The Cupcake Station 136 N. Old Woodward Ave., Birmingham; 248-593-1903; 116 E. Liberty St., Ann Arbor; 734-222-1801; 318 Main St. Plymouth, 734-582-0500; 301 W. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale, 248-336-8668: The Cupcake Station prides itself on making every batch 100 percent from scratch, so you need never worry about biting into a stale cupcake. Think you can create a cupcake worthy enough to be deemed the "cupcake of the month?" Well send in your ideas because the Cupcake Station always welcomes new ideas to further their cupcake inventory.

Doc Sweet's Candy Company 120 S. Rochester Rd., Clawson; 248-597-1051: There's no missing this candy store: Its red-and-white striped awning makes it look like a big box of candy itself. It may as well be: It's Michigan's largest retail candy store, a self-dubbed "gigantic candy wonderland with 5,000 square feet of candy." It stocks everything from Abba Zaba to Zotz, running from nostalgic candy sticks to chocolate-coated insects. Open seven days a week, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays.

Erma's Original Frozen Custard 6451 Auburn Rd., Shelby Twp.; 586-254-3080; 2080 E. 14 Mile Rd., Warren: This roadside custard stand stocks a few flavors a week, but what flavors! How about mai tai or white chocolate almond? The Shelby Township location is between Mound and Van Dyke roads just north of M-59, open 11 a.m.-9 p.m. daily. One of our fellow employees recommends the "custard puff" highly.

Gayle's Chocolates 417 S. Washington Ave., Royal Oak; 248-398-0001; gayleschocolates.com: Go beyond the mass-produced candies for a true Michigan luxury. At Gayle's, chocolatiers will design a label for you and wrap candy bars with it, or, with enough lead time (4 weeks), can design a signature chocolate piece. Their present-ready truffles, hand-dipped and made from all-natural ingredients, are among their most popular holiday items. And check out the whimsical gift boxes or chocolate molds: flowers, sharks, motorcycles, stars and shoes (golf cleats and pumps) among the choices. From the double vanilla latte to the hand-dipped Grand Marnier truffles, this place is oozing the sweet stuff.

Guernsey Farms Dairy 21300 Novi Rd., Northville; 248-349-1466: You can go to Guernsey Farms just for an ice cream cone, or to buy dairy products from a little convenience store, or you can go for a meal. For less than $4, the black-and-white sundae — a combination of chocolate and vanilla ice cream with marshmallow and hot fudge, sprinkled with nuts, piled with whipped cream, and a cherry — is a meal itself! Guernsey Farms has kept families lapping up quality ice cream since 1940. With 48 flavors to choose from and an assortment of cones, sherbets, sorbets and other ice cream desserts, you'll probably have a hard time deciding what to order. There's no need to worry — free samples are available upon request. If you're stunned by the selection, ask for butter pecan, take a seat outside in the shade on one of the many boulders and lick it up — you won't be disappointed. For a fruity sensation, try their recent flavor, Grandpa's Blueberry Way — a combination of blueberry and pomegranate blended with dark chocolate pieces in honor of the founder's 100th birthday. If you can't get enough of the creamy delights, most flavors are available in both half-gallon and 3-1/2 gallon sizes for purchase.

Josef's European Pastry Shop 21150 Mack Ave., Grosse Pointe Woods; 313-881-5710: From grand wedding cakes to simple pastries, Josef's has almost 40 years in the business of providing customers with rich European-style pastries. Owners Anthony and Jimmy Cavallo are award-winning master pastry chefs from Montreal, and their artistic creations run the gamut, including cakes, pies, tea cookies, tortes, breads and croissants.

Just Baked 2463 A West Stadium, Ann Arbor; 734-585-5354; 33254 Seven Mile Rd., Livonia; 248-306-0296; 32828 Woodward Ave., Royal Oak; 248-850-7433; 41747 Ford Rd, Canton 734-981-9200; Twelve Oaks Mall, 27500 Novi Rd., Novi; 248-859-4340: This local mini-chain is a cupcake shop and bakery, offering more than 30 different flavors of gourmet, "jumbo" cupcakes including: rocky road, s'mores and white chocolate raspberry, as well as butter cream "mini" cupcakes. You'll also find homemade brownies, cookies, scones, decorated layer cakes and more.

Leason's Dairy Bar & Grille 11475 E. 13 Mile Rd., Warren; 586-977-2680: If the neon-orange sign doesn't attract you, then the nostalgic ice cream shop atmosphere certainly will. Family-owned and -operated since 1970, this shop's menu has a variety of soft-serve and yogurt delights, but also offers eight classic ice cream flavors, including cookie dough and "moose tracks." The "Glacier" is a popular item that mixes some of your favorite candies with vanilla soft-serve. Soft-serve wonders at Leason's include the "Gold Digger," with your choice of vanilla soft-serve or yogurt with hard chocolate topping, caramel and pecans; and the "Hot Fudge Creme Puff," a creme puff topped with your choice of vanilla soft-serve or yogurt, hot fudge and additional toppings. In addition to frozen treats they also serve pitas, gyros, burgers and hot dogs, and even "Chicken Sliders."

Paciugo Gelato Caffe 1198 E. Walton Blvd., Rochester Hills; 248-608-6751; paciugo.com: A chain based in Texas ought to know how to cool customers off! And this joint in the Boulevard Shoppes in Rochester Hills has what it takes to put a freeze on the heat. With milk-based, water-based, soy-based and sugar-free flavors running into the dozens, there should be something here for everybody, whatever their dietary concerns or preferences.

> Email Metro Times food staff

comments powered by Disqus