Photos & Article by Christy Chaney
Eating is a lifestyle for me. I chase local moments, travel gems, and any trendy bite I can find. My whole family knows the camera eats first. Welcome to Top Five Bites, where we take giant, delicious bites out of life right here in Owensboro, plus anywhere we find ourselves along the way.
Doozie Doez
Cake in a Cup (Island Dream)
She made a dessert pizza during the inaugural Pizza Week and came to win Burger Week with her rendition of burgers and fries. Now, Hanna Bailey is bringing us the perfect way to satisfy your cake craving with a small can that delivers big flavor. Tucked in a cooler along the back wall of Crazy Me Gifts & Apparel, you can find sweet treats of all sizes, but it was the Island Dream Cake Can that really stood out. It met all my texture expectations: soft, spongy, crunchy, and creamy, and it delivered a one-two punch of sweet and sour. If a whole cake is too much for one sitting, this is exactly what you need for a sweet treat.
Niko’s Bakery & Cafe
Mousse Cup
I’m really on a roll with items served in a cup this time. My current Niko’s sweet treat obsession is their mousse cup. I say current because I ebb and flow depending on what’s in their case. This delectable, rich, thick chocolate mousse clings to the spoon as it’s dragged through the crown of whipped cream on its way to nirvana. I personally like to swirl it all together before digging in. It’s as if a Jell-O pudding cup had an affair with a Michelin-star chef. Top tier.
The Flour Stop
Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies
Full disclosure: these cookies are made by my sister for her front porch bakery, The Flour Stop. But while everyone else is scrambling to get their order in when she has a drop, I’m plotting my sisterly visit to coincide with the cookies that don’t quite make the cut. Maybe the edge is a little damaged, maybe I broke it and pretended it was the cookie’s fault, but either way, these soft chocolate chip cookies, studded with shards of Maldon sea salt, are best eaten quickly (when she is not looking) with a glass of milk.
The Cottage Farm Stand
Banana Pudding
During Burger Week, on a trip out to the west side, I stopped at The Cottage for their entry but found myself staring at the dessert case while waiting for my burger. Packed with tiny muffins served in an egg crate, it was overflowing with options. But there was one cup with a lid that said “Take Me Home,” and that cup turned out to be filled with the most delicious banana pudding. I don’t even really like bananas, but my daughter loves banana pudding, so I got it for her. Then I opened it to smell how “banana-y” it was … and took a bite. Then I ate it on the way home in the car. Then I had to go back a few days later to get another. And that’s how I feel about their banana pudding.
Dominique Ansel
Cronut
This one requires a little planning,
but I always like to give you something worth traveling for. If you’ve had a
cronut anywhere, you should pay homage to James Beard Award-winning chef Dominique Ansel — it’s his invention. If you find yourself in New York City, make the pilgrimage to this icon of pastry. The flavor changes monthly. March 2026 featured Caramelized Banana Pudding Ganache with Pineapple Jam, and April featured Vietnamese Coffee with condensed milk. If you can’t make it to New York anytime soon, Gramp’s and Niko’s offer their own versions of this pastry icon daily. OL
