[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="The Neighborhood Sladkarnitsa"]<a class="tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium" title="The Neighborhood Sladkarnitsa" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6286986188/"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6234/6286986188_434ed43542.jpg" alt="The Neighborhood Sladkarnitsa" width="500" height="375" /></a>[/caption]

It's been a month or more so since I posted about about the new <a href="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/09/21/mladsot-1a-an-new-sweet-shop/" target="_blank">Sweet Shop opening in my neighborhood in Mladost 1A</a>. I've driven by it countless times, I've peered in the windows, I've talked about going but until this week I hadn't managed to actually step foot  inside.  So I am happy to report that I finally made it!!

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="Cake and alcohol"]<a class="tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium" title="Cake and alcohol" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6286468887/"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6228/6286468887_b45c8585ed.jpg" alt="Cake and alcohol" width="500" height="375" /></a>[/caption]

The сладкарница is clean and it feels very modern inside. For a shop that seems to be selling nostalgia it feels a little too nice and modern but it's not like I want to go to a run-down hole-in-the-wall sweet shop either. The interior is tasteful without being too much. I think the one draw back is that it feels colder than cozy. I am not talking temperature--rather the decor comes off as cold as opposed to warm and inviting. This however seems to be a trend in much Bulgarian interior design.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="Homemade Sweet Shop Menu"]<a class="tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium" title="Homemade Sweet Shop menu" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6286986894/"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6095/6286986894_b2b7c98846.jpg" alt="Homemade Sweet Shop menu" width="500" height="375" /></a>[/caption]

One of the best parts of the shop is the display case of cake on the right-hand side of the shop and the bar/wall of alcohol on the left-hand side of the shop. I in no way shape or form expected this. The sweet shops I grew up with in the States only catered to a sweet-tooth.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="Cakes"]<a class="tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium" title="Cakes" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6286470101/"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6240/6286470101_6c6f907e9b.jpg" alt="Cakes" width="500" height="375" /></a>[/caption]

I ended up having a coffee and a slice of cake. It was good. The coffee was pretty standard. Drinkable but nothing to really write home about. The cake was tasty.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="Bulgarian Cake"]<a class="tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium" title="Cake" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6286471623/"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6226/6286471623_a7bffe634d.jpg" alt="Cake" width="500" height="375" /></a>[/caption]

Here's the thing, I don't really know if it was a 70's or 80's dessert. First of all, I can't remember the name of the cake I picked (maybe it had a girl's name) and second of all, the shop was also selling tiramisu and rice pudding--two dishes that don't scream 80's dessert to me.

Of course the big problem is that I don't really which desserts are "traditional" 70's or 80's desserts making it hard for me to judge the authenticity of the sweet shop. What do I know? The slice of cake that I had was good and I'll go back.

<a class="tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium" title="Cookies with loukoum" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6286472563/"><img class="alignnone" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6237/6286472563_d3942e6238.jpg" alt="Cookies with loukoum" width="500" height="375" /></a> The amazing part of the trip? The cookies. I ended up buying some little bite-sized cookies with loukoum baked into them. For those of you not in the know loukoum is basically Turkish Delight. These cookies were so good. They were flaky and buttery on the outside with a chewy bite of loukoum baked inside.  I don't know who thought these cookies up in my mind this baba gets a gold star.