The luck o’ the Irish will surely be with you when you head over to Kretchmar’s Bakery in Beaver, Pennsylvania on this Saint Patrick’s Day. Founded in 1960, Kretchmar’s is celebrating its golden anniversary all year long. Their longevity should tell you just how good this bakery really is. Kretchmar’s celebrates almost every holiday you can think of with special bakery items. For Saint Patrick’s Day, Kretchmar’s offers an attractive leprechaun cake or adorable leprechaun cupcakes for the little ones. I like the cute pot o’ gold cake. The shamrock coffee cakes, cheese-filled or nut, are tasty, too. Kretchmar’s has a leprechaun face cookie, a shamrock iced cookie, a shamrock sprinkle cookie, and a shamrock sugar cookie. Kretchmar’s even has traditional Irish soda bread. A real taste treat is their scrumptious Misty Mint Torte, a round chocolate cake with whipped cream icing flavored with Crème de Menthe and decorated with chocolate shavings. I highly recommend this decadent dessert. At $15.00, a special item offered is Kretchmar’s Bouquet Cup o’ Ireland, consisting of St. Patrick’s Day cookies in an Irish coffee mug. It’s the perfect Saint Patrick’s Day gift. While at Kretchmar’s, don’t forget to take home some of their famous butter flake dinner rolls. If you come in at the right time of day, you might even be able to purchase a butter croissant. The croissant is so authentically French, you’ll think you’re in Paris. To find other great places this Holiday, visit globalYP.net, a local online directory.

Sheri’s Sweets in Canton, Ohio has bakery cases filled with delicious treats that taste as if they are homemade. During your visit, you will find an assortment of cookies, including snicker doodle, chocolate chip, and oatmeal raisin. Some other sweets include cupcakes, brownies, scones, muffins, custom cakes and much more. Sheri’s Sweets also provides strawberries dipped in chocolate and candies. Surprisingly, this establishment does only sell sweets. It is also the perfect place to enjoy a casual lunch. Customers can eat at a café table, the lunch counter or take their food to go. Sheri’s serves homemade soup by the cup or the bowl. There are two choices of soups each day. They rotate between chicken noodle, broccoli cheddar, tomato basil ravolini, chicken wild rice, wedding soup, and my personal favorite, minestrone. One can also choose from delicious fresh sandwiches, wraps, and quiche. The quiche is creamy, surrounded by a flaky crust. The food at Sheri’s is fresh, delicious, and possesses an invigorating homemade taste. The sweets are some of the best in Canton. Best of all, the prices are very reasonable. Stop in at Sheri’s to enjoy a casual lunch in a cozy spot. Do not miss out on the dessert! To find other sweet locations like this, visit globalYP.net, an online directory.

We discovered the Carol Ann Bake Shop in Faneuil Hall several years ago and keep coming back for the chocolate mousse. In a word-scrumptious! We have driven several hours out of our way to get some of that great chocolate mousse. One cup-full is more than enough to share between two people. Believe me, and I’m a chocoholic, don’t try to eat a whole cup by yourself, that is too much. The chocolate mousse is so rich and flavorful. We usually make the Carol Ann Bake Shop chocolate mousse a meal. While Faneuil Hall has numerous types of food, including desserts, Carol Ann Bake Shop’s chocolate mousse is absolutely the best! We usually don’t even try to have the mousse for dessert–it’s our meal. It’s definitely worth a cheat day on your diet. Anyway, the mousse is easy to walk off since there is so much easy walking around Faneuil Hall (just don’t wear heels, the cobblestones are uneven). The Carol Ann Bake Shop also carries cookies, muffins, scones, pastries, cupcakes, whoopie pies, etc. All are wonderful and everything is baked right on the premise. Try a trip to Faneuil Hall and Boston’s waterfront area, tons of attractions (historic and modern) and the best variety of food around. The Carol Ann Bake Shop has the best chocolate mousse in Boston, enjoy! To find other great places in your area, visit globalYP.net, a local online directory.

Clear River Pecan Company is a fantastically retro ice cream parlor and bakery located right in the middle of Fredericksburg’s main shopping drag. Clear River offers more than thirty flavors of ice cream, created fresh daily right on the premises. The range of taste profiles include classics like Brownie Sundae and Chocolate Pecan, alongside fresh fruit offerings like Key Lime Pie and Lemon Custard, all the way to the fun Fat Elvis and Blue Suede Shoe concoctions. Free samples are available, so you can really narrow down your favorites. If you want something sweet but aren’t in the mood for ice cream, try one of Clear River’s homemade candies. As their name implies, they specialize in pecan treats, including pecan pralines, pecan brittle, and pecan millionaires, sold individually or in gift boxes. Clear River Pecan’s staff clearly enjoys interacting with their customers, and is always available to answer questions or help you choose a gift. They appear to occasionally host theme dress-up days for the employees, so don’t be surprised if you are randomly greeted by Elvis or waited on by Santa. Clear River Pecan Company is open 7:30 a.m to 7 p.m every day of the week, with later evening hours in the summer to help residents and tourists cope with the humid Texas heat. To find other great places in your area, visit globalYP.net, a local online directory.

Valentine’s Day requires something special with that special someone. In downtown Salt Lake City, Utah, Gourmandise  is the perfect bakery to feel that romantic atmosphere. The first time I went was with a group of friends; we were hungry and we decided to try something new. As soon as we walked in, we knew we had made the right choice. Up at the counter is a glass display of all their desserts. In addition to how good everything looked, it also looked like various pieces of art. There were little cakes with music symbols decorated on them and tarts that had strawberries and kiwis adorned in intricate designs. Don’t let the name fool you; Gourmandise has not only award-winning European baked goods, but also normal restaurant-type food. Its ambiance is also spectacular with its classy-looking furniture and lighting, perfect for an ideal date with your ideal person. My friends and I were trying to think of the perfect place to go to eat for our group date this Valentine’s Day. That was when we remembered how much we loved Gourmandise and the perfect food. I highly recommend it for all couples, whether it be just as friends or something more. To find other great places in your area, visit globalYP.net, a local online directory.

Jackson Heights is not known for its gourmet French bakeries. There are thousands of bakeries in Queens, but they all tend to have that hole-in-the-wall feeling. Cannelle might blend in with the other buildings, but inside, a decadent experience awaits you. It’s a gourmet French patisserie that’s so good it’s worth venturing out to a part of Jackson Heights that isn’t very close to a subway. Cannelle is not what you would expect in Jackson Heights. The chef is French, the pastries are French, and the prices are amazingly low. This is the type of place that you would never expect to find in Queens, the unpretentious borough; it’s amazing that it exists. It doesn’t just exist; it thrives in the area and is known by everyone who lives in this part of Queens. This is one of the best bakeries on the East Coast, as far as I’m concerned. I’ve actually lived in Paris, and this bakery can easily compare to the pastries you can find in the finest pastry shops in Paris. It might be a long and annoying journey, but this is the type of place that nobody regrets visiting. It’s ridiculously good and ridiulously cheap. To find other great places in your area, visit globalYP.net, a local online directory.

Downtown Produce is an awesome market! They have everything from fresh produce to meat, dairy, wine, beer…everything. The prices on their meat are wonderful. They often have specials where boneless chicken breast can be purchased for less than $1.50 per pound. My husband and I especially enjoy their bacon. It is thick sliced and tastes great. They have a huge beer and wine selection and we like to try and pick out a different beverage each time we go to try something new. The produce is of excellent quality and much less expensive than your typical grocery store. We enjoy their asparagus, potatoes, onions, garlic, and many others. The staff is very friendly and we have never encountered anyone rude working there. They often have free food, wine, and beer to sample. They also have a decent sized selection of organic items. Also, they have plenty of natural home cleaning and personal care products. This is my favorite market! One other great item is their bread. They have freshly baked bread. I love the organic wheat french bread. Additionally, they have a hot lunch line. Each day they have different items on the lunch line. Many of them are gourmet items as well as soups. They are all delicious and the service is quick and friendly. GlobalYP.net, online yellow pages, is much quicker than using a phone book.

Paul’s Bakery is conveniently located right off the beaten path in Fredericksburg, VA. It is one of the best kept secrets for the locals that live nearby, you would never know they could bake totally awesome cakes, pies, brownies, doughnuts, muffins, and so much more. They have been in the same spot for at least the last 30 years or so, and they are always ready with a warm smile and a greeting when you walk in. I have been there many times and sampled just about everything they have to offer. I make it a tradition to purchase some delicious desserts from Paul’s for any special event or holiday, so Valentine’s Day certainly qualifies. The doors to Paul’s normally open around six in the morning, with the locals lined up and ready for their fresh doughnuts for the day, or those buying a box to take to their office. Their prices are the most reasonable you will find and their quality cannot be beat. They bake beautiful wedding cakes or other items as needed for special events, I have never seen an unhappy customer in Paul’s. The hardest thing about going to Paul’s is trying to decide what to take home without sampling one of everything, there are no bad choices at Paul’s, just a lot of really great options. Check it out when you are in the area, you will be glad you found this well kept secret, and they will keep you coming back for their tasty treats. To find more great places for the Holiday, visit globalYP.net, a local online directory.

Mariposa Food Co-op is a local, member-owned grocery store. Mariposa’s small storefront in West Philadelphia is the central location in the neighborhood for organic and local grocery shopping. You will find local and organic produce, dairy, and eggs at competitive prices. The store is a worker and member only cooperative, so in order to shop, you have to become a member. Membership requires two hours of work per month unless you qualify for an exemption. You’re also required to pay dues and a deposit, but it is a small price to pay for ownership of a business and access to healthy food. The staff is friendly and helpful and most workers you encounter are actually members just like you. The business sometimes seems like more of a community center than a store. It’s hard to grocery shop without running into a friend. Can you say that about Whole Foods? Mariposa offers an abundance of vegetarian food even though the store is not specifically vegetarian. There are also vegan desserts from popular vegan bakeries such as Vegan Treats in Bethlehem and South Port Fishington in Fishtown. Fresh baked bread is available from local, healthy bakeries such as Four Worlds Bakery and Slow Rise Bakery. GlobalYP.net has yellow pages available online.

Joseph’s Storehouse Restaurant and Bakery has been a fixture in the San Antonio culinary scene since 1992, and is continually among the award-winners in the annual San Antonio Express-News Critics’ Choice polls. Your first visit will make you a convert as well. Joseph’s uses only organically grown grain, freshly milled for their bread they bake each morning. Even if you’re buying a decadent dessert, bread or pastry, it is nice to know that you’re still eating high-quality ingredients. The bakery is open from 6:30am to 6pm every day of the week, so it’s easy to detour in on your way home to pick up something really tasty for your dinner. The restaurant side is open from 6:30am to 3pm and serves hot breakfast and lunch items. Lunch especially is quite a bargain at Joseph’s, since all sandwich plates are priced under $10 and come with free soda refills and as many fresh hot dinner rolls as you can eat! Joseph’s also has a thriving catering business that specializes in wedding receptions and business events.  The wedding menus can be as simple or as elaborate as you need, and you can even rent out the restaurant for your reception! Joseph’s frequently runs promotions with the San Antonio Zoo, which is less than a mile away, so if you are visiting the zoo with your family, you might want to bring your ticket stub in and see if you can get a free cookie or a discount of your meal. Happy munching! To find other great places in your area, visit globalYP.net, a local online directory.