Even Dough Bakery — Restaurant in Chapel Hill

tl;dr DELICIOUS. Take a chance and order something! Every bite so far a delight for real.

The story: at lunch with friends today, new bakery mentioned, we Google. SUPER close (possible dessert destination?), says 9am - 4pm, yay, but also says ‘By appointment only’. Hmmm, which is it? So, my friend calls. No answer, she hangs up. Oh well, nothing ventured, right? Welllll, customer service MIRACLE occurs and they call back!!! Turns out you CAN’T actually just walk in, but that they had catered an event and had some leftovers, did we want to come by and pick them up. Like, a FREE SAMPLER. I kid you not. Now I am not trying to get them drown in ridiculous requests, but trying to highlight the incredible generosity and thoughtfulness that we experienced as a first-contact EVER customer. We were greeted by the (it turns out INCREDIBLY talented chef) Meital Cohen and she was as sweet and friendly as you might imagine. Hats off to you Nice Lady! ON TO THE YUM-YUMS! In our surprise gift box we received: 3 flavors of Dessert Cups (Biscoff cheesecake, pistachio coffee, and triple chocolate mousse), 2 types of tarts (no pics or descriptions on website but I THINK the one I tried was plum and frangipani?, and the one I haven’t cracked yet has a chocolate top, can’t lose), and a sweet little 4-pack of mini cinnamon babka (maybe 1 1/2 x 5 inches). Before I go on to the review of the food let me point out two things real quick: first, these are LEFTOVERS if you recall from the beginning of the story…they had previously catered an event; secondly, forced to choose, I prefer savory food to sweets; I would vote for another side 10/10 times rather than order dessert. Ok, onward dear readers. So far I have devoured ALL THREE dessert cups, and the plum (I think) tart. All three mousses were terrific. The real whipped cream topping on both the pistachio coffee, and the chocolate triple mousse was delicious, followed by the cups themselves. The triple chocolate mousse was nothing short of pure excellence; no air bubbles, tons of flavor, and pretty much like a delicious chocolate cloud. The pistachio and coffee was also light as air but also just light and delicious. The coffee was not bitter and the pistachio was sublime. But the surprise of the trio HAS to be the Biscoff cheesecake dessert cup for me. It was the biggest surprise, so I ate it last. I could have just eaten three of those instead! The delicious graham cracker between the layers of cheesecake, with the classic airplane cookie glazed top was outstanding. So, all that said, these folks are just terrifically talented, hospitable, and kind. If you have the occasion, I could not...

My guests loved the flavor of the cake and the frosting having just enough sweetness. I appreciated their quick response after I submit the first request and taking time to speaking with me to discuss details. It was great to know that my initial idea was not feasible within the time given, so I came up with the second idea. I took some points off because the cake decoration was incomplete and the flower toppers were crumpled, of cheap materials with disproportionate size to the small cake. I had to get new cake toppers and come up with something else. Considering how photos of other cakes show great levels of precision and aesthetic quality, it is hard to believe this was done with full consideration. I clearly asked for inputs when I submitted the request. When the artist said it can be done without giving me any suggestions on what typically works the best, I did not inquire further believing that the artist will bring the best result. I never said they must follow exactly what I have sketched out. It is the expert's job to communicate clearly on feasibility, manage the expectation, use the right level of discretion, and confirm what was being asked. If this was done intentionally because I offended the artist by having my own ideas so they wanted to prevent me from coming back for more business in the future, then I have nothing much more to say. If that's not the case, here are my tips for prospective customers.

Tip for ordering custom designed cakes: Submit the first request at least a month before the event. They give you two options: in-person or phone meeting for discussing details. Do not fall for it. Make an in-person appointment and ask for as much visual as possible. Go into details on how the final product will look like. Size and position of the components, design of the decoration, etc. Encourage them to follow up with you if things do not seem right in the middle of the process. Ask AGGRESSIVELY for the artist's input. The person who makes cakes everyday knows the best (e.g., what looks good on them, what they are good at, etc.). If you are an creative soul, get it as plain as possible and decorate it yourself. Many options for cake toppers out there! (But then, you may not need a high-end...

I love their pop-ups!! Can't wait for the next one. Their pop-ups have loads of choices. I have been to two of them so far and in each of them they had a lot of options. What I love best about their products is that they are freshly made. The fresh aroma is so captivating!! They had different types of croissants, savory pastries, savory bagels, mini pies, mousse, babkas, cookies, and lots more. Last time they had Dubai cookies and they were just delectable!! They were oozing with chocolate and pistachio melt. They were $5/cookie, but it was totally worth it. I really hope they will keep offering the Dubai cookies. I don't know of any other local bakeries who have them. However, my most favorite item is their goat cheese and caramelized onion puff pastries. The combination of sweet and salty in that item is just perfect for me. I love their croissants too. I also love the beautiful outdoor seating they have available. Nice space to hangout with friends and family. Since their establishment is on a quiet street, it is nice to sit outdoors. They have a few parking spots available on their premises, but all of them are occupied during busy hours. But they have two public parking lots adjacent to them. So that's convenient. I don't know if they are connected to chapel hill transit. Can't wait for their next pop-up and see what surprise item they will...