Dolce Vita Desserts — Restaurant in College Township

My son and I have a fun, long standing tradition of stopping in for a treat at Dolce Vita Desserts every Friday on the way home from preschool and the entire experience never disappoints. The owner is always kind, friendly, and accommodating and I enjoy seeing (and smelling!) the variety of sweets week after week--it seems there's always at least six or seven types of cookies alone to choose from! I love the cookies, I love the lemon bars (perfection), and I can't get enough of the brownies. I'm sorry (and surprised) one reviewer did not like them. Honestly, the first time I had one I told my husband I'd found the best brownie ever. And I'm no stranger to brownies. It's the perfect combination and balance of moist chocolaty-ness and fluffiness. I've given them as little gifts multiple times to friends, teachers, etc. For Thanksgiving I ordered an apple and pumpkin pie and everything from the presentation to the crust to the flavor was just right. Absolutely delicious. I'm so glad I did that instead of getting pies from Wegmans. When I moved to State College I didn't expect to find a bakery I loved as much as my favorite cupcake shop in Chicago but Dolce Vita Desserts goes to show you don't have to live in a big city to enjoy homemade high quality...

The baked goods - outstanding. The staff - cheerful and helpful. The owner - entirely unreliable. My wife and I ordered a specifically designed cake for a special occasion. As the date neared, we repeatedly called and e-mailed to clarify "spec's" on our order. On each occasion, we were essentially told, don't worry, there's plenty of time, and we're on top of things. Through that process, the owner (& chief designer for our cake) never spoke to my wife or me directly.

Finally, at the proverbial eleventh hour, we received a curt (and wholly unapologetic) e-mail from the owner saying that she could not make the cake to our design requests. At this point, we could not make alternate arrangements, so we were stuck.

I will admit, the taste was outstanding, and delivery to the Nittany Lion Inn for our event was handled without issue. Still, I am shocked by the cavalier and condescending attitude displayed by the owner. I will...

We got cupcakes from this shop over the summer and they were really good. We went to visit friends on Thanksgiving eve and one of their guests brought a pumpkin pie to the dinner. Feeling obligated to try a piece of the pie, I was "blown away." I have never had better pumpkin pie. Ever. Anywhere.

So I sent the owner an email to see if perhaps there was a pie left over that I could have for my very own. Not only did she accommodate my needs but even offered to meet me at her shop on Monday since I was already scheduled to be in State College that day for other business. Now here's a lady who not only knows how to bake, but knows a thing or two about great customer service.

My kids are coming over for dinner on Monday. The only question in my mind now is "do I share?" What the heck...I guess this...