Don’t judge the cake by the expression on his face. He actually really liked it. Maybe even more than he likes Dippin’ Dots, if that’s possible.
Archive for March, 2008
25
Mar
08
Fractured Prune donut run
You know a donut is good when you eat three of them before you remember to take a photo. Here you’ll see remnants of the Blueberry Hill and Lemonade glazes on the box. Alas, the donuts were already in our greedy stomachs by then.
There is a story behind the name for this place, but it’s way too convoluted to get into here. Don’t worry, the donuts aren’t made of prunes or anything like that. It’s a local chain that makes your donuts to order, so they’re crunchy on the outside, pipin’ hot on the inside. They also make their own sugary glazes. After two tastings, the consensus is that the lemonade one wins. BTW these are also very good warmed up in the microwave the next morning.
25
Mar
08
I could be vegan for a day…
…if you promised to feed me this vegan tiramisu from Sticky Fingers. I don’t know where it gets its creamy flavor, but I will definitely go back for more. BTW the oozy goodness doesn’t really stand up on its own so I had to keep the plastic on for this photo.
I spent almost 1.5 hours last Saturday waiting in line to get a dozen cupcakes from Georgetown Cupcake (and I feel kinda stupid admitting that). The line was only about 25-30 people deep when I got there, but service is slow. With recent coverage in the Washington Post and Daily Candy, word is that there is never NOT a line out the door. I’ve also heard that the shop has had to close down during store hours to keep up with demand.
About 30 minutes into my wait, the police showed up. Are cupcakes the new donuts? Nope–they had gotten a call from the neighboring shop, whose doorway we were blocking. We dutifully re-lined up from the opposite direction. Meanwhile one policeman had a quick word with the Georgetown Cupcake folks and re-emerged with a freebie, causing much jealousy. Speaking of jealousy, after I finally got my dozen (which rang up at around $32 after tax), the looks of envy-slash-hatred from the others still waiting in line were something to behold. I probably could have scalped my cupcakes for a profit right then and there.
The cupcakes are adorable, much more adorable than what you see here (they got jostled around while I was speedwalking home, hoping no one would mug me for my cupcakes). Presentation is amazing, as is their store branding design, from the bags to the t-shirts to the website.
I sampled the red velvet, coconut, lemon berry, vanilla on chocolate and key lime flavors. The icing was good but not mind-blowingly good. I liked the cream cheese icing on the red velvet the best. The cake may cause some debate. Fans of light & fluffy cake (think store-bought mixes like Betty Crocker) will love them. I prefer my cakes a bit more substantial, though, like the kind of cake you get from the Sprinkles cupcake mix. A cupcake that eats like a meal. See, after I’d scarfed down 2 Georgetown cupcakes, I still wasn’t satisfied.
Overall, the balance of icing to cake worked for me. Thankfully the icing wasn’t cloyingly sweet like on a Magnolia Bakery cupcake, which makes your fillings ache. I’d say give Georgetown cupcake a try, but fax your order ahead of time or be a policeman to avoid the wait.
***Updated June 20, 2011: Wondering who makes the best cupcake in DC? Read this. BTW, there is usually no line (or a much shorter one) at Baked & Wired (a beloved local bakery) and Sprinkles (the DC branch of the national chain). And if you must visit GC, here are some tips for avoiding the lines.
03
Mar
08
Oscars party desserts
There’s a cheesy Italian restaurant on the border of Foggy Bottom and Georgetown called La Perla. It’s the type of place where the chef comes out of the kitchen at the end of the night to shake your hand. I’ve never had their food, but heard it’s good. Lots of politicians/bigwigs go there–their photos are plastered on the walls. What throws me is the gaudy decor (cherubs, fountains, a glass case of random knick-knacks at the door), which doesn’t seem to jibe with the upscale-ness of the menu and prices.
Anyway, when you walk into the restaurant, you’re greeted by a case of tempting cakes. Mr. x-sXe and I tried a slice of the lemon raspberry cake and a chocolate mousse one. At almost $10 a slice, they weren’t cheap. The verdict? If you’re jonesing for chocolate, the chocolate mousse will satisfy. But pass on the lemon raspberry. It was just blah.
Usually the only vegan cakes I enjoy are the homemade ones. For some reason, it seems that commercial vegan bakers sometimes try to compensate for the lack of dairy ingredients by adding more sugar. Hence the super-sweet icing you’ll find on many vegan cakes. This strawberry shortcake at Sticky Fingers was pretty good, though. The cake was moist and dense, the icing just the right amount of sweet. I just wished they’d used more fruit instead of a strawberry spread.
pie versus cake 
