As you can imagine, the responsibility of picking the perfect restaurant for a day date ninety-nine percent of the time falls on me. When a friend suggests the place without any back and forth, I am not only impressed but super excited to check out this place they are so confident about. Earlier this week, I had lunch—well, calling it lunch is a stretch, let's throw some air quotes on that, "lunch"—with my new friend Lauren from Spoon University. Having a self-proclaimed obsession with ice cream in all forms, Lauren took me to Baker Umber Ahmad's Mah Ze Dahr Bakery for their dark chocolate and vanilla swirled soft serve.

This bakery, created in a partnership with Tom Colicchio is beyond sophisticated. If you don't know what a perfect pastry looks like, walk through the bakery's dark navy façade, whose window bears an upscale gold foiled logo, and directly to the glass protected pastry section, then, open your eyes. There is not one crumb out of place but at the same time doesn't feel cookie cutter. Sitting back on the silver pin-tucked couch lined with a row of personal tables, I took a bite of brownie and immediately felt the experience of what a brownie should be. I can only imagine the rest of their sweet menu is equally as mindblowing. I truly can't wait to go back and put that thought to the test! There's more.