Stogo - NYC, NY

Stogo
(East Village)

dairy-free, AND gluten free treats?! this is my new happy place!  i found the service to be impeccable, as our group of 4 was offered sample after sample before ordering.  the flavors are as good as could be, and even my 3 dairy-fiend friends concurred they didn't miss the dairy.

the mexican spiced chocolate did garner a bit of a kick towards the end, but was perfect mixed with another flavor.  likewise, the salted pecan caramel packed a sweet punch, but combined with another flavor, perfectly luscious. the plethora of coconut flavors was nice too; the toasted coconut almond joy was quite joyful indeed.

sadly, no cones, but you can create your own ice-cream cookie sandwich. a small cup=1 flavor scoop, medium=2 flavor scoops, and large=3 flavor scoops.

i almost can't wait for cold weather to try the hot chocolate, truffles, and cupcake treats!  until then, i'll be gorging myself on triple scoops...thank goodness the stuff happens to also be lower in fat, sugar, and cholesterol free.

Babycakes - NYC, NY

Babycakes Bakery
(Lower East Side)

another gem in the world of vegan bakery!  although some items get pricey (1 donut, $3.50), you realize the cost is well-deserved because it is so incredibly well made.  the ginger cookies were the best i've ever had, including those from the old days before all my food sensitivities.  i don't really have much of a sweet tooth, but the brownie bites with the chocolate burst in the middle was nearly orgasmic (i had the chocolate chip and agave). same goes for the cupcakes (red velvet, vanilla, chocolate, and chocolate mocha); i had to keep reassuring myself it was dairy-free because the cake was so moist and buttery (without being actually buttery). and the frosting.....usually i scrap all the frosting off cakes and such, but i licked every luscious morsel off my fingers here.

lastly, the blueberry crumb cake and biscuits with raspberries and cream made for a truly delightful breakfast....just beware if you have a serious gluten allergy, the biscuits are made with spelt, a derivative of wheat.

not only did i order every aforementioned item in one go, i also ate everything over the span of 48 hours!  if i could live on baked goods alone, babycakes would do it for me. it might also be the quickest way to my heart, shhhh........

one warning: as with most diary-free items, the melting point tends to be a little lower than regular dairy.  be advised.

* A few years after discovering this bakery, it got a lot of press because Chelsea Clinton ordered her wedding cake from here

Red Bamboo, NYC, NY

Red Bamboo
(West Village)

i had the first strawberry milkshake i've had in years, and it tasted just like how i remembered it....creamy, like real strawberries, and delicious.  except this one was gloriously dairy-free!

and the cheesecake....i deliberately tasted a bit with nothing but just the cake, and nearly had a psychosomatic lactose attack!  add in the whipped cream topping and chocolate chips, and i came close to nirvana.

i will go a long ways out of my way to return for another milkshake, and until i try every available dessert on the all-vegan menu.  At $6 a shake, i think i've found my new anti-depressant!

Phileo Yogurt - Philadelphia, PA

Phileo Yogurt
(South Street)

Great flavors, and live cultures in the yogurt verify the high quality product. It also makes it an amazing lactose-free treat!

This is another pay by the ounce type of place, with a topping bar you can hit up to your heart's content. Amazing prices. I filled a large container (enough for 4) all the way up to the brim, topped it with Cap'n Crunch, and barely crossed the $6 mark.

Very clean and well-kept. Credit cards accepted.

Tea Fever - Berkeley, CA

Tea Fever
(Downtown Berkeley)

There might not be a lot of options on the menu, but the one bonus offered here is what brings me back week after week:  SOY MILK!!

It's been years since I've been able to enjoy a boba milk tea, because most places just don't carry soy milk. At Tea Fever, not only do they have soy milk, but the flavor powders they use are also dairy-free.  woohooooooooo!

The short menu boasts milk teas, slushes, smoothes, organic teas, and fresh waffles. The tapioca balls are always perfectly chewy, although sometimes range from delicately sweet to not sweet enough. There is also jelly if you're not a tapioca ball buster.

Mr. Pickles Sandwich Shop - Daly City, CA

Mr. Pickles Sandwich Shop

Whether there's only a couple people in line or two fistfuls, there's always a wait, but no one gets angry because EVERYONE knows the sandwiches are worth waiting for. Big enough for 2 meals, or just 1 if you've got that kind of extension, these babies are made to order with quality ingredients. There's even gluten-free bread from Mariposa, as well as sourdough, rye, wheat, white and dutch crunch.  The people who work here really take pride in making a good sandwich too - I've actually caught one of the guys leaning back smiling at his handiwork before wrapping it up.

In addition to sandwiches made to order with every ingredient perfectly distributed, they have SOY CHEESE that MELTS! it's pretty awesome, and creamy to boot.

Free tootsipops and blowpops at the register.

*the sourdough here is commercial grade, and not gluten free*

Radish - San Franciso, CA

Radish

Haven't tried it yet, but supposedly this place in the Mission serves all sorts of goodies such as breads from Mariposa Bakery, and gluten free pancakes. Please post a comment if you've been there!

wheeeee for GHEE!

As I took in the aromas of garlic butter at my latest seafood feast,

I excitedly remembered how to make butter lactose free! A friend of mine blogged about ghee, or clarified butter, a while back, and provides lovely instructions on how to make it at home here. Although he discusses ghee from an Ayurvedic perspective, ghee is also a traditional ingredient in South Asian cooking.

Ghee is super easy to make at home: basically you simmer butter on medium-low heat until the foam disappears and curds form, and strain out the curds. That's it! I like to simmer it with herbs such as rosemary, and then store in a container in the fridge. Remember the process (unfortunately) doesn't make it fat-free!

Take that, butter.