the evolution of the cupcake: from safeway to cupcakery

The relationship between a child and a cupcake is magical. Growing up, cupcakes were such a novelty. They were THE favored treat during birthday celebrations. I remember the excitement in the classroom...the anticipation of whether the treats were cupcakes or donuts, and the utter delight when cupcakes were distributed throughout the classroom. Occasionally, if you were lucky, you'd be in the class with the kid who had the super ambitious soccer mom who baked the magically delicious moist confetti cake cupcakes with the fluorescent splotches of color and the rainbow spotted frosting. But typically they were bought from Safeway and you had your pick of either chocolate or vanilla. Nowadays, the world of cupcakes is a bit different. Vanilla is now buttercream and chocolate is no longer just chocolate...it's red velvet, german chocolate cake, double fudge cake, etc.

As a cupcake advocate, I've been on many quests to different cupcakeries and have had the opportunity sample my fair share. These are just a few of my favorites...

The Gourmet Nomad's Top 5 favorite cupcakes:
(in no particular order)

1. Love at First Bite: Pretty in Pink
1510 Walnut Street, Suite G Berkeley, CA

I've fallen head over heals. Not only is it absolutely beautiful, it's so delightful that it's almost whimsical. The cake is light and the icing is good without being overly sweet or heavy. It's almost like a compact strawberry shortcake. The best part is that they use real strawberries!



2. Buttercup Bake Shop: Devil Dog
973 2nd Avenue New York, NY

This cupcake is absolutely sinful. Devils food cake topped with a lightly whipped meringue icing. While the cake is good, the icing takes the cake. It is phenomenal. Light, sweet and perfectly complementary to it's chocolate base! While too sweet for some, it's perfect if you have a sweet tooth. Buttercup is far better than the other overrated cupcakeries in the city - ahem, Crumbs and Magnolia.



3 + 4. Sibby's Cupcakery: Grandma's Chocolate Tea Cake and Red Velvet
716 S Railroad Ave San Mateo, CA

I've had several cupcakes from Sibby's and I haven't been disappointed with a single one, which isn't a surprise since all their cupcakes are freshly baked to order daily. Never have I had a cupcake as moist and indulgent. NEVER. When you taste one of Sibby's cupcakes you know that there's a lot of love put into baking it with the highest quality ingredients....

Grandma's Chocolate Tea Cake is adorable - it's basically an upscale version of a hostess cupcake. Unbelievably moist chocolate cake with a nice cream cheese chocolate chip center. The frosting is equally rich and enjoyable. Milk is a definite must with this cupcake.

The red velvet is hands down the best I've had. I've had many red velvet cupcakes, and some have been on the dry side. This cake was super moist and the cream cheese frosting was complementary without being too overpowering.




5. Zaftig's: Coconut Cupcake
335 Harvard St. Brookline, MA

While Zaftig's is better known for their amazing brunch selection and their loaded pastrami sandwiches, they make a mean cupcake. Surprisingly, this is among the best coconut cupcakes I've had. Really moist, great coconut flavor and I loved having coconut flakes in the frosting. The only thing is that the frositng was a bit heavy for my liking but otherwise it was a nice treat!

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winner winner, filet mignon dinner...

Flashing lights, opulence, diversity and dysfunction...
that's Vegas baby.

After a long weekend of debauchery I can testify that Vegas is just that - sensational and sparkling, even with a diminished audience. There are few that haven't felt the effects of the recession, and Vegas is no exception. A world-renowned mecca for tourism, Vegas is at the forefront. As such, it's no surprise that deals are plentiful for tourists who aren't tightening their fannypacks as tight.

While we decided to pass on the 99¢ shrimp cocktail and the $4.99 steak dinner, we did take advantage of the $45 3-course lounge dinner for two at Japonais.

As six of us made our way through the lounge, we were delighted when we were seated at a comfortable table surrounded by a comfortable couch with pillows. The lounge was dim, but we were surrounded with vibrant red and orange lanterns and were seated in front of the illuminated bar. Sophisticated and simple, yet very relaxed.

Japonais is on the list of restaurants I've been meaning to go to, so I'm glad that I had the opportunity to enjoy a decent sampling of their menu. When it comes to our meal, we had a good experience overall. Especially considering the fact that we ended up paying $40 to share two appetizers, two entrees, and a dessert, in addition to another appetizer and drink each. While not outstanding, our meal was an incredible value and the atmosphere was exactly what you'd look for when you're out in vegas - young, trendy and buzz-worthy (considering that it's critically acclaimed and well recognized).

I ordered a Floating Orchid to kick off the evening - Japonais' signature drink which contains Stolichnaya vodka, Cointreau, fresh pear and lemon juices with an edible orchid on top. It was light, delicate and sweet, just like I like my cocktails. The best part is that it was $7 - a part of the lucky 7 lounge special which featured certain appetizers and cocktails for $7 a piece.

Since Japonais is fusion, it wasn't a surprising that many of the dishes we sampled were catered to the American palate. We started off with the lobster spring rolls, which were plated over a mango relish and served with a blood orange vinaigrette. The spring rolls were tasty, but the lobster was completely lost in the dish. The spicy terriyaki chicken drummettes were more of a disappointment, because they weren't particularly different from the average terriyaki wings, other than that they were overly sweet and had too much soy sauce.

While the two appetizers were a bit disappointing, the rest of the meal was really enjoyable. The softshell crab roll was nice, and the presentation was really interesting with the legs placed on top of the maki which helped the roll preserve its nice crunchy texture. For our entree, we had the petite filet with uni butter served over truffled mashed potatoes and asparagus. The filet was so tender and the butter just melted into the meat, making every bite delicious. It really had that wonderful melt in your mouth sensation. The potatoes were good, as well. The mashed potatoes also had a strong truffle essence which was really nice, though they were a bit too dense for my liking.

The dessert was also a pleasant surprise since we were unaware that it came with our meal. Flipping the paradigm on the traditional cheesecake, it was light with a whipped pumpkin filling, and a crust that seemed more similar to the cheesecake we're used to, both from a flavor and texture standpoint - it was dense and creamy.

The goods:


Since the group was on somewhat of a budget, Japonais was our finest indulgence, aside from the plentiful buffets. Afterall, what trip to Vegas would be complete without some snow crab?

The crab:

what's your comfort food?

burritos, curly fries, nachos, mac and cheese, ice cream, cookies, mashed potatoes, cheese and crackers, chocolate, carne asada fries, chinese desserts, banana chocolate chip pancakes, chicken parmesan, pasta, fettucini with porcini mushroom oil, grilled cheese, bacon, sushi, baja fresh, pad thai, burgers, fried rice, thick cut steak fries, afritada, pho, clam chowder, mc donald's, bao, tom yum soup, philly cheese steaks, pizza, tapioca milk tea, sunflower seeds, vitamin water, mini paisa, chips, ham and cheese hot pockets, smoothies, thai iced tea, chicken alfredo, kentucky fried chicken, kung pao chicken, chocolate covered nuts, loaded baked potatos, bacon cheesburgers, cheesesteaks, filet mignon, beer, korean bbq, hamhocks and beans over cornbread, ben and jerry's strawberry cheesecake, udon...

Comfort food is one of those buzz words that people instantly identify with. It's what you go to when you've had a bad day. It's what you grew up with. Comfort food can be simple, refined, ethnic, or nostalgic. No matter what you identify as your comfort food or how you define it, one thing is undeniable: It's delicious.

A couple of weeks ago, I sent out a note on facebook to get a conversation started around comfort food. The above list represents a compilation of the responses I received, reflecting the attitudes of Gen Y on the subject.

When I think of comfort food, a lot of things come to mind. Home fries, my mom's home cooked sinigang, garlic noodles... but really, nothing takes the cake like fried food. It's indulgent, satiating, and "finger licking good."

A few weeks ago, I visited Brown Sugar Kitchen, [Tanya Holland's restaurant in West Oakland] to indulge in the ultimate comfort food: fried chicken and waffles.

Brown Sugar Kitchen is anything but your typical chicken and waffles joint. The space was small, yet very tasteful in decor, creating a sophisticated spin on the traditional diner. The lighting is dim and artwork is strategically placed around the room. While there is a bar top and tables in the restaurant, there is also a sleek coffee bar that serves pastries and drinks to warm the soul -- mighty leaf tea and blue bottle cofee. We waited about half an hour to be seated, with plenty of other patrons waiting before and after.

We started with the shrimp gumbo, served with rice and packed with okra. It was well-seasoned and authentic. The gumbo was nice and dark, the product of a labor-intensive roux and spiced for complexity. But the real star of the show was the chicken and waffles. My boyfriend isn't a fan of chicken and waffles, but after tasting Tanya Holland's rendition he's completely sold. Tanya's waffles are made of cornmeal and served with brown sugar butter, which quickly melts into the waffles since they're served hot off the grill. These waffles were unbelievable. Amazingly crisp with a nice buttery texture. I'm usually the type who likes to take my time eating, so it was a nice surprise to see that the waffles maintained their crisp texture rather than turning into a mush. While the waffles are served with apple cider syrup, I much prefered the preserves that were available for use on the countertop. The boysenberry preserves were completely complimentary. Sweet, but not too sweet and packed with real fruit. The chicken was equally amazing. Crisp on the outside, moist on the inside and completely flavorful throughout.

Needless to say, we left with food colma and were completely incapacitated for the rest of the afternoon. But it was definitely worth it.