it is amazing, great vibe, great decor, plenty of seating and most… Read more »
We love LOVELY! MacMD has had AM meetings at Lovely off and on, and it's a great place to go, meeting or no meeting. The muffins are THE BEST, and everyone's very helpful and friendly. We highly recommend Lovely, and the name speaks for itself -
Smurfette and Holly Hobbie grew up, moved to Chicago together and opened a bake shop (?). It's all whitewashed and filled with old apothecary cabinets and lace and rocking chairs and other cutesy, old-timey-looking shit.
Everything is just (a little too fricking) adorable, but problems ensue - the sandwiches are the size of cupcakes, the cupcakes are huge and kinda lardy tasting. The teeny weeny wee little leprechaunian turkey sandwich I had had some tasty garlicky shallot spread on it, but I didn't even finish my chocolate peanut butter brownie and trust - I AM NOT one of those "couldn't finish my big ol brownie" type of chicks. The tuna sandwich was...smurfy - tiny, tempting and pretty. And tiny.
I REALLY wish I could go back in time and get my $25 for FOUR things back...- $2.50 for a wee little glass bottle of Coke? (See, they all grew up in the fairy forest or some shit, so maybe they don't know the right prices and portions....Or maybe they're just trying to gaffle, don't know...) The pastries all look amazingly...[sigh]...lovely....but they are really just kind of dry and expensive - maybe they brought some economics books and Easy-Bake Ovens with them from the early 80s? Maybe they should have brought the Joy of Cooking or something, too.
I'll always chose ugly, cheap and delicious over pretty, pricy and bland any day, but I always was more of a Gargamel/Purple Pieman/un-Laura Ashley wearing type of girl anyway.
AND they try to make you play cards and hang out with other humans and whatnot. What's next? Handholding? Group singing? [shudders]
Not to toot my own horn, but I make really delicious buttercream frosting. Buttah, mmm. The only buttercream frosting I ever thought that truly compared to my own was Bleeding Heart's. Then I went to lovely, and mmmmm. Lots of buttah. The way baked goods should be. I have to add that I think they should add some more butter to the yellow cake, or something else to make it a touch more moist. Otherwise, yummy.
Despite the slightly dry cake, Lovely gets 5 stars. Their tuna salad sandwich is perfect (sub the whole grain bread for the croissant!). With a side of greens, it's one of my favorite lunches.
Also, unlike Alliance, Lovely has GIANT tables upon which to spread out your million books. AND they play great tunes. I don't even need my iPod when studying at Lovely. Winner!
This is a true story.
It is 6:52 pm, and I'm driving up Milwaukee Ave., on my way to Between for dinner. The cars are congested on the road, and as I'm moseying along, I glance to my left and see Lovely: A Bakeshop.
My conscious: "Lovely: A Bakeshop! That's been on my go-to list!" I proceed to get overly excited. I then proceed to quickly blabber to my passenger that, like it or not, we need to make a pit stop here before dinner.
I park my car, scurry into the long, narrowish bakeshop and am immediately hypnotized by the perfect looking mini pies, so much so that it diverts my attention from the collection of cupcakes. At 7 pm sharp, I leave with a McDonald's-happy-meal-like-cardboard box of a red velvet and chocolate cupcake and peanut butter fluff mini pie, as the guy locks up behind us.
The mini pb fluff pie was like pure pb in a pie crust with marshmallow fluff adorning it, but it looked exceptionally better than it tasted. But I got my protein delivery for the day! The cupcakes weren't too shabby either.
Truth in advertising.
Lovely in the past: I walk in this place and I just feel...good. Not "Ohh, I wanna DANCE wit' someBODEH..." good or "Oh no, LET'S go.." good but, like, "Happiness is..finding a nickel...daytime and nighttime too...cuz happiness is anything or anyone at all...that's looooved byyyy youuu." I learned that song for a fourth grade recital. That's how I feel at Lovely. I feel like a nine year old little boy with no cares other than singing a Charlie Brown song whilst standing on a riser.
Lovely in the present: Yeah, shabby chic is sorta done. And, yeah, dirty menchildren in tight stretchjeans make me itch. But the lovely ladies who work here seem so earnest in their interactions...the space is so homey and inviting...none of the bad stuff seems to matter. The food helps. The sandwiches are filling and just different enough to not be typical (I enjoy the turkey with garlic/shallot spread, red peppers and provolone cheese). The cupcakes are deliciously homemade and authentic. Typically, I wolf down sweets. I take the time to taste these. I _know_!!
Lovely in the future: This is the kind of place where I can steal glimpses of the future. Glimpses that involve cute toddlers, sundresses, bare feet on green grass, giggling and happiness. Who knows why? Maybe it's the warm weather. Maybe it's the warm smiles behind the counter. Maybe it's the sugar in the tarts. I dunno. It's sorta like this place is a physical version of Jason Mraz's "Lucky." Yeah. Maybe that's it. Lovely.
First, let me say: writing this review makes me very sad.
My sister and I have patronized Lovely since it opened. We've brought Lovely baked goods to family parties and to the teachers at my nephew's school. I love the atmosphere, the patio is beautiful and everyone who works there has always been nice and helpful.
However...
I had a sweet-tooth craving today, and went to fulfill it at Lovely. I went in and ordered two cookies and two cupcakes, taking some home to share. And bitter disappointment ensued. Bites were taken and the rest tossed in the trash.
The peanut butter and chocolate chip cookies were hard, dry and tasteless. The vanilla cupcake was tough and dry, and the chocolate frosting tasted rancid (the boy thought it tasted "like lard.") The Schmostess cupcake (the one I was most excited about, yellow with dark chocolate frosting and a marshmallow squiggle and filling) was also stale and flavorless.
At approximately $10 for four items, there's really no room for this kind of quality issue. I've had better cookies from grocery-store bakeries.
This is NOT the Lovely of yore! What happened? I am not inclined to go back. Ever. No matter how cute the decor is.
Boo.
Listen up!
Ok.
Visiting on a spring day...
Everything is sooooooo, cute.
Little chocolate cupcake.
Yes, coffee please. Intelligentsia.
After many months of attempting to get here, I finally found myself with a few minutes to "part ways with" ("kill is so harsh), and wandered over to Lovely: A Bakeshop.
Shocked by the expansive space + patio. When I think bakeshop, I auto-flit to "cramped." This has plenty of room to sprawl, eat, hear yourself think...
The outlet problem. Ah, well for once I wasn't attached to a laptop, but my thinking is...my battery lasts for 1.5-2 hours. That's all the time I need to spend hogging up a seat in a bakery. Otherwise, I'll just keep ordering stuff, and be all jacked up on caffeine and sugar. 1.5 hours is plenty, let your battery power you through, and perhaps move on somewhere else to do some work? Who knows, the coffeeshop work set-up is a tricky one, so I won't blame them for limiting it. Go outside and enjoy the sunshine on the patio and try to relax and step away from work. Trust I know how hard this is, BUT life only gives you so many moments to be unplugged...
Digresson: Over.
I will most certainly be back. Parking is cinchy (I'm bringing this word back), and the gals behind the counter are...well, lovely. Of course. They serve Intelligentsia. With a side patio! (not an alley or sidewalk).
Great for: conversation, coffee, discussions (book clubs, etc), business meetings, friendly chatter, bakery indulgences, and hanging out in Noble Square.
This place is so cute, even though it is located in quite an unfortunate area. However it is worth trying. Our barista was wearing a knit toque in July, so i thought oh no another hipster, he wont know how to make an authentic latte, however i was wrong because it was delicious. I wish people in Canada would catch on to almond lattes, bc u can really only get them in the states. The have a really nice outdoor seating area. we also had a loose leaf tea, choc croissant and a cranberry white choc cookie.
0
9
My husband and I were wed here this past weekend and everything was beyond PERFECT.
Imagine Lovely with all its charm embellished with your decor and colors, a full open BYOB bar, the music that you choose because it's played off your iPod, a full sit down family style dinner served to you and your guests by the most gracious people. And that's just the beginning!
When I came in twenty minutes before the ceremony, (the staff had closed down two hours prior), everything was set. Candles were lit all over, the tabletops had all the menus in the right place, the entry table was decked out with our corsages, photo seating chart. Tissue paper pom poms (my husband made those) were being strung from the ceiling. Everything was in place.
We rented a tent for the outdoors area and all 50 of our guests sat comfortably around us (while I cried like a blubbering fool during my vows). The staff cued the music each and every time and poured our drinks (we were able to bring any kind of alcohol we wanted). After the ceremony we had hors d'oeuvres and toasts while they fixed the most delicious meal of three kinds of housemade pizza, a mixed green salad, a pesto pasta salad, roasted veges and this amazing tender roasted chicken. Everything was hot and fresh. Not to mention the multigrain bread and whipped butter on every table!
Everything from the first dance to cake cutting to clean up was painless and seamless. These people know how to entertain. I would suggest this venue whole heartedly to anyone that is looking to have a hassle-free wedding with people that really care about your most important day and the experience they're selling you. There is nothing bad I can say about Lovely. Every time I've been there just for coffee or cupcakes (carrot cake is my fav!!!) they have been friendly and accommodating.
GET. MARRIED. HERE!!! Or just get cake.
Apparently you need the patience of Mother Teresa to order in this place. (It's actually taken me 18 minutes to get a coffee to go, self-serve btw, with 4 people ahead of me.) I have never experienced such sloth-like behavior from ANY employees on such a regular basis. It's gotta be the #1 quality the management is looking for in an employee. Problem is, everyone that has ever waited on me has been pretty friendly and perpetually smiley, which makes me think maybe they just all get high in the back during their shifts. So, uh, where are *those* brownies?
I pretty much only go in here when I'm in a pinch. The coffee is good, usually fresh, and the few pastries I've tried were pretty tasty. But, today I watched Mr. Smiley take an order from the guy in front of me for a bagel sandwich. He took the money from the guy, then turned around and began to make the sandwich w/ his bare hands. Sure, that happens all over the place...but it's just usually better that patrons don't see it.
My favorite frosting out of all the cupcakes places I've been too! So good!
I've only had A cupcake from here but that cupcake was pretty damn good! I'm not big on chocolate… Read more »
Ok, so here's the story:
I went to Lovely: A Bake Shop, and thought "any place with a colon in the name better effin' pay off." I walked in and felt unimpressed by the furniture and lay out, enticed by the baked goods, thirsty for the delicious smelling coffee drinks, and intrigued by the simple sandwiches they listed. I set up my laptop at 3:02pm and went to place an order.
"Medium black Americano, my good man. And hows about one of those turkey sammiches?"
The boy responded through intentionally and ironically thick-framed plastic glasses, "We don't serve food in the last hour of business."
I said, "did I fall into a wormhole, or meander into some indiana town where they roll up the streets at dark?"
So that was a really drawn out attempt to say they close early on Sundays.
So I went back, and this time I noticed that none of the power outlets worked. Either they are not interested in we academic or officeless folks or those of us in that cohort who cannot afford a laptop with a good battery.
Eff lovely in their bakeshop breadholes.
Just to add to the closed outlet debate:
A really insulting and risky thing to do to your regular customers. I'm writing this at another coffee shop across town. My computer battery lasts about twenty minutes unplugged. Who hangs out at coffee shops in the afternoon? Students, freelancers, writers. People who are working and need their computers. There aren't too many people looking to chat and play cards on weekday afternoons.
So, really good coffee, soup and baked goods; crazy management.
Everything here is so cute I just want to throw up. Really, it sure is lovely in here. (See what I did there?)
But what matters most about a bakery is taste. In my experience, it can be hit or miss here. Cookies one day are fantastic, melt-in-your-mouth-must-have-another bites of heaven, and the next are dry and crumbly. I stopped in to get a bagel to go on my way to school and when I unwrapped it in class I found that it was burnt. The cupcakes suffer the same problems as the cookies: great one day, not the next.
I wish that they opened earlier on the weekends. They don't open until 9 on Saturday and Sunday, and since I'm one of those up-at-the-crack-of-dawn-no-matter-what-I-did-last- night people, I like having a place to go and work in the mornings so I don't wake my roommates up. Most bakeries open earlier, so when I attempted to come here one early weekend morning, I was sorely disappointed.
I'll continue to go to Lovely, because it's one of the better bakeries in WP, and hope I'll have more on days than off.
During my life, many a great food discovery has been made with the words: "I have to go to the bathroom - now!" And this is how my beloved and I stumbled upon Lovely.
On our way to Yelp Theatre night at the Chopin Theatre, we walked into Lovely and were absolutely delighted with our discovery. "Alright! A new find!" exclaimed Beloved. A comfortable large space, Intelligentsia coffee, friendly service, a delicious latte made to perfection. And all of their baked goods were beautiful from the cupcakes to the tarts to the cookies.
So often, baked goods can be pretty but taste like crap, yes? Oh, not so at Lovely, we were soon to find out. We settled on an apple muffin, a blueberry muffin and a choc cupcake with a whipped cream frosting. YUM! Ingenious idea - to offer 2 sizes in the cupcakes & muffins - smart move as it enticed us to buy more.
Only two things I would change - I think turning off the electrical outlets is rather odd. It is a non-issue for me as I don't have a laptop but I can see why that would deter others from coming here.
Also, as we prefer to go out in the evening for coffee and sweets, the hours are too short for our taste, closing at 7 pm during the week and at 6 on Sat. and 4 on Sun. But overall, a Lovely experience at Lovely! We will be back!
The following review is in the form of a sternly-worded letter, written to the owner of Lovely. My one-star review has nothing to do with the pastries themselves, which are, appropriately, lovely.
------------------
dear brooke,
I am writing to you now with the last 10 minutes of charge on my laptop. my little writing companion is over two years old, and so its battery can't hold more than half an hour of charge.
I understand that a policy has been put in place to inactivate all the outlets in the shop. this was done because, after a power failure, an afternoon of chatting and merriment happened, and you felt as though this utopian vision could be enacted every day. I am here to tell you, that it cannot, and has not.
I spend at least three days a week here, and I watch every one here stare solitarily into their laptops and books and coffees, and those of us with needs to write or use computers make the hourly pilgrimage outside to charge and back in to use.
today however, the outside was closed a full hour and a half before the closing of your shop, and therefore I am now unable to charge my computer. the weather in chicago prohibits your patrons from spending all day on your very lovely patio, and so now I'm left without any option but to leave.
the reality is that people use your shop for many reasons, and the forcible requirement that we all strike up conversations and play cards rather than write our novels, or write our screenplays, or do our jobs, is both creepily socialist in that "now the authorities require us to do our mandatory community building" sort of way, and just not good business. it forces people like me to leave the shop and give our coffee and pastry money elsewhere.
I implore you to change your policy. I guarantee you that limiting our ability to charge our computers has not affected your shop in the way you hope. as I sit here now, I am surrounded by silence and keyboard clicking. I just happen to be one of the unlucky ones who can't afford a new battery to stay here.
sincerely,
aemilia scott
I do think this place is lovely! I love their homemade jams and the cupcakes. Their food is a bit pricey, but you get what you pay for - quality ingredients and attention to details - capers in their tuna salad, and unique soup options like 'Apple-Celery.'
The space is nice - inside and out.
I don't go here when I am in a hurry, because I'd expect something so lovely to take it's time.
And as for the lack of outlets (for laptops), I have to say that I don't mind one bit. There are other places to go if I really need that.
You know that amazing friend you take for granted?
The one that takes care of you-- is always there for you--
and knows exactly what you need but you forget to shout about?
That's Lovely for me...
This is my go-to office away from home:
Perfect for meeting up for coffee, interviews, a quiet moment...
Homemade vegan soups every time I go...
Adorable, Authentic, and full of Style
And vegan choco cupcakes for your s-tooth (minus frosting.)
I know it's way belated but let me scream it to the yelp world!
I LOVE LOVELY! I LOVE LOVELY- A BAKE SHOP!
And I think... you just might too.
Forgive me, Lovely? See, I do appreciate you!
super disappointed by this place, and here's why:
-dry peanut butter brownie. (we're talking barren, crumbly, and stale.) At three dollars a piece, not impressed.
-burnt taste to the coffee. I was so excited for the Intelligentsia and you burn it? Single tear.
-crabby hipster employees. (get some sun and cheer up, you're bringing me down kids.)
-warm water. gross. real gross.
the space is cute but the chotchkies needed dusting and the tables could use a wipe from time to time. (many customers requested from the said hipsters to have their table wiped prior to sitting down.)
Great Coffee shop, bakery is slightly overpriced though.
They brew Intelligentsia which is always a good sign.
I really come here for the free wifi and excellent coffee.
If you are someone who works from home, a consultant or an artist (especially writers) this place is def. for you.
During the weekend this place get's packed, so if your planning to get some work done here come during the week.
Baristas are full time professional baristas. I swear, they could probably make a cappuccino with their eyes closed. Speaking of cappuccinos, they are great here. Not too much foam but enough milk.
My friends tell me their ice vanilla lattes are also amazing.
They also serve food, mostly soups, sandwiches and salads. If your a big meat eater you might want to just enough their sweets and drinks. Their menu is catered toward vegetarians..
As for the bakery their cupcakes and cakes are BEAUTIFUL. I've had their red velvet and I was pretty impressed. They have VERY cute and tasty apple and banana nut muffins.
Their cookies are also good but kind of small. I would stick with their pastries.
They also have a gated patio opened in the summer that also get's free wifi.
This place also transforms into other "things" post traditional hours. They host special receptions and I hear it's even been used for a wedding recently.
Lovely also keeps an online blog that helps keep customers informed.
Stop by right before closing and you can usually score some free coffee!
My first venture to Lovely was a conflicted one. Flanked by my excellent friend and mother (who was in town, and had brought her wallet), we sat down with little to no trouble finding a seat, and played Canasta. The food was severely legit, though a titch on the pricey end, and despite my excellent coffee, the day was tainted as I was slayed at cards.
I came back once, waiting for a friend who lived in the area, and felt beyond awkward. At times, the staff can be extremely short with you, better-than-thou, and not overly helpful, but I've come to realize (through becoming a barista, myself), that such is the luck with baristas. Sometimes caffeine-loaded and other times sleep deprived, the least we can say about 'em is they're never short on personality.
I've since moved to the area, and Lovely is, as my friend would say, 'ma jam." Whenever the patio is open, I'm sure to be found outside, basking in the free wifi (though it's sporadic at peak times), downing iced americanos like it's my job, and slowly working on a tan. On rainier days, one can still find a decent spot inside, where the walls are lined in ever-changing art, and the smell of fresh-baked goods overwhelm the air. I've read about the lack of outlets, and I feel like it's a valid concern. However, I like the idea, personally, because if I'm going there to get work accomplished, an unlimited battery life is only going to distract me endlessly. Plus, it opens possibilities to play cards and chillax like humans.
Where Lovely potentially loses its star is completely out of the hands of its staff; being its customers. While most of the time I have no problem, I from time to time get the casual hipster stares and the down-the-nose glance. Regardless, Lovely is where I'll be all summerrr.
We had our wedding here at Lovely last Saturday night. It was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. The owners Brooke and Gina were more than accommodating, more than hospitable, they were down right doting. It was obvious that they love what they do and they are very, very good at it.
They transformed their cute bakery space to a glittering, elegant reception area and dance hall. Amazing. If you are looking for a gorgeous venue for a wedding or a party I cannot recommend Lovely (and of course Brooke and Gina) highly enough.
It's perfect that they named this place "Lovely," because they definitely prioritize aesthetics pretty highly. Lovely looks exactly like the cafe version of the Anthropologie catalog, from the retro-chic aprons to the shabby-chic tables and cabinets. They nailed the look spot-on, and I don't know what to say except that it kind of rubs me the wrong way. It's so pretty, it's borderline Stepford. Dumb criteria, I know, but the more I visit Lovely, the less I like the perfection.
But, go. Don't let me discourage you. It's pretty as a picture, and they make tasty baked goods. I've never had any complaints about their coffee, or tea, or cupcakes. (Their muffins could stand to be bigger; but, you know, the same could be said of mine.) I don't recommend their lunch fare. The sandwiches I had here were not-so-satisfying, and one (their tuna salad) was so tart and vinegar-y that it was a chore to eat.
So...sandwiches=chancy, coffee=standard, baked goods=tasty, aesthetics=superior. Stop by, it's a lovely place to watch lovely people peeking at other lovely people over their sleek laptops. With coffee.
no complaints on the coffee or pastries. YUM-OH!
but if i was working behind the counter at such a cute, cozy, well-lit, aromatic bakery i would be a lot more welcoming than the people that served me there.
heads up: intentionally, they no longer have working electrical outlets, which prevents you from recharging your laptop and encourages you to socialize, read books, or do something outside of the interweb. i am fond of this movement but others may find it annoying.
I love their blueberry muffins. The coffee is good and the atmosphere is cozy. The employees have always been nice to me. I like it here.
I'm not so sure what's so great about this place. It's ok, but there's not much to it. I didn't try the lunch but the coffee was fine and so were the baked goods.
I would think any place with "bake shop" in the name would have outstanding pastries.
C-
I am glad Lovely is just around the corner from me. It's very convenient!
The store is cute. It's a pretty good size, and there is a lot of table space, but if it's busy you're probably going to be sharing a table inside. When the weather is nice, they have a big patio that doubles their seating capacity. Other people have mentioned that they recently covered their power outlets, in the interest of encouraging a more social atmosphere or something. Meh, whatever. I never stay long enough to go through a full charge on my laptop. Though I prefer a quiet atmosphere to a social one if I'm hanging out there, since I'm usually reading or working on something.
The baked goods I find to be hit or miss. The first time I had one of their buttermilk whatchamathingy scones, it was like a little piece of heaven in my mouth! It was so good I couldn't believe it. The next time I got one. . . it tasted like fish. I've had a number of tasty treats there, but other than that scone, nothing out of this world. The cupcakes are among their weaker offerings, I think. The prices on baked goods are high for their size, especially the muffins and scones. They have a lot of baked goods, but their general food menu is pretty limited. I had their soup once and it was very good. I also had a sandwich one time; it was OK, but the bread was very hard.
The staff is also hit or miss. There is a blond girl who is very friendly, but the skinny guy is always surly and standoffish. The rest of the staff is somewhere in between.
So why 4 stars, after all that tepid praise? The coffee is Intelligentsia, and it's the best around! If they had any other coffee, this would probably be a 3-star place. The delicious coffee keeps me coming back time and again.
My only other complaint is that their hours are fairly limited. They close at 7pm during the week, 6pm on Saturday and 4pm on Sunday.
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Category: Bakeries
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