Jake Hawkins
Halloween in Tuscaloosa is something to look forward to each year, for many reasons. Most may think it is the fun costumes everyone gets to wear out to the bars, but this list is a little sweeter. When most people think of the strip in Tuscaloosa, their minds go to places like Gallette’s or The Houndstooth .While the businesses reviewed this week are bigger chains, they still help make the strip what it is. Today we are talking about places for the whole family. I will be reviewing the fall and Halloween drinks and treats that are worth trying before they are gone.
Strange Brew Coffeehouse
Starting the morning at Strange Brew Coffeehouse is probably one of the better decisions you can make on the strip. I will say this was my first experience with this coffee shop, and I was not disappointed in the slightest. I had taken a peak at their fall menu online before arriving in store, because I was not sure how extensive it would be. Let me tell you, this was a good call because they have 17 different fall flavors. The Maple Harvest is what caught my eye, with its simple yet delicious ingredient list. Caramel, brown sugar cinnamon, and of course maple. While my girlfriend, Maven and I were waiting in line to order our drinks, my attention was drawn towards the food cases. Not only was I a little hungry, but everything looked delicious. I had asked Maven if she wanted to perhaps split a blueberry muffin and an apple cinnamon scone. She declined, so I just got the apple cinnamon scone. The barista asked if I would like my scone heated, and because I am not an animal I said of course. The scone came out quite fast and our drinks quickly followed. The inside of Strange Brew is pretty welcoming and cozy, but it was a very pleasant morning so we took our talent to their outdoor seating area. Complete with a canopy and turf, it seemed like a fantastic spot to do some homework with a drink and treat. My scone looked and smelled so amazing I could not wait to dig into it. When trying to rip off a solid chunk, it started to fall apart like melted butter. I devoured the first few smaller pieces, and they were heavenly. Even if I were to never order another drink from them again, I would go back regularly just for this scone. I am not sure if it is another part of their fall menu or not, but I sure hope it isn’t. Once I felt I needed to slow down on the scone in order to make it last, I tried my coffee. It was pretty sweet but not too sweet to mask the coffee taste. It was a little difficult to truly taste the caramel or maple until I was a little over halfway done, but it was a good drink nonetheless. Maven had gotten the Grandma’s Caramel Cake which is caramel and cake batter. So as you can imagine that coffee was a bit too sweet, and I like sweet things so that is saying something. All in all, Strange Brew Coffeehouse is a great spot to grab a quick treat and hangout for a little bit.
Rita’s Italian Ice & Frozen Custard
If your sweet tooth still isn’t satisfied head keep walking down the strip to Rita’s Italian Ice & Frozen Custard. On the corner of University Boulevard across from Buffalo Phil’s (which we reviewed a couple weeks ago), Rita’s shares a space with PJ’s Coffee. I have been a big Rita’s fan for a couple of years now. Since they take dining dollars, Rita’s should be a go-to sweet treat spot for students, year round. I am just a little ashamed to admit it, but my typical order is a large cotton candy italian ice, and if I am feeling extra crazy that day, I will mix in either some mango or blue raspberry ice, or get even weirder with a cotton candy gelati, which is ice and custard layered together. Like I said earlier, I am a big fan of sweet things. But because this was not a typical Rita’s run, I did not get my typical order. Walking up to the frozen cases, I saw three themed treats being advertised. The one that I really wanted was the Apple Butter Concrete, but to my misfortune, they were all out of the apple pie filling and were not planning on restocking. As heartbroken as I was, there was a mission at hand. Luckily, the Harvest Swirl Concrete had a caramel apple syrup involved, so I could still get my apple fix. The Harvest Swirl had a vanilla custard base with pumpkin spice and caramel apple syrup to give it that fall twist. This treat was pretty sweet, but I did not find it to be overbearingly so. I had brought Maven and my roommate, Barrett on this excursion and had them try the Harvest Swirl to see what thoughts they had. They did not share my enjoyment of this treat, saying the two distinct flavors clashed too much rather than complimenting each other. While I could sort of see where they were coming from, I just could not agree. The Harvest Swirl gets a 7.8/10 from me. The custard was creamy yet firm, allowing for great bites to last before melting everywhere. We had gotten to Rita’s in the knick of time, right after we ordered there was a rush of sorority girls coming for a late-evening snack. With its prime location on the strip, it makes getting a treat convenient and possibly fun.
Insomnia Cookies
It may make the most sense to go to Rita’s during the day and the certified classic, Insomnia Cookies at night, but I did the opposite. Insomnia’s cookies are great for a lazy Sunday after your favorite greasy meal. I honestly have not been to Insomnia Cookies in at least a year or two, but it did not let me down. I walked in with Barrett and his girlfriend, Ally and told the cashier I was looking for their fall cookies. She pointed me towards the menu where there were three seasonal cookies: Caramel Apple Classic, Brookie Topped with Snickers, and a Brown Butter Toffee Classic. We didn’t have much choice but to order one of each, and each one was delicious. My favorite was the Caramel Apple Classic, but I am a sucker for caramel and apple flavored treats so when combined in a sugar cookie, it is no shock it won in my heart. When there is a winner there is always a runner-up and unfortunately, a loser. My runner-up was the Brown Butter Toffee Classic. I liked the simplicity of the cookie and I enjoy toffee and Heath in my milkshakes and ice cream. The Brookie Topped with Snickers just did not really do it for me but I must say it has got to do with my personal bias against brownies. Now I know that may seem controversial but I like chocolate to enhance my sweets and not necessarily be the star of the show. That being said, it was still a pretty good treat for what it was. We took our cookies home because the only seating we saw was a couple stools facing the wall with a skinny bar top as the table, and with just one employee being in there with us it seemed like it may have been kind of awkward to stay and film the cookies. But, I am glad we took them home because it gave me the opportunity to be able to throw them in the microwave, making them as good as they could be. The only way to make these treats better is to get some of Insomnia’s ice cream to top your cookie, or with some milk but we were sadly fresh out.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Tuscaloosa’s strip is home to great times and good treats. So before eggnog starts taking over the treat scene, go try some of these sweets. No matter if Strange Brew’s scones and coffee, Rita’s frozen treats, or Insomnia’s delicious cookies caught your attention (or if they all did), rush to the strip because these limited flavors won’t be here for long. It was all treats and no tricks this fall in Tuscaloosa.
