Whaaa, all in Baltimore?

In Columbia itself, Mad City Coffee has been my go-to for some time. They roast their own coffee and have like a million flavors.

I used to go to Roggenart a lot, but how crowded it's gotten has tested my patience lately. It's the only place around here I can find a Schnecke, which is a type of Austrian sweet roll. Their new bacon gruyere roll is really good. In quieter moments I like to flip through all these lavish photography books they have about the history of Austria and fantasize about traveling.

Let's see, The 3rd just opened up at the Lakefront a few weeks ago. So far, I like their baked goods and the ambience. It's a very relaxing space. They have tasty little bundt cakes and cheesecake, and are very vegan and gluten-free friendly. No patisserie though. I can't help but miss Petit Louis a little. Also, the coffee is just drip coffee, but pretty good for what it is.

As a fan of patisserie, I'm a huge fan of all the Korean bakeries on Rt 40. Tous Le Jours, Shilla, and Bon Appetit are pretty good. Super good patisserie as well as more typical Korean desserts. (I'm not the biggest cupcake/cake and muffin lover, which seems to predominate a lot of American bakeries.) Also, they're open relatively late as far as bakeries go, so it's possible to get dessert after dinner.

Old Ellicott City is fun to check out. There are a bunch of cafes all along Main Street. Georgia Grace Cafe just reopened recently and has crepes and various Greek desserts. There's also Syriana for Middle Eastern baked goods and coffee, and I believe it's run by Syrian refugees. The decor is also incredible. I like Little Market Cafe for their outdoor evening concerts and comedy nights in the summer. They have such a beautiful courtyard garden and great sandwiches. However, they can be really slow and there's no indoor seating. If you go to Old Mill Cafe at the bottom of the hill, you can also take a walk along the Trolley Trail.

Is Savage Mill still in Howard County? I like Brewing Good Coffee, which is a coffee roastery that runs a vegan cafe there. It's very dog friendly and right by the Savage Mill Trail along the Little Patuxent River. Not necessarily related, but there's also a geeky board game shop right next to it with a huge game room, if you're into that.