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Well, we lucked out when we zipped by Rumi's Passion on Christmas Eve, thinking they'd be closed for the holiday, only to find out they were not. Oh, the joy!!! For those of you who haven't frequented Rumi's, it is a gluten-free (GF) bakery on Five Mile Road, just east of Bradner in Northville. We discovered Rumi's about a month or so ago and have been frequent flyers ever since. Yum!! Aside from the delight of being able to walk into a bakery and know as a GF person I can actually eat anything that appeals to me, it is really delicious! This trip found us sampling a chocolate raspberry cake which was moist and not overly sweetened. The only problem is that it was so darned good, they had already sold out of this particular delectable. The early bird gets the worm.
Not to worry, though. To compensate for this loss, we got a couple of their yummy carrot cupcakes and a German Chocolate cupcake. The cake portion on the German Chocolate was dark and very moist, just as I like it. They really do a nice job with the carrot cake pictured above too--lots of flavor and not at all dry with a tantalizing cream cheese frosting.
Rumi's offers a full line of baked goods, ranging from cookies, pies, etc. to breads (their raisin bread toasted tastes like a non-GF (i.e., wheat-based) bread which for the unenlightened is incredibly difficult to pull off. The owner has invested an incredible amount of time developing this and other recipes. He will not rest until it is just right and meets all of his very demanding requirements. He's a perfectionist and it shows through!
P.S. You don't have to be gluten-free to try these goodies. The owners are very friendly and offer generous samples. I bet once you taste their delicious fare, you'll be as hooked as I am.
Being amongst the ranks of the unemployed, I can truthfully say that I would indeed pose outside Cacao Tree Cafe with a lovingly hand-penned sign which reads "Will Work for Cacao Tree Chocolates". For the uninitiated, these hand-crafted gems are to die for--in fact, on further thought, this work for chocolates scheme isn't seeming so far-fetched the more I think about it. Perhaps, they need some kitchen or counter help over there at Cacao Tree. But I digress.... The lovely treats pictured here are dark chocolate with orange peel and white chocolate with lemon oil. I'm not sure I can accurately convey how delicious these babies are.... but I'll give it a whirl. If you are accustomed to conventional store bought chocolates (even higher end brands such as Dagoba), you will immediately notice the absence of added sugar in Cacao Tree chocolates. This takes some getting used to but once you do, you really begin to appreciate the inherent flavor of the cacao beans along with the essences and accents. These are not the chocolates you sit and mindlessly gobble, like you would in a darkened movie theatre, but you savor each and every nibble taking in the complexity and the flavors. We actually ate another store-bought chocolate bar that we've grown fond of after having Cacao Tree chocolates and in comparison it tasted like parrafin and was oversweetened. If you're reading this and you haven't visited Cacao Tree Cafe, do yourself a favor and make it a priority. Chocolates are available in the fridge and can be eaten carry-out, along with an amazing array of made from scratch desserts.
Now, for commentary on the non-dessert portion of our lunch visit, here's Mystery Guest Blogger Tom:
The daily special veggie sandwich sounded great and did not disappoint. Sun-dried tomatoes were pureed into a savory paste with just a hint of hot pepper that complimented the falafel-based pattie. Micro greens and fresh sliced veggies filled out the rest between the two slices of seed "bread". It looks small, but you won't go hungry. Definitely a winner.
