Misery Loves Co.

The warm weather had me craving an iced coffee after class so I decided to splurge and try this place out. First of all it was almost 3.50 for the coffee and then of course you have to leave a tip, so I ended up spending 5.00 for an iced coffee. Even with the addition of cream and sugar the coffee was awful. I could be wrong but it tasted like burnt decaf. It is coffee not rocket science. Also, the guy behind the counter put off a snooty vibe without even a word. I won’t be trying this place again. Hopefully the Mill Market will have iced coffee as an option soon.

The Misery Loves Company restaurant is so amazing and has such brilliant food that I was very excited for the MLC Bakeshop. Unfortunately, the bakeshop rarely lives up to the restaurant’s standards. Sometimes, if it’s a good day, the bakery items are quite yummy. Usually though, they are dry, flat or stale. I’ve dropped enough money on food that I won’t finish that I don’t dare risk going here anymore.

Best cappucino in the Burlington area and delicious baked goods! Staff is friendly and the music is great! Go there!

Better known as The Bakeshop, per the sign on the front, this is exactly what I need on a Sunday morning. Amazing coffee and espresso, delectable baked goods, and sunny seats. Do try the quiche and croissants. They have free wifi so on less busy days you can easily plan to work out of their shop. They also have a nicely stocked book shelf if you want to choose your own adventure. My only sadness is they stopped making donuts.

I was excited to visit the MLC bakery given the reputation and great food at their restaurant. The staff behind the counter had no idea of what an earl gray latte was. After telling him what I wanted, choosing a different black tea he served
me a straight tea! His attempt at a latte after I told him I asked for a latte left me with a cup of steamed milk. Overall the service was poor, he was slow, got my order wrong and even forgot I ordered pastries to go. My almond croissant was just okay. I gave it 2 stars because I had high expectation. I will try again.

I’ve been here twice now and while I really want to love it, it has missed the mark both times. The staff are a too busy being hipsters to be helpful, the coffee is almost undrinkable without copious amounts of cream and sugar, and my cookie was bland… oh well.

I really wanted to love this place as I am a huge fan of their restaurant which has such great food and is so fun! I have had SEVERAL of the MLC doughnuts, both before the bakery opened and they sold them in the restaurant and at the bakery. The first thing I noticed about them (other then they looked yummy!) is that they tasted of old frier oil. My experience has been consistent and the doughnuts always taste either moderately or strongly of old oil. In fact, the first (and last) time my boyfriend had a MLC doughnut he actually spit it out. I thought he was exaggerating, but then I took a bite and I had to spit mine out, too. That was the worst experience I’ve had with their doughnuts. Other times I’ve managed to eat them, but I always taste the old oil, albeit not always so severely.
Frankly, given my experience at MLC I prefer South End Kitchen yeast doughnuts and Doughnut Dilemma cake doughnuts.
On a visit to the bakery last summer, I tried another style of pastry, and it was overly sweet and didn’t have any depth. Many of my friends love this place, including the doughnuts, so maybe it’s just me, but I have read other disappointed reviews about the oily doughnuts, one from a baker I very much respect, so I’m not the only one with this gripe. It’s such a cute space and the MLC restaurant is amazing. Maybe they will read these reviews and tweak their process a bit.

Originally written and posted on a duplicate profile on 2÷6÷2014:
The Bakeshop just opened on Valentine’s Day and it was great to try their baked goods as I was already a fan of their donuts. The coffee is good with their croissant. They had a sinfully delicious rocky road brownie and other goods. Looking forward to seeing how this bakery grow with all it’s goodies.

I managed to dig my car out of my driveway after a snowstorm AND get to work early, so I rewarded myself by popping into MLC’s bakeshop for breakfast (2 minute walk from work, wahoo!) The gent behind the counter and I exchanged snow commute stories (so amicable!), and while I was hankering for a breakfast sandwich, he pointed me to his closest offering: a ham and cheese croissant. I’m so happy he did.
Despite the fact that a large coffee and croissant were over $ 7 (I did mention that I was rewarding myself, right?), I’m pretty sure it’s the best croissant sandwich I’ve had in a while, and I have high standards. I envisioned a croissant cut in half with a few slices of ham and cheese stuffed in, but no. The flaky, buttery crust of the croissant enfolded the perfectly salty ham and the perfectly textured (American, what? I’m waxing poetic about AMERICAN) cheese, and the top of the croissant was dusted with sesame seeds. I’m at my desk eating it pretty similarly to how a wolverine might devour a rabbit carcass. Fortunately no one’s here to judge my etiquette.
BOTTOM LINE, a little pricey, but worth it when you need to treat yo’self.

The best almond croissants I’ve come across in the burlington area! The lemony hints complement the gooey almond center perfectly. They’re flaky and buttery. A little pricey, but worth the splurge! Their coffee’s a little disappointing though– stick to their delicious pastries!

Baked goods are fantastic but they often run out mid-​afternoon. Coffee is mmmm, ok. Always seems to have that overly acidic taste. Perhaps just not my thing. Prices are a bit high even for coffee. Seating is limited and TINY tables, hard to do work or share a meal with a friend.

Here’s the deal. I love Misery Loves Company. They know flavors and they clearly love what they do, so it makes it fun to eat their food.
The Bakeshop is in a great location on the other side of the Winooski circle. I’ve been there a few times and had a donut, a biscuit and an almond croissant. The donut was fabulous and $ 3. The biscuit was dry and maybe $ 2? And the croissant was a bit too crunchy on the outside for my tastes, but spectacular on the insides, and $ 4.25.
Maybe I’m too old, or maybe I’m too poor, but everything is just a little too pricey. I know they source fantastic ingredients, I know they have talented baristas and bakers that they need to compensate, but these feel like New York prices. Winooski ain’t New York.
Also, recently they declared a moratorium on donut production, and I’m not sure why. The thing is, now everything they sell looks the same. Aesthetically, it’s a bit strange.
As I finish this review I realize that I am being kind of ornery and perhaps too harsh, because I want to support a hardworking and quality local business. I would pay $ 3.50 for that croissant, but not $ 4.25. It’s just too expensive for me to go there more than a couple times a year.

The space is superb. Great light, floors, and tall ceilings. Tho it was very cold inside and could use a bit more seating.
The Stumptown was a nutty lighter roast but it was brewed to strong… Had to keep adding more and more cream. We ordered a croissant and two donuts. The croissant was good, flakey but could have been a bit more buttery and delicate on the inside. The first donut was a strawberry glaze with rainbow sprinkles. It was big and fluffy the glaze was delish, and of course rainbow sprinkles make everything that much better. First bite and a few chews into it we tasted the flavor of the cooking oil. The taste lingered, so we moved onto the second donut. Lemon curd filled donut, again fluffy and packed full of curd, maybe to much curd… same thing the oil flavor was there and it lingered long after .
I understand donuts are a tricky thing, and hope it was just an off day for them. But if you are going to be a bakery known for your donuts I would hope you have it down to absolute perfection. I will return for a second try and hope for the best!

Dangerously good. Stay away from the donuts unless you’re ready to make a commitment to eating them FREQUENTLY. The coffee is my favorite in the Burlington area. Perfect milk temperature and a nice medium roast. Great addition to the Winooski Circle!

Donuts no longer available and that makes me sad