Rate-A-Restaurant #247: Little Flower Candy Co.

Restaurant: Little Flower Candy Co.

Location: 1422 W. Colorado (Pasadena)

Type of restaurant: Candy/Sandwiches



We stipulated: We were looking to take Blogger Kid and Blogger Toddler 2.0 to a park near the Pasadena/Eagle Rock border when the idea of the Little Flower Candy Co. came up.

They stipulated: Writes candy maker Christine Moore: "My goal has always been to make FRESH CANDY with quality ingredients. The support of the Los Angeles food community has always been outstanding and has helped this little candy kitchen grow so that more people can eat good, fresh candy. No hydrogenated oils, no shelf life extenders or artificial ingredients, hand made with love and a passion for quality and freshness."



What we ordered: Dal bowl (Brown rice, curried cauliflower, garlic spinach, chutney, tofu, raita and yellow lentil dal -- $8.50)

Curried chicken sandwich (Curried chicken, grapes, almonds, apricot chutney, romaine lettuce, Ciabatta bread -- $8.50)

High point: Great flavors on the sandwiches, while the candy we selected -- homemade marshmallows -- were fantastic.

Low point: The items in the bowl weren't together and were a bit hard to mix up without making a mess.



Overall impression: Great neighborhood place to grab a sandwich, or high-end salted caramels, before heading to the nearby park.

Chance we'll go back: Yes, very good chance.

Rate-A-Restaurant #246: Donut Man

Restaurant: Donut Man

Location: 915 E. Route 66 (Glendora)

Type of restaurant: Donuts



We stipulated: We were driving back from the Pomona Fairplex and decided to cruise home via Route 66 and the Foothill boulevards (read about the rest of that journey here -- and yes, I had an ulterior motive: It's fresh strawberry donut season at Glendora's Donut Man. I'd never been -- so it was time.



They stipulated: From a Daily Bulletin piece on owner Jim Nakano:

After the berries are washed and their tops removed, they are mixed with a light, translucent glaze of Nakano's design. A puffy, chewy jelly doughnut without the jelly is used as the shell. It's split in three-quarters and berries are spooned in.

"And we just stuff it," Nakano said as an employee heaps a second spoonful into the doughnut. "A 12-ounce cup, we figure, goes into each one."

Hmm. The USDA recommends two 8-ounce servings of fruit per day. Eat two strawberry doughnuts and you're good (except for the calorie and fat part).

What we ordered: Three strawberry donuts, of course: One to eat there, and two to bring home. ($2.50 each)

High point: Those strawberries are fantastic -- fresh and ripe, filled to the rim and with a glaze that's not too sweet.

Low point: The donut portion of the donut was a bit of a letdown. I was hoping for more harmony between donut and strawberry... but it tasted like an OK glazed donut filled with fantastic strawberries.



Overall impression: As a result, I'm kind of mixed on the strawberry donut. Perhaps there was no way it could live up to the hype.

Chance we'll go back: I would like to return and try something else, perhaps the tiger tail -- which commenters online have raved about. Maybe we'll stop by when Donut Man turns his attention later this year to fresh peach donuts.