113 September 19 - 25, 2024 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER CONTENTS | READERS’ PICKS | SHOPPING & SERVICES | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | FOOD & DRINK | SPORTS & RECREATION interesting flavor combinations such as French toast or peaches and cream. Whatever the flavor, you can expect large and perfectly cooked cookies with chewy centers and slightly crispy edges. And, there’s a rewards program. Locations in Addison, Frisco and Southlake 214-618-0651, cookiesociety.com Best Desserts Parigi The Blob at Parigi’s might be the most iconic dessert in Dallas and lives somewhere between a mousse, a warm brownie and euphoria. Order it warm (duh) with a scoop of ice cream on top (for that hot meets cold experience). You can also order the half and half, which nets you peach cobbler. The great thing about Parigi’s dessert menu is that the pie and cake offerings are updated weekly so everything is always fresh and new. It’s hard to pass the siren call of The Blob, but we trust you can sort it out (and get two desserts). 3311 Oak Lawn Ave. 214-521-0295, parigidallas.com Best Cold Brew Halcyon Nitro Cold Brew If you’ve been bitten by the cold brew bug, you might want to pay Halcyon in Lower Greenville a visit. The nitro cold brew at Halcyon is smooth and sharp. Brewed for 24 hours with beans from Houston-based Katz Coffee, this cup of joe will have you buzzing like a bee. It’s made the same way as the shop’s regular cold brew, but it’s infused with nitrogen, making it even smoother. When it’s first poured, it comes out with a head, like beer out of a tap. Try it black or with cream. There’s really no wrong way to go on this one. 2900 Greenville Ave., halcyoncoffeebar.com 469-547-2265 Best Local Coffee Roaster Eiland Coffee Roasters Would you drive north of 635 for a cup of coffee? For Eiland Coffee Roasters, we sure would. Clay Eiland has helped build the foundation of specialty coffee in Dallas for over 25 years. What started as a 10-by-20-foot barn on his property has turned into a full-blown roastery (532 N. Interurban St), and a coffee shop (2701 Custer Parkway, No. 917) in Richardson. All of his beans are sourced directly and ethically from acclaimed coffee regions such as Ethiopia and Costa Rica, plus more offbeat regions like Papua New Guinea. Your first sip of his coffee will be similar to the experience Eiland had at Café Vita in Seattle, where he discovered what coffee could be. 532 N. Interurban St., Richardson 972-991-0100, eilandcoffee.com Best Specialty Lattes Hola Café Each season, all of Oak Cliff anticipates the old favorites and exciting newcomers of Hola Café´s specialty drinks. Owner Jeniffer Ávila is a wizard behind the espresso machine with her banana, tiramisu and red velvet lattes that only come around once a year. The fortune cookie latte, banana matcha and marshmallow fluff mochas are other perfect excuses to turn Hola into your go- to coffee shop. Not that you would need one, anyway. People mark their calendars for these bad boys, and soon you will too. 413 N. Tyler St., holacafedallas.com Best Baristas Juju’s Coffee The drinks at Juju’s Coffee are great; talking with Nick and Julia Rocha as they make them is even better. The couple opened their Lakewood storefront in April 2023 after serving out of a mobile Airstream trailer they call “Otis.” Upon entering Juju’s, it’s immediately clear that meeting new faces is just as important to the Rochas as making a great latte. Their loyal cast of regulars is a testament to their kindness and should propel them to many more years in the Dallas coffee scene. 6038 La Vista Drive 806-676-5385, jujuscoffee.com Best Place to Have Coffee and Not Work LDU Coffee To Go The original, on Fitzhugh Avenue in East Dallas, is the type of spot you take out-of- towners who aren’t yet aware how cool you are. It helps that the coffee is fantastic. LDU Coffee now has five locations throughout Dallas carrying bold Australian flavors. Yet much of its charm lies in the other ways it adheres to its Australian roots, namely the exceedingly kind owners and staff and the laid-back atmosphere, which is largely accomplished by the complete lack of Wi-Fi. Those owners want their guests to sit back, sip on coffee or espresso and then head on their merry way. Or, better yet, strike up conversation with the people around them. 2650 N. Fitzhugh Ave., No. 100, and other locations 469-739-1881, lducoffee.com Best Arabic Cafe Haraz Coffee The first Haraz Coffee House opened in Irving, and recently another opened in
