My mom, daughters and I recently had the pleasure of having a Girls Day Out over Spring Break. We weren’t traveling anywhere this year and wanted to do something memorable together. This was our first official Girls Day Out, but I have a feeling it will not be our last.
Our special day began with reservations at the Cake Bake Shop.
I had wanted to try this raved-about restaurant for a long time and a day out with the girls seemed like the perfect opportunity. I made the reservations for our lunch date a few weeks in advance and, at the time, thought that may have been a bit unnecessary. It was a Wednesday afternoon, after all. How busy could this place be? Turns out – very busy. There was a constant stream of guests entering this delightful, one-of-a-kind establishment and everyone I saw being seated did indeed have a reservation.
It is evident why this place is so wildly popular. For starters, the restaurant is located in a charming, quaint white house on Carrollton Avenue in Broadripple with outdoor and indoor decor that make you feel as if you have been transported from the streets of Indianapolis to a lovely french rue.
Outdoor seating is offered on a small patio surrounded by a wrought iron fence. Lovely pink flowers are everywhere – they are wrapped around the fence, the columns and even the post that holds the elegant sign.
The door, adorned with a light pink wreath, is sandwiched between two topiaries wrapped in ribbon (all pink of course.) We were there on a dreary, rainy day. I can only imagine how beautiful it is after the flowers have all bloomed in the spring time.
Once inside, we were awe struck by the beauty of it all and could not help but to “ooh” and “ahh” – over the sparkling crystal chandeliers, the immaculate case holding treats and goodies of every kind, the vintage, shabby chic decor and the branches and trees holding all of the pink flowers. So many pink flowers. As we looked around, we also started to find cute, little eclectic pig decor hiding in the nooks and crannies. It was spectacular – and we hadn’t even sat down at our table or tried the food yet.
We were seated at two small tables that had been pushed together. The girls sat on one side of the table on a bench covered in fluffy pillows while my mom and I sat opposite them. Next to our table was a beautiful tree with branches (covered in lovely pink flowers of course) that cascaded in the air above us. It was splendid.
When our server arrived, you could tell she was just as tickled pink by this place as we were. With so many delightful items to choose from, we sought out her expertise. The girls ordered the Petal Pink Drink (as soon as they heard the drink came topped with a rose petal they were sold) and I ordered the Lavender Latte. Both were delicious.
She recommended the Chicken Salade served on a croissant that has been flown in from France. Um. Yes, please. I more than happily ordered the Chicken Salade Sandwich (along with one of my daughters) with a cup of their soup of the day – a delectable, creamy leek soup that was to die for. My mom had the Caprese Sandwich and my oldest daughter ordered the Pesto Pasta. My other daughter was very happy to find out that they offered Nutella Sandwiches with peanut butter or honey, or both and they even cut off the crust. We were all in heaven.
And the desserts….oh my. We had a very hard time deciding what to order, so we ended up ordering four pieces of cake (I know it’s a lot – try not to judge) – Blackberry Cake, Cookie Dough Cake, Raspberry Champagne Cake and Gwendolyn’s Famous Earls Court Chocolate Cake. We were well aware that these were not small pieces by any stretch of the imagination, but we could not resist. And who doesn’t love leftover cake anyways? That’s never a bad thing.
This was the most perfect place to have our Girls Day Out luncheon. Really, this place would be perfect for so many things – a bridal or baby shower, afternoon tea with a loved one, a gathering of friends, a romantic date night, you name it! If you are looking for exquisite scenery, incredible food, spectacular drinks ranging from coffee drinks to champagne and delectable baked goods of every kind – then look no more. You have found your place.
With our bellies full and a bag full of leftovers in our hands, we left the Cake Bake Shop for our next destination. A trip to the nail salon for pedicures. The girls had a ball picking out their colors, playing with the massage chairs and making fun of their MeMa’s feet.
After our nails had dried, we headed to our final destination – the movie theater where we somehow managed to eat popcorn and candy (don’t ask me how) and watched the very funny and very cute movie, Boss Baby.
It was a spectacular day that I will remember forever. I know these times are precious and I need to cherish each and every moment I have with my mom and my children. We did so many wonderful things on this day and the very best part of it all is that we were together, enjoying one another’s company. Everything else was just icing on the cake.
The Cake Bake Shop is located at 6515 Carrollton Avenue. Please visit their website for hours of operation and menu with pricing.
Jennifer Thompson is a stay-at-home mom of four spunky, sweet, kind and sometimes a bit wild children. She has a passion for the written word and thinks that libraries and bookstores are the coolest places ever. When not hanging out with family or writing, she can be found enjoying a good cup of coffee, running, spending quality time with friends, working on some type of project around the house, planning the family’s next trip to her favorite destination – Walloon Lake, Michigan, or very possibly – reading a book.
Jennifer enjoys writing about her parenting experience and outings with her children for Indy’s Child as a freelance writer and blogger and also keeps a personal blog, www.trulyyoursjen.com, that she has fun writing when time allows.
