Brick & Mortar Coffee Co. is located off to the side of Backwood Ramblings in Spencer.  



It really is blocked off on its own and even has an exterior door, but you enter through the small market, take a right, and step into a much moodier space with exposed brick wall and concrete floors.



They serve brewed coffee, espresso and ice coffees on the main menu. But on the board, it's actually much more expansive with tea, frozen drinks and non-coffee drinks, as well. 



I ultimately decided to try a frozen latte caramel, which is a go-to. My preference is a sweeter drink, and this sure was. I like that bitter espresso bite with a super sweet caramel that kinda balances out - in my mind, at least. Actually refreshing any time of year.



Grade: A

Backwood Ramblings in Spencer is an "Amish Heritage Bakery" plus specialty foods. 



Walking inside, I immediately saw the grocery items, like old-fashioned candies and dry pasta.



At the back, there is a counter with some fresh-made pastries and other goodies.



Here's what I got into:



A strawberry and cream turnover pastry that was pretty tasty between the sweet strawberries and abundance of cream, but it was just a touch too creamy for me, as it gets a bit soggy.



I also had to try a pepperoni roll. This one had a bit of a blowout in the middle, but I did enjoy how thin the pepperoni roll was so there was a decent bread to pepperoni ratio. 



Grade: B

Isn't it funny how the smallest changes can make food taste completely different? When I went to Spencer, I stopped at the Gino's to knock that location off my list. I ordered a simple cheese pizza with mushrooms, of course. This pizza was on the well-done side -- but not too much. And, it almost gave it a little bit of a sweeter flavor because I think the tomato sauce had more time to develop and some of the edges were caramelized. It's almost like an entirely different meal. I can't complain; I enjoy this pizza, and maybe it's how I will order it from now on.



Grade: A

Tudor's Biscuit World is more than biscuits. Yes, the biscuits are great. But, have you checked out their lunch options?



In particular, I'd like to direct your attention to their chicken strip basket - one of my go-tos at Dairy Queen. But, dare I say, Tudor's may be better?



Maybe it's because they give out ample white gravy. The chicken is not as crispy, but crisp enough. The toast and fries were tasty. Plus, there are about 5 Tudor's locations closer to me than Dairy Queen. So it's a solid substitute. 

Grade: A

The Front Porch in Spencer is a cute lunch spot that features sandwiches, soups and salads.

When I walked in, there was a woman on the phone taking an order.

So I looked over the menu and decided on the tuna melt sandwich.

Plus a cup of the specialty pumpkin soup.

The sandwich was pretty standard with lettuce, onion, tomato and my choice of provolone as a panini - but not super grilled.

The soup had some nice flavor. And super velvety.

What's your favorite item here?

Chrissy's Bakeshop is making a name for itself. The small bakery in Spencer is baking up some amazing specialties.

They're making fresh breads during the week - some traditional and some more innovative approaches, like including figs and pecans.

They also do a variety of rolls - pepperoni rolls, ham & swiss rolls, and spinach & feta rolls. Oh my goodness. I had to get one of each.

The ham & swiss is like an updated pepperoni roll in a homestyle way. Super tasty. You can never go wrong with a pepperoni roll. And that spinach and feta may be life-changing. So good.

And onto their sweets. They have these homemade Ding Dongs. There was a chocolate and vanilla version, and there was a more autumn-flavored version with white chocolate and spice cake.

Both were very tasty! Even though Ding Dongs aren't my favorite, these homemade versions were good.


My favorite item was the "salted caramel pecan blondie" - omg. Do not miss this if you have the opportunity.



Finally, a SORGHUM cookie! Not something you see that often.

Spencer is home to some really cool spots, including this new-to-me one: Legacy Market.

Legacy Market is half really cute shop and half coffee shop with bakery.

The goods include all sorts of mugs, pillows, shirts and more.

The cafe includes all sorts of coffee drinks - and I went with a white hot chocolate. Mmmm. So tasty and warm on a chilly day.

They also have a variety of bagel sandwiches. Pizza bagel. Lox bagel. Breakfast bagel.

And I went with a the Buffalo Chicken Bagel, which has shredded buffalo chicken and mozzarella cheese.

This thing was PACKED with chicken - and I got it on an asiago bagel. Wow. Super good! It was so filling and just really tasty.

But there are many more items, too. Like pepperoni rolls.

So I bought a pepperjack and banana pepper pepperoni roll. I have learned I love the tang and crunch of banana peppers in pepperoni rolls.
 
And, just because I can't pass up sweets, I also got a mini pecan pie!




It just doesn't get any better.