I came across Taste by Spellbound while looking for dessert bars on Yelp for my birthday. I have a huge sweet tooth, as anyone that knows me can attest to, and I have to admit I'm a bit of a snob when it comes to sweets (I blame this on years of eating desserts in NYC).

This place had good reviews and Avon is a beautiful town, so I decided to make an adventure out of it and drove there on a Wednesday afternoon with a friend. It was well worth the time.

Situated just outside of a tree-lined plaza off the main road, Taste looks like an unassuming bakery. The building is small, and several colorful chairs sit outside in the grass waiting for occupants. 

Once you step inside, the brick facade disappears and you are transported to a magical place filled with beautiful cakes, french macarons, truffles of various flavors, delicate cupcakes, sweet breads, and whatever else these magicians may have created for the day.

The interior design is right out of Alice in Wonderland. Tree branches climb up a wall to the right of a window, book pages intertwined with paper butterflies and playing cards. Mismatched frames hang on the walls while teacups and cake trays fill up shelves next to the register. Of course, right in front of you as you walk in is the display of freshly made sweets.

It is important to be aware that Taste creates sweets for the day. This means that all the luscious treats you see before you are freshly made, but it also means that when they have sold out, they are sold out. Make sure to arrive early in order to sample the entire collection. We arrived in the late afternoon and while there was still a good amount to choose from, many of the macarons and cupcakes had been sold and the truffles were definitely dwindling. 

I picked out 3 macarons, a cupcake, and several truffles. The cupcake was dulce lavender, a mouthwatering flavor complete with oozing caramel baked inside and real lavender petals sprinkled on top of the frosting. The cupcakes are the perfect size, to me at least. Not bite-sized but not full sized either, just in the middle. The truffles were all sorts of fun flavors and were very good, and the macarons (one of my favorite desserts) were delectable, and surprising in their flavors and colors.

Taste by Spellbound also has a location in South Windsor, CT. If you are looking for something new and sweet I highly recommend making a visit. Taste is perfect for a birthday treat, and they make the most stunning and artistic cakes if you are in the market for a wedding, or for any special occasion. Make sure to check out their website and gallery!