Dine & Dish with Dawn: Society Bakery in Dallas – It’s Not Just Their Desserts That Make Them Sweet!

Life might not be a cake walk, but don’t tell Society Bakery that.

The oven is always on at Society Bakery in Dallas, where they bake as much sweetness as they add to the world around them!

The oven is always on at Society Bakery in Dallas, where they bake as much sweetness as they add to the world around them!

A bakery whose motto is “Be good to your sweet tooth, be good to society,” Society makes it its mission to sweeten the world, while giving back.

And, I’m not the only one who’s noticed. Ellen Degeneres and AOL have named them one of the Top Ten Cupcakes in America, and People Country Magazine listed Society Bakery as one of “Four top bakeries in L.A., Dallas, Birmingham, and N.Y.C.”.

Society Bakery founder, Roshi Muns and I established a friendship last December when I was referred to Society when I needed a last minute cake for an impromptu holiday tea party with my girlfriends. I tasted the cake (delicious!), and met Roshi (the sweetest!), and it was friendship at first sight! We’ve followed each other on social media since then, so when Roshi saw I was headed home to Dallas, she told me she wanted to “roll out the red carpet” for me and my family and friends, and host a tasting brunch for us.

Knowing I would need some help from other discerning tastebuds to taste such delectable treats, I invited my mom, my fabulous Dallas blogger friend Lee Cordon of DoSayGive, my best friend Jenny Harris, her son Shepherd, Jenny’s sister Dr. Sally Falwell, and her daughter, Evie.

Lots of love at the table with my tasting crew by my side!

Lots of love at the table with my tasting crew by my side – and that’s Roshi right behind me!

And oh my, were we ever treated!

We started out with Pimento Cheese on toast with hardboiled egg, bacon, lettuce and tomato.

Society Bakery's homemade pimento cheese on toast, with hardboiled eggs, bacon, lettuce and tomato

Society Bakery’s homemade pimento cheese on toast, with hardboiled eggs, bacon, lettuce and tomato

Then, came out the chicken salad on croissant, tuna salad on wheat, grilled cheese and pasta salad with tomato and mozzarella.

Chicken salad on croissant, truna salad, grilled cheese and pasta salad  at Society Bakery - delicious!

Chicken salad on croissant, truna salad, grilled cheese and pasta salad at Society Bakery – delicious!

The next course was ricotta with fresh peaches and strawberries, served with a side of some of the most delicious homemade peach jam I’ve ever enjoyed.

Ricotta with fresh peaches and strawberries with a side of scrumptious homemade peach jam by Chef Erin

Ricotta with fresh peaches and strawberries with a side of scrumptious homemade peach jam by Chef Erin

After all that, came the…DESSERTS!!
And, I do mean desserts plural!

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Life really is a cake walk at Society Bakery (details of desserts in this pic below)

We were treated to the following dessert smorgasbord (as pictured above clockwise witht the brownie, standing in for 12 o’clock): Brownie, Frosted Sugar Cookie, Red Velvet Cupcake with Cream Cheese Frosting, Jessie Jessup Cupcake (vanilla cake with buttercream frosting & my FAVE!), Strawberry Cupcake, Coconut Cupcake, Salted Caramel Cupcake with Salted Caramel Filling, vanilla Cupcake, White Petits Fours with filling, Monster Chocolate Chip Cookie, Bread Pudding Whoopie Pie, Apple Pie, another Whoopie Pie, Monster M&M Cookie, and their signature Chocolate Cake in the center.

Here’s a closeup of some of that deliciousness.

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Sugar Heaven at Society Bakery with cupcakes, cookies, petits four, pies, brownies and whoopie pies!

As delicious as the food and “sweet treats” (as Sally & Evie call them) are, Roshi’s mission is even sweeter. Society Bakery is active in giving back to the local community of Dallas, by giving thousands of cupcakes away in exchange for items that local charities need. Society Bakery also donates throughout the year to over 100 different charities, schools and non-profit organizations, refraining from taking tax write-offs for donations because Roshi and her team believe that a business can be profitable and charitable at the same time. Sounds like someone else I know!

My heart was so full getting to share both my love for what I do, and my love of food, with some of the people I love best in my own hometown of Dallas.

What it takes to capture those delicious food pics y'all love looking at! My friend Jenny was praying I didn't fall off that step ladder!

What it takes to capture those delicious food pics y’all love looking at! My friend Jenny was praying I didn’t fall off that step ladder!

 

My dear friend (of 21 years), Jenny Harris Crandall and I cakewalking at Society Bakery

My dear friend (of 21 years), Jenny Harris Crandall and I cakewalking at Society Bakery

 

With my friend - and fellow influencer & blogger - Lee Cordon, of the fabulous blog, DoSayGive

With my friend – and fellow influencer & blogger – Lee Cordon, of the fabulous blog, DoSayGive

 

So, when in Dallas, head on over to Society Bakery, where the oven’s always on – and the place, where when you buy sweetness, you also add sweetness to the world around you!

xoxo,
Dawn

McCoy’s Me-Cations: A Taste of Texas – Fall ’14

Gosh, Texas was fun.

It's been too long, my homestate!

My trip home to Dallas consisted mostly of family time, catching up with friends, hanging out by the pool, napping, eating…and more eating.
Hence, the 5-lbs that decided to come back to LA with me – and I’m not talking about in my carry-on –  but I digress.

Here is just a taste of the Texas I know and love. I am dedicating the next 3 days to my 15-day Texas fall experience.

The first thing I see when I come home is THIS. The cutest. That’s mine – Miss Ellie – in front and her brother (my mom’s) in the oh-so-festive bandana. His name is Reagan.

Meet Reagan (in back, my mom's pup & Miss Ellie's big brother). That's Miss Ellie in front, of course.

Here are a few of the highlights of the trip. And did I mention the delicious food?

First stop? Mi Cocina. And I can assure you, it won’t be the last.

Our second family home: Mi Cocina Preston Forest

I spent many an afternoon, laying out by the family pool. Mom would bring me delicious snacks when I’d been out there a while! More details (and pics) on Thursday.

Fall in Texas looks a little different.

A Dallas autumn (almost) citywide blackout calls for marshmallow soup, soufflé and wine at Rise Soufflé. Obviously.

A blackout calls for one of my favorite Dallas restaurants.

There’s Breakfast and then there’s Texfast. This is the latter at The Original Pancake House on Midway and Northwest Highway. Banana Nut crepes with coffee caramel sauce. Delish.

Almost every morning, we eat at our neighborhood's The Original Pancake House. We've been coming here for 23 years.

Next up? Lots of visits with friends.

All my exes live in Texas. Well, not all of em. But this one’ll do. We checked out some live music at Poor David’s Pub with a few other friends. I have always been in awe of the Dallas music scene.

One of my exes, who - yep! - lives in Texas.

 

We used to play hooky during our high school days to hit Bubba’s for lunch. Now, hooky is no longer necessary. Known this girl for over 18 years and so thankful for that…and for Bubba’s mashed potatoes that we demolished over our ladies’ lunch.

No more need to play hooky!

 

Sunday ladies’ brunch in full effect at The Grape on Greenville.

Mimosas & muffins to start at The Grape on Greenville in Dallas

 

Warning: Brunch and mimosas at The Grape may cause intense laughter and inappropriate conversation. Love the chance that I had the opportunity to introduce two of my friends, KellyAnn and Lori to one another on this trip home!

Warning: The Grape's mimosas may lead to intense laughter and inappropriate conversation. Um, sorry to the table sitting next to us.

 

Laughter never ages. Love these two – Tadd and Jenna . One of my favorite traditions every time I’m home – Hendrix alums & dear friends unite at Mi Cocina! (Yes, again, with the Mi Cocina).

Hendrix '00 friends at Mi Cocina!

 And I love that I timed my trip perfectly so I could attend my college friend Camille’s wedding party in Texarkana with our other college best friends, Jenna and Cathleen!

Hendrix '00 in Texarkana for Camille's wedding party

You knew this was coming. RED MEAT ALERT.

When you’re raised in Dallas, good steak and lobster only means one thing…Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse. I spent almost every birthday dining here, from age 10 onward, with my family, which totally spoiled me for life. Even though the Lemmon location is gone, the deliciousness lives on on Spring Valley. My taste buds experienced a bit of nostalgic heaven that night and I am still thankful. (Thanks, Mom!)

Why, yes! As a matter of fact, we did have steak AND lobster!

 

A lighter night. Girls’ night at Cafe Istanbul with Mom.

Cafe Istanbul girls' night with Mom.

 

And the, ahem, family “food tour” continues. Sharing a fiesta omelet and French strawberry crepe with Mom at Original Pancake House, before we hit the mothership, Neiman Marcus Northpark.

The best Dallas breakfast spot..and it's right in our 'hood.

 

One piece of advice for y’all before I wrap this up: When in Texas, there is only one beer you can drink, in my opinion: Shiner Bock.

Sippin' on a Shiner Bock in Texarkana, Texas on a Friday night. Life's pretty good.

 

Yep. Texas Forever.

**
Tomorrow? The man I always fall in love with every fall in Texas. He’s the dreamiest.

xoxo,
BF

BF Asks: What are your favorite Dallas restaurants?