A few weeks ago my blogging amigo,
Mr Hoss sent me a picture of a familiar looking cake. It was round with a hole in the middle 'like a polo' (he knows no better bless him). I knew any baker of bundts was a friend of mine.
Trove went onto 'the list'.
Fast forward... My husband was spending the day in Manchester with some mates, and if I stayed at home, would have been hutch-bound and one very grumpy Dolly. That's when it came to me... I would get on the train with him, but go on a daring expedition... I am not a fan of dining alone, but I was willing to make an exception - they had cake dammit!
Three trains later, I found myself in sunny Levenshulme. A five minute walk from the train station lies Trove; a little haven on a bustling road full of odd shops and people driving too quickly. It feels a little out of place, but as soon as you step inside you are transported to the type of establishment you may expect of Chorlton or Didsbury. Is this a sign that Levenshulme is next for the cool kids...? I've heard their market is a bit of a corker too.
There are no overbuttered teacakes or greasy fry-ups here. Trove pride themselves on homemade bread, organic jams and fresh cakes. Although I was starved, the warm waft of fresh bread made me want something on a white bloomer.
Apple and rhubarb juice: an absolute bargain at £1.40 for a decent sized carafe. This was mind boggling stuff! Sweet, tangy and very refreshing. No juice will ever taste as good again. They also had fresh cherry juice too, which I was strangely intrigued by, but in my haste forgot to order later on. Buffoon.
Mellow cheddar with red onion marmalade and thyme: I'll be honest with you. When this rocked up with quinoa, I was a bit put out. Trust me - this works. The bloomer was soft with a chewy crust, the cheese generous and creamy, and lashing of home made onion marmalade did the trick. However, the star of the show was the cinnamon quinoa with dried fruit and toasted almonds. Gee whizz this combo is outstanding.
Hot chocolate: I saw someone else having a hot drink with a van on it... I wanted one too... Any establishment that puts a van on their drinks shall be considered friends.
Blackberry financier: I was giddy as a kipper when I saw these. My all time favourite dessert was a financier. I'm a sucker for anything with a ground almond base: that sticky top, soft crumb and moist finish. Pop fruit in it and you're onto a winner. I prevented myself from buying more to take home. I pined for them all evening.
I adored Trove. I loved the people, the window seat where I could watch the world go by, the fact they served cinnamon based grains with my sandwich and of course the wonderful choice of cakes. Trove is a happy little shop full of happy people.
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Momofuku Milk Bar has been on my to do list for a very long time indeed. Famed for their Crack Pie and Cereal Milk, they seemed the obvious breakfast choice on our first morning in the Big Apple. You may think this behaviour is ridiculous, but I assure this is common practice in our household. I don't have that reflex which tells normal people what is suitable for specific times of day - I had curry for breakfast in Mauritius... 
You cannot make a reservation for breakfast, and we had heard that there is sometimes a long queue for a table. With this in mind we went at about 9am (by which time it was already 28 C outside) in the hope we wouldn't have to wait too long. There was no queue at all! Apparently 9am is early... We were greeted by a friendly waitress and taken into the main seating area via a stunning tiled walk way. Everything is beautifully finished, and definitely feels more European than American. We had the choice of sitting outside (on the air conditioned balcony) or inside. We remained inside just because it was so nice.
