Barrel House Coffee Co. in Ball Ground, Georgia

Ball Ground is a quintessential small southern town. It's charming and Hallmark movie worthy. But it's an easy town to miss. A wanderer would likely happen upon it by chance while on the way to somewhere else.

I am thrilled I happened upon it on this particular fall day, and I can say with certainty I will purposely visit in the future, if only to drop by Barrel House Coffee Co.

Unique and inviting, Barrel House Coffee Co. offers a menu of coffees that combine bourbon with coffee. No, I'm not talking pour your secret sauce from your flask into your mug. The owners place unroasted coffee beans into freshly used bourbon barrels, allowing the beans to laze around in their barrel spa soaking up the rich, oaky, vanilla-y essence of the bourbon. 

Mark is a big bourbon guy, so I will definitely bring him for a visit someday. 

As for me, I am more of a not bourbon gal, so I simply ordered the coffee of the day, a roast from Papua New Guinea, topped with oat milk. 

I also ordered a pumpkin muffin. 

As I peered into my muffin bag, I was very puzzled about why they would automatically provide me with a knife and fork. Typically, that's a I'm-kinda-weird-about-eating-things-that-are-meant-to-be-eaten-with-my-fingers-with-my-fingers kinda person, so May I please have a fork kind of request. Right? 

But then I dug into the muffin. 

And I totally understood why I got a fork.

This pumpkin muffin had the ooey-ist, gooey-ist topping on it. And the muffin itself was the most moist muffin I've ever had (forgive me if you dislike the word moist). The pumpkin-y flavor sent notes of the perfect blend of spices to my tongue and then to my brain, and I sat for a moment lingering over that first bite. It was delicious. Beyond delicious. Especially for a lowly muffin!

I savored each sumptuous bite knowing this was one of the best accidental encounters I'd ever wandered into!

Ammoora in Baltimore, Maryland

 Ashta Bil Asal.

Ammoora's menu describes it as Milk Cream, Honey, Pistachio, Arabic Cotton Candy, Rose Petals. 

Unusual? Yes. Unexpected? Yes. Delicious? Absolutely! Sweet but not cloying, it's an elegant balance of unique textures and flavors that perform a little dance on your tongue. In that first bite, the dry, airy strands of the spun sugar mingle with the floral notes of the rose petals and honey before meeting the nutty crunch of the pistachios. Then comes the silky, smooth, cool cream, and your mouth tells your brain this is the one of the most unique, unforgettable desserts you've ever encountered.

Ammoora is located in the Ritz Carlton in downtown Baltimore, Maryland. It invites guests to experience, "An immersive destination for modern Syrian cuisine. From the design of the rooms to the rhythm of the meal, nothing is accidental." That intention was felt from start to finish. From Hummus and Baba Ghanouj to Lamb Shank and Mediterranean Tenderloin, the meal was delicious, culminating in that unforgettable dessert. Flowy curtains soften the space, creating a sophisticated ambiance, and the service is outstanding.

On more than one occasion, I have said:

I would wander to Baltimore solely to dine at Ammora again.