Sweet Spot - Santa Cruz

Sweet Spot indeed.

Ice cream is not something I buy a ton of, because I would probably consume a half gallon in a matter of days. Plus, its more fun to stop in at a quaint shop to grab a cone with friends and family. AJ's family came across a cute ice cream shop, called the Sweet Spot. Only a couple blocks from where they were staying, it made a convenient place to grab coffee every morning, and ice cream in the afternoon.

Brownie batter and oreo mint.

AJ loves ice cream, and went for the two scoops, oreo mint and brownie batter. The oreo mint was refreshing, with nice bits of chocolate cookie and cream goodness mixed in. The cloying brownie batter tasted more like a cookie dough batter with chunks of brownie mixed in. I would skip the scoop of brownie batter and double up on the oreo mint.

Mexican Cocoa

I was a in a chocolate kind of mood and decided to go with the mexican cocoa. The cinnamon notes were nice with the milk chocolate ice cream. I was pleasantly surpised when I bit into a chocolate covered almond, which were interspersed throughout!

Chocolate malt - this thing was ginormous!

I am the walrus, goo goo gjoo.

Jeremy ordered up the "largest chocolate malt you can make". Boy do these guys know how to follow directions! The ice cream was perfectly blended, remaining smooth and creamy, yet drinkable.

Bottom Line: The Sweet Spot has all your ice cream needs covered, and they do it with a smile.

The Sweet Spot

827 Water St

Santa Cruz, CA

Fall Festivities - Shacktober Fest!

Ah fall has arrived, along with all the yummy sights and sounds associated. Immediately upon it becoming October I knew a trip to Shake Shack was in order for their annual Shacktober Fest, a Shake Shack - Oktoberfest combo of delicious burgers, brats, and fall-themed custard treats, so I gathered up my NYU friends and we headed over to Shake Shack!

Travis and I knew that the food for Shacktober Fest was good but that the Shack Burgers (1 burger with Shack Sauce, lettuce, tomato, cheese) were superior to the brats that are offered, so we went straight for burgers and fries, which were delicious as always!

The burgers are amazing - freshly cooked, they come piping hot with melty cheese, just the right amount of crisp lettuce and tomato, Shack Sauce (some sort of tangy combo of possibly ketchup, mustard, and mayo) and delicious, slightly garlickly warm buns. The fries were super crispy and salty (my vegetarian friends are willing to wait in line, sometimes for 30+ mins, just for the fries and shakes) and a great palate cleanser in between juicy bites of burger.



Typically I get some sort of custard dessert, whether it be a namesake shake (thick and creamy) or just a custard-based dessert, but this time, while waiting in line, I saw a sign advertising for $6.75 a "Pumpkin Pie Oh My"offering, which was a blend of real pumpkin pie with vanilla custard and whipped cream! YUM! I obviously added it to my order and rather than hold it (Shake Shack gives you the option to hold your dessert until you are ready, which can be good but also might mean they could run out of the flavor you ordered) got it with my food. Needless to say it was divine....real chunks of pumpkin pie (with great bites of crust) mixed in with vanilla custard and topped with a huge dollop of whipped cream. I would order it again in a heartbeat.

Travis got the Shack Stack, which consists of two burger patties in between which is nestled a fried, cheesy, mushroom. He also thoroughly enjoyed his burger, fries, and Pumpkin Pie Oh My.


All in all, a very outstanding 3 out of 3 JAMs for Shake Shack! I will definitely be coming back here for more fall treats soon.