[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.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="Cookies with loukoum"]<a class="tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium" title="Cookies with loukoum" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6286472563/"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6237/6286472563_d3942e6238.jpg" alt="Cookies with loukoum" width="500" height="375" /></a>[/caption]

The amazing part of the trip? The cookies. I ended up buying some little bite-sized cookies with loukoum baked into them. Only I forgot about them. So I forgot to take them out of my bag and when I got to school the next day I had a bag of cookies in my purse. A bag of cookies!!

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="375" caption="Cookies with loukoum"]<a class="tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium" title="Cookies with loukoum" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6286991728/"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6045/6286991728_859cb33036.jpg" alt="Cookies with loukoum" width="375" height="500" /></a>[/caption]

Best surprise <em>ever</em>.

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.