Sweet Revenge

I have an unspoken (until now) goal to eat practically every dessert in New York, and this most definitely includes cupcakes. I love cake, and cupcakes are tiny cakes! Tiny cakes for my big mouth!

So when I heard about Sweet Revenge ages ago, I knew I'd have to give it a try. I wasn't that excited, though, until I heard about their happy hour: a cupcake and a glass of wine for $10. I've gone a couple of times since then, and although it's not my favorite cupcake or drinking spot in the city, there's something to be said for a successful combo of the two.

Their cupcakes come in several flavors, of which I have tried the "pure" (vanilla/vanilla), the "dirty" (chocolate/chocolate), and the "very strawberry" (special of the day). The vanilla has a great real vanilla bean flavor, and wasn't sickeningly sweet as this flavor can often be. The chocolate similarly had a great chocolate flavor, nice and deep but not overwhelming. The strawberry wasn't as flavorful as it could have been, but the batter and icing both had fresh strawberries, which was a nice touch. For all of these varieties, the cake is dense and rustic, but a little dry and very crumbly. The icings are thick and not too sweet, but thick.

Overall, they're good, but not mind-blowing. Sweet Revenge scores points for quality ingredients and flavor, loses a few for price (the cupcakes on their own are pricey) and texture. The wine and beer options are nice, and during happy hour you get a glass of white, red or sangria with your cupcake (all decent wines). It's an intimate space, I'd recommend it for a date or after-work meet up with a friend. It's a pretty great way to wind down at the end of the day. -Laurel

When Laurel first proposed going to Sweet Revenge before dinner with some friends, I was instantly down. I’m a big monetary supporter of the Dessert Before Dinner fad sweeping the nation.*

Sweet Revenge is a cute place, with a few tables, some bar seats and a large selection of booze. It’s not huge, and generally has a steady flow of people so snagging a seat is sometimes difficult at certain times, but we’ve never had a problem. The owner was there the first time we went, and she was pretty awesome, walking us through the different cupcakes and talking about the wine & beer pairings.

Since my favorite ingredient probably in the whole world is chocolate, I of course got their “dirty” cupcake. I ate it in about three seconds, but I can say – it’s delicious. However, as a warning, to most people it would probably be too much chocolate. I also tried the “pure” cupcake. As Laurel said, it’s the perfect amount of natural vanilla bean flavor. They’re most famous for their namesake cupcake, which has peanut butter cake, peanut butter ganache, and…fudge. It’s awesome, if you love peanut butter. Like a cake form of a Reese’s peanut butter cup, only I think you’d like it a lot more. Because I know you and your tendencies, obviously.

As for the booze and cupcake pairings, Sweet Revenge has it down to a fine art. I’m not an avid wine or beer drinker, but I’d say it’s because I’m not the best at pairing such drinks with food, and instead usually just wash everything down with my signature whiskey and ginger. Last time I got the Very Strawberry with their Lunetta prosecco, and it was absolutely perfect. Or you could go for the Dirty cupcake and Kopparberg Pear Cider (love that cider like whoa). Highly recommended if you have a sweet tooth. If you’re not into sweets, they do have a few savory options to pair with beer, including croque monsieur and a chorizo and manchego cheese...cake.

Sweet Revenge is the perfect place to go for after dinner drinks (or like I said, for DBD) or as Laurel said, on a date. Actually, scratch the date - it’d be best to take a friend there after a nasty break up. It’ll get them out of the house, and they’ll get to munch on sweets and drink a lot of booze. Hell, there will probably even be a cute guy or girl there who can be their rebound. Best post break up remedy ever, if you ask me (how's that for sweet revenge?). - Jennifer

*There is no DBD, although I think we should start one.



Address: 62 Carmine Street at Bedford Street

Website: SweetRevengeNYC.com, Yelp

Payment: cash or cards

Delivery: Nope

Open Late: Mon-Thurs at 11pm; Fri-Sat til 12:30am; Sun til 9pm

Large Group Friendly: Nope

Bar/Happy Hour: Yes! Cheaper beers/wine, and a cupcake and a glass of wine for $10

Doughnut Plant

If I could define my hopeful perception of Heaven in two words, they would be "Doughnut Plant." The first time I was lucky enough to try this place, Roland had so graciously brought a ton of different ones into work one afternoon. After eating and thoroughly enjoying the selections, I knew we had to venture to Doughnut Plant and try more. And boy did we.

Conveniently located near the LES, this place offers a variety of standard doughnuts including regular glazed and jelly filled, but they also offer something more for those looking to have something special in their maefs. Their Tres Leche doughnut is just like its name - a perfect mixture of evaporated milk, condensed milk and cream. Although a cake doughnut, it is in no way dry, and is very rich and has cream in the middle. Another famous one is their creme brulee yeast doughnut, completely sweet and perfect. And of course, my absolute all time favorite of any doughnut ever, their Blackout - a chocolate cake doughnut with chocolate cream in the middle oozing out into my mouth. They also have specials of the day, but they always seem to run out before you get a chance to try them.

The small, cute building gets rather full fast of hungry customers, so it's a good suggestion to get your doughnuts and run. We got a LOT on our visit, making sure to savor every bite. The pudgy guy behind the counter was ranting and raving over the Carrot Cake doughnut he was shoving in his mouth, so I might have to try that next time.

Yes, it's that good. - Jennifer

Oh man, I love this place. Their doughnuts are just so... good. Jennifer once brought me a Tres Leche donut, and it was all over after that. I had to have more.

To this day, the Tres Leche is probably my favorite donut pretty much ever. I'm not a huge donut eater, and I notoriously go for the glazed, but I think the general rule at Doughnut Plant is to go for the cake varieties. Although nothing I've tried has ever led to me regretting trying it. The Tres Leche is a nice consistency, not as heavy as you'd think, and lightly sweet with a bit of cream in the middle. I've also tried their seasonal strawberry yeast and cake donut-- both delicious, but not quite strawberry-y enough-- and the coconut creme yeast donut, which has a cream filling and coconut on the outside. Their iced chai tea is also good, but a little too sweet (especially when you're eating donuts).

If you haven't been, you have to go. Yes, I love my sweets, but I've never been donut-crazy, and I'm close to needing an intervention because of this place. Glad I don't work/live nearby, for my arteries' sake. -Laurel

Address: 379 Grand St, near Marcy Ave

Website: http://www.doughnutplant.com/

Payment: cash only

Delivery: no

Open Late: no, 'til whenever they sell out, between 5-7

Large Group Friendly: no

Bar/Happy Hour: no

Choice Market

Choice Market is a great option in a neighborhood that can feel lacking in good pick-up-and-go options. They have tons of delicious looking things in their glass cases, of which I have tried their croissant and chocolate croissant (I have a long way to go). Both are excellent, and note to other cheaps like me, they are marked down after 5. They also offer muffins, scones, loaves, tarts, quiches, cupcakes, breads, and other options along those lines. Prices are standard and so far have proved fair for the quality.

On the far end they offer real food options, like egg dishes in the morning, and salads, sandwiches, paninis, soups, and hot foods by the pound the rest of the day. Of this I have only tried the quiche (individually sized, with mushroom and spinach that day) and a side salad ($7), which made a nice dinner. The quiche was a creamy texture with good flavor, but the crust was a bit limp by the time I got to it. Granted, they were about to close and it was reheated.

I can't wait to try the many other items they have to offer, since they all look delicious. They are also expanding-- you may recognize them from either of the Brooklyn Fleas. They recently opened up Choice Greene a couple of blocks away, which offers carefully picked grocery items, along with fresh fish and meat and cheeses. It's very cute and nicely stocked for the space. More recently opened (so much so that we haven't been yet) is Choice Atlantic, which should prove an oasis on a gross strip on Atlantic. They are setting up their catering operations there but are keeping a small storefront open offering their normal fare. I will be there ASAP. -Laurel

Choice Market is a cute bakery/restaurant that is either really packed or closed. We had walked past it on multiple occasions late at night since I moved here, always craving a tasty snack and always met with a CLOSED sign. Finally, one morning when we were both up earlier than needed, Laurel was kind enough to walk the few blocks to Choice and pick us up some chocolate croissants. From then on out, I've been hooked. True chocolate croissants don't have chocolate chips in them or chocolate on the outside, they have chocolate bars on the inside. And that is exactly what the flaky, buttery delicious pastry had inside. 

After that, I went back to Choice Market on the way to my friends' house, and picked up some cookies for my friends and Country Cake for breakfast the next morning. The cookies were amazing. Not too greasy but not dry to where they didn't taste homemade, with chocolate chips and pecans. Absolutely delicious. The country cake I was not too impressed with, however. Not that it would necessarily sound all that appealing to an average person. It contained a lot of different ingredients from what I could tell, including carrots and pineapple. It also contained more butter/grease than most anything I've ever had. So much so that it soaked through the bag in my purse. Let's just say, I didn't eat much of it. However, my co-worker Celia ate it all and enjoyed it thoroughly, prompting her to buy country cake muffins from Trader Joe's and eat them all the next week.

Finally, I tried some of their food-food. I got a chicken salad sandwich. The "salad" consisted of chicken with salt and pepper and onion, and it was topped with avocado. It was the perfect combination sandwich, and I sucked it down pretty fast. Like Celia, it prompted me to attempt (and fail) at making my own chicken salad. Yes, I know it's not hard to make chicken salad, but I suck at it apparently. Guess I'll just have to leave it to the professionals. - Jennifer

Address: 318 Lafayette Ave at Grand (Clinton Hill, Brooklyn)

Website: http://nymag.com/listings/restaurant/choice-market/

Payment: cash

Delivery: yes

Open Late: no, 9pm

Large Group Friendly: no

Bar/Happy Hour: no

Batch

I had never been to Batch before, and when I saw on the Cupcakes Take the Cake blog that it was moving and would be closed for a while, I decided to give it a try. Batch is the brain child of Chef Pinchet Ong, who also owned the recently closed P*ONG. Cool part: he was actually the person who assisted me with my choices. He was super nice, and I was actually kind of excited that he was helping, even though it didn't seem like it was an anomaly.

My choices were Lemon, Lemon, Lemon, made of lemon cake, lemon curd filling and Lemon buttercream frosting, Carrot Salted Caramel, made of carrot cake, filled with lime cream cheese, and topped with salted caramel, Dragon Devil's Food, filled with caramel, and topped with chocolate icing, and the White and Black, chocolate cake with vanilla frosting.

Guess what, they were all absolutely DELICIOUS. The cake was soft, and every cupcake was a perfect combination. Even the Carrot Salted Caramel, which sounds weird, tasted fantastic. The tanginess of the lime and the saltiness of the caramel was the great balance. And yes, I tried all of them. Luckily, I didn't eat them by myself, but I would have. Chef Ong was pushing cookies on me too, but I opted out. But I think it was because they were closing the next day, so I figure he was trying to get rid of as much as possible.

Unfortunately, the new, yet to be disclosed, location in Chelsea isn't open yet, but should be soon. I hope! - Jennifer


I was visiting family down South when Batch was getting ready to close, but luckily I received word from Jennifer that she had picked up some extra cupcakes for when I got back. PHEW.

I won't say much since I only tried two of them, and it was two days after the fact out of the fridge.. but they were still tasty. I love lemon and anything with lemon curd, so of course I liked the Lemon (x 3) variety. The cake was a bit dry by the time I tasted it, but I can imagine it was extra delicious fresh. I also tried the carrot cake variety, which had a really interesting combo of flavors, but it somehow worked. Salty, sweet and sour, all working together. Genius.

Can't wait for the new storefront to open-- we'll be there, and you should too! -Laurel

Address: Currently nowhere, but stayed tuned.

Website: http://www.batchnyc.com/

Payment: Cash, Credit

Delivery: no

Open Late: no

Large Group Friendly: no

Bar/Happy Hour: no

Baked

I had been to Baked once before on a rare trip in a car while on the way back from Fairway. I had a coffee, which was good, and a taste of the Sweet and Salty cake, which was especially good. I was looking for a chance to go back, and over a year later that chance came in form of Ikea+Fairway+Jennifer's parents rented a car=return trip to Baked.

Inside Baked is cozy with a bit of seating, and a long counter and glass case displaying their goods. They also have their cookbook on sale, which I will one day buy. They offer all sorts of treats: bars, brownies, cookies, cakes, pastries, etc. I ordered another coffee, a slice of their famous Sweet and Salty cake, and a couple of homemade marshmallows. The Sweet and Salty cake is a chocolate cake with chocolate icing and salted caramel hidden in the cake and the icing. It's chocolatey and not too sweet, which is why it's so good. Each bite tastes of chocolate, espresso, and a hint of sweet and salty from the caramel. It's reasonably moist and the icing is nice and light. One piece is big enough for two (as you can see below). A definite try.

The marshmallows were perfect marshmallows. Soft, pillowy, sweet. I especially enjoyed the peppermint one, although I can't say eating just marshmallows is my favorite thing. These were excellent if you're a fan.

Baked is definitely worth the trip, especially if you're in the neighborhood. I just found out that they stock their treats at Green Grape in Fort Greene and I am stoked. -Laurel

Baked is a cute shop - one that I wouldn't mind sitting in to work on homework (if I had any) - and it's run by cute artsy types who were really nice and helpful when we were trying to decide what to eat...but it's not exactly close to a train. However, it is close to Ikea, so if you take the free ferry over and buy a bunch of Swedish things, you can carry your smorgasbord to Baked and enjoy a treat...smorgasbord. I think smorgasbord is the only Swedish word I know.

While Laurel and I always agree to try something different, I couldn't resist the large chunks of salt on top of the chocolate-y Sweet and Salty Cupcake. From the first bite, the mix of salted caramel and chocolate lifted my taste buds and made me feel better after a long day of shopping at Fairway and Ikea. My mother got the Sweet and Salty Brownie, which was even more tasty than the cupcake. My bite of Laurel's marshmallow was soft and delicious. I'm not a big fan of marshmallows solo, but I would probably eat many more of those if I got a chance.

Baked is definitely worth a try, and as Laurel mentioned, if you can't get a car, or don't feel like taking a bus out to Red Hook, definitely make a trip to the Greene Grape and give it a try there. - Jennifer

Address: 359 Van Brunt Street (Red Hook, Brooklyn)

Website: http://bakednyc.com

Payment: Credit or Cash

Delivery: No

Open Late: 7pm

Large Group Friendly: No

Bar/Happy Hour: just coffee and tea and such

Cake Man Raven Confectionary

Cake Man Raven is a legend in Brooklyn, and for those in the know, in all of NYC (see celebrity photos). He's know for one thing: red velvet cake. That's practically all his shop offers, and that's what they are famous for. And boy, do people love red velvet cake.

I am certainly not as big a fan as many of the die hards out there, but I can't deny liking it, and living so close I knew I had to give it a try. Multiple times upon walking by the storefront was closed, so contrary to the hours listed on their website catching them open seems to be a bit of a gamble. So when I was walking by headed to Target and I saw they were open, I had to go in and try this place out.

The interior is small and taken up almost entirely by a glass bakery case, and it was filled with big slices of red velvet cake, packaged and ready to go. Two options: with or without nuts, both costing $6 even. I got a no-nuts and went on my merry way. As you can see below, the slice was huge and the cake was definitely that distinctive red color. The cake was fairly moist with a slight cocoa taste, and the cream cheese icing was very creamy and in perfect proportion to the cake. Upon taking a couple of bites I was fairly impressed, but not wowed. After a couple more bites, I was more impressed. After eating half of that slice, I was hooked. I don't know if he puts crack in that cake or what, but it's delicious for no specific reason other than it just is. I would definitely recommend for red velvet lovers in the area-- and make sure you check out their annual parade down Fulton Street. Last year featured free cupcakes. -Laurel

One of my mother's best friends makes a to die for red velvet cake. So rich and creamy, everything is made from scratch, and she puts lots of cocoa in it, to where it looks like chocolate sauce between the cream cheese icing and the red cake. And that cream cheese frosting is absolutely delicious. I've had my mother order it for me more than once (they're so good she sells them). Therefore, my expectations for red velvet cake are rather high, but I still love it no matter who makes it.

When Laurel first moved to the Clinton Hill neighborhood, she mentioned this Cupcake Parade, and I was inherently interested, however, I was immediately disappointed that we missed it. And as she said, every time we subsequently passed this bakery they were closed, so I was even more disappointed.

So when we finally got this infamous red velvet cake, my hopes were really high. Luckily, they weren't completely dashed. Their red velvet cake is good, not great, but good. The icing was absolutely delicious, so rich you know it can't be good for you. The cake was not overly moist as I like my red velvet cake - in fact it was a touch (just a touch) too dry for me, but the flavor was delicious. I only took a few bites as I couldn't pry it from Laurel's hands (kidding - she left half for me, but I opted out). Honestly, I think the cake was only a bit dry because it was sitting in a cardboard box behind the counter with a ton of other cakes, which means who knows if it was made that day, or another day. I'd like to try it again fresh, but who knows when I'll get that chance again. - Jennifer

Address: 708-a Fulton St. (Brooklyn)

Website: http://www.cakemanraven.com/

Payment: Cash for in-store purchases

Delivery: no

Open Late: Mon-Sun 9-10pm (not entirely true..it's a gamble sometimes)

Large Group Friendly: no, unless you're taking them cake to another location

Bar/Happy Hour: no

Dessert Truck

First of all, they should rename this truck HEAVEN ON WHEELS, and I seriously doubt I'm the first person to say that. As a frequenter of the St. Marks area, I've seen the Dessert Truck a few times, and always thought, "Man, I should totally try that." However, I am uncomfortable with food carts and trucks just because I'm untrusting of where they came from. Basically, I'm an idiot. The Dessert Truck is a place where good things are reincarnated into magic things. Melt in your mouth, can't get enough, MAGIC.

Okay, now that I've sufficiently made you think I'm exaggerating, let me explain. The Dessert Truck really is gourmet desserts on wheels. Everything is $5, but they're all worth every cent. This is not your normal dessert shop. Firstly, it comes from a truck (duh), secondly it's not just the standard cupcakes or cookies (still welcomed and delicious, just can't compete), and thirdly, they beat Bobby Flay on a Throwdown! for Chocolate Bread Pudding.

After perusing over their choices (warm brioche doughnuts, vanilla creme brulee, warm slow baked apples, and well, more), I chose the crowd favorite - Chocolate Bread Pudding. However, I picked the vanilla custard sauce rather than their famous bacon one. A choice I debated on, but am ultimately completely and utterly satisfied with. The first bite of the warm pudding with vanilla custard made my head explode. Gooey and not overpoweringly chocolate, the pudding glided down the back of my throat making my entire body happy. In fact, after almost getting hit by a car, Laurel and I decided that the Dessert Truck is dangerous because it would make you willingly die just because you'd be so happy at that exact second. I scarfed the rest of it down a little too quickly making sure I got every last drop which made my stomach want to explode, but I was still unquestionably happy. Next weekend I'm going to drag my parents there and I'm 100% trying it with the bacon custard.

This discovery is bad for me, because as a now patron of Yoga to the People, which is just down the street, I'm going to end up going there more often. But I'll have just burned off the calories, so that's okay, right? RIGHT? - Jennifer

PS - In the picture below, doesn't it look like a beam of light is coming out of Laurel?

I want to go to there.

That pretty much sums it up. I had just eaten a gigantic burger and still decided it was time to finally try this baby out. My life will forever be changed.. largely meaning my body mass and sugar intake. Oh Dessert Truck, where have you been all my life?

First off, the guys are really nice and happy to make suggestions. I had been craving a donut for I don't know how long and they had "warm brioche donuts" on the menu (which are really just bombolonis, but apparently people couldn't pronounce it). Everything about that sounds good. Warm... yep, I like warm things. Brioche... eggy bready goodness. Donuts... well, of course. Put it all together and you get sugar dusted, fluffy donut holes filled with a lightly sweet custard. So very delicious.

I also got a taste of Jennifer's bread pudding and it was so very good. I'll definitely be back to have either of those again or try something new, and I suggest you do the same. But beware! You might become addicted like us. -Laurel

Address: St Mark's Place and 3rd Ave (Mon-Sun, 6pm-midnight); E 55th St, just off the NE corner of Lexington (Mon-Fri 12pm-3pm), or check their website or their Twitter for their updates.

Website: http://www.desserttruck.com/

Payment: Cash

Delivery: No

Open Late: Midnight

Large Group Friendly: As many as the sidewalk can hold

Bar/Happy Hour: Nope

Butter Lane

Butter Lane is a new cupcake shop that opened up in the East Village recently, and upon reading about their fruit frostings I knew I had to get a bite. I love fruit, and I love cupcakes, and there is definitely a lack of successful marriages between the two. Jennifer and I convinced some buddies to tag along with us to taste test some cupcakes (it's hard being our friends), and we were pretty happy with what we put in our mouths.

The shop itself is small with just a few stools, but inviting and cozy all the same. One wall is covered some lovely wallpaper, and the other features a chalkboard with the day's offerings. They had frosting samples out while we were there, and I tasted almost all of them. One thing of note is that Butter Lane offers American or French style vanilla and chocolate frosting. French style contains cooked egg whites and is fluffier than it's American counterpart.

Amy and I split the banana cupcake with cream cheese frosting, and a white cake cupcake with raspberry frosting. The banana cake was moist and banana-y, like a really good banana bread, and paired very well with the cream cheese frosting. It made for a pretty delicious cupcake that I would take a trip back for. The raspberry cupcake was also good-- the cake was a little crumbly but flavorful and fluffy, and the icing tasted like fresh raspberries. I really wanted to try the strawberry kind, as I'm a big fresh strawberry cake and/or icing fan (not the fake kind, and only when it's done right), but they were out for the night. I will be back!

If you're craving a cupcake, Butter Lane isn't the cheapest (about $2.50 a cupcake), but their focus on quality, fresh ingredients and their creative frostings make it worth the trip and the price. -Laurel

Butter Lane is the perfect addition to my cupcake fetish. And it's in an area I frequent quite often so I'm pretty excited. And fresh fruit frosting = YUM.

This place was pretty awesome. The super nice ladies behind the counter invited us to try all of the different icings to pick the one we liked the most, while discouraging double dipping (just good to know in general. I mean, there's no one at Sephora who makes sure no one double dips the lipsticks and that makes me nervous.). The French style was yummy, but wasn't my favorite. They were out of pistachio, but they had just made the recipe for the first time the day before we visited anyway, so definitely be on the lookout for that. And apparently the peanut butter icing is delicious.

However, I opted for the fresh-off-the-icing pan lemon icing with vanilla cake. The cake was moist on the bottom and hard on the top, not dry, but hard (a reverse muffin top perhaps?). The icing was delicious. Not too tart, but just the right amount.

Definitely stop by Butter Lane and pretend that one of the cupcakes counts as your carbs and fruit serving for the day. - Jennifer

Address: 123 East 7th Street (btwn Ave A and 1st Ave)

Website: http://butterlane.com/Butter_Lane_Site/Welcome.html

Payment: Cash, Cards

Delivery: Yep! You just have to place your order the day before like all the other bakeries.

Open Late: Totes, 11pm is pretty damn late for a bakery.

Large Group Friendly: Nope

Bar/Happy Hour: No! But definitely coffee and tea.

Dessert Club ChikaLicious

Dessert Club ChikaLicious is a spot that's been on my list of places to try for a while, and one night after work I decided the time was right. I trudged over to their bakery outpost, across the street from the well known simply ChikaLicious, which serves a three-course prix fixe menu of desserts along with wine (don't worry, I'm going soon). They are formerly known for their bread puddings, but I thought we should sample a few of their other offerings.

I picked up three chocolate chip cookies ($1.50) and four cupcakes: red velvet, coconut, black and white, and s'mores, making my total $9. The cookies are standard size, not huge, but not a bad deal. They also taste great, boasting a lightly crispy edge, chewy inside, and quality chocolate. Don't get a three pack unless you expect to finish them off.

The cupcakes were a little smaller than standard size, but a nice one serving and with most options at $1.60, also not a bad deal. The cake on all of them wasn't overly moist, but was still a nice texture and the cake to frosting ratio was spot on. The best part of these cupcakes was often the frosting, which was super smooth and not overly sugary like most. I enjoyed all four, but my favorite might have been the red velvet. The s'mores cupcakes is a nice take on the classic flavor combo, though, and I haven't seen it's equal elsewhere.

The space itself is small with a little seating and you can eat in if you so choose. They also offer bread pudding, cheesecake, soft serve, smoothies, and coffee drinks. If you're in the area, definitely give it a try if you need a sugar fix like I do every, oh, 3 hours. -Laurel


I'm always up for dessert, of course. I'm always up for cookies, cupcakes, ANYTHING. So when we find a new place, I get oober excited. Especially a place that has a cute name, and when Laurel brings it to me so I don't have to do anything.

The cookies were good, but there was perhaps a little too much butter in them - they were very greasy. The chocolate was pure and delicious though, and there was just enough.

As for the cupcakes, I took one bite of the red velvet cake and freaked out. Best cream cheese icing I have ever tasted. And the cake was moist and (as red velvet is supposed to be, even though i like it when people put a tiny layer of chocolate between the cake and the icing) generally flavorless, but the icing would have overpowered it anyway. The black and white cupcake was good - pretty standard - soft and the icing was very sugary (in a good way). The coconut one was delicious - if you like coconut. It was mushy and the coconut was perfectly cooked. I, unfortunately, didn't try the s'mores one because I ate way too much.

I simply cannot WAIT to eat at the Dessert Bar. I was looking at the menu just yesterday and my mouth was watering. It looks sooooooo delicious. - Jennifer

Address: 204 E 10th St b/t 1st and 2nd Ave

Website: http://www.dessertclubchikalicious.com/

Payment: Cash or Card

Delivery: no

Open Late: midnight on the weekends

Bar/Happy Hour: no, but they have alcohol at ChikaLicious across the street

Wafels and Dinges Truck

Laurel has been raving about this place for quite a while, and working in Chinatown, I can never find a food cart that I trust. Seriously, for all the crap I put in my mouth, I just don't trust these carts.

Either way, I finally got to experience the fantastic Wafels and Dinges this past Sunday at the Brownstoner Flea Market in Fort Greene. Made how you want, you have a choice of a few different types of wafels: Brussels (light n' crispy) or Liege Vanilla or Cinnamon (soft 'n chewy, packed with a lil' extra flava) and more. I chose one with Cinnamon cooked inside, and "dinged" it with melted Nutella (totaling $5, $4 for the Wafel, $1 for the Dinge) and powdered sugar (FREE). It was yummo mcgee. I walked around attempting to eat it with a melted (recycled) fork. Not a good situation, but it slowly turned into more of a knife rather than a fork, so it almost made it easier to cut.



Also, I hear they do some pretty cool "get free dinges" promotions, but I'll let Miss Laurel tell you about that, since she's actually experienced it. - Jennifer



Seriously, people. What about a WAFFLE truck is not totally great? When I heard about this dream come true, and learned that they often park near work, I pretty much ran all the way there.

I've tried a couple if different combos: the Brussels (which is similar to your standard Belgian waffle) with strawberries and whipped cream, and later the Liege (chewier and, as Jennifer said, more flava) with strawberries and powdered sugar, as seen above. They offer other toppings like chocolate, bananas, honey, and now I hear they have a savory waffle with BBQ on one side and cole slaw on the other. As you've noticed, I haven't been able to pull myself away from my love affair with strawberries and waffles. So good!

These waffles are definitely tasty. They make them when you order, so they are fresh and delicious. My favorite type is the Liege; I could eat this waffle all by itself, no toppings necessary. The value isn't too bad-- $5 for a waffle, $1 per topping. The waffles aren't huge, but they are good for a breakfast or dessert.

Also, they often have something every day that if you repeat or answer, you get a free topping. I've done this three times: once I said the word of the day, once I answered a trivia question, and once a few co-workers and I sang The Muppet Show theme song on 45th Street. Totally worth it.

Check out their website to see where they are parked in real time (and what today's word or task is), and go get one. You deserve it. -Laurel




Address: parks in Midtown and near Union Square usually, call the number on their website or check their Twitter for updates.


Website: http://www.wafelsanddinges.com/


Payment: Cash Only

Delivery: no

Open Late: nope

Bar/Happy Hour: nope, no drinking on the sidewalk allowed

Desserts by Michael Allen

You better believe that I was excited when I discovered a little bakery opening up around the corner from me (they are literally located in the next building over). I went in on the first day they were open, and they were starting out slow with just a few items to sell. We sampled a bit of brownie, madeline, and Michael handed us a little almond-flavored treat hot out of the oven. It was all delicious, and we left with a baguette and brownie, having spent $4.

An issue I often encounter with brownies is that they are not chocolatey enough. His brownie was very chocolately and not too sweet with a lightly crispy crust and almost gooey underneath. Delicious! The baguette was good, but not the best. I decided I needed to try a few more desserts.

So far, I've tried their mini tartlets, which were delicate and lovely and would be pretty at a cocktail party, chocolate croissant, which wasn't quite flakey enough but the chocolate filling was yummy, and the cupcake and truffles pictured below. The cupcake was a little dry, the icing was very good, and the truffles were rich amd smooth. And the bit of their chocolate chili we sampled was really, really good.

He offers lots of items, including muffins, pastries, tarts, cakes, cookies, bars, and fancy chocolates. They also have two soups a day, coffees, breads, and offer free wi-fi. The space is cozy and rustic, and the service is friendly. I would definitely recommend giving them a try-- I'm hoping this lovely little bakery with thrive.. I'm doing my part. -Laurel






First of all, I must point out that the cupcake looks like it had little babies - but those are actually truffles. I wish cupcakes could have babies.


So Desserts by Michael Allen just opened literally around the corner from Laurel's house. And since I'm sure many of you have either A) Ever been to Clinton Hill or B) Don't plan on going any time soon, I'm about to do my best to convince you otherwise. The combination of this and Brown Betty (which we are reviewing later) will make you hop a train right over.

This little shop is run by Michael Allen (SURPRISE!) and his wife and their son. When you walk in you are greeted with a friendly "Hello!" and told everything you should eat. I, of course, being as easily swayed as I usually am, wanted EVERYTHING. Luckily, I was totally satisfied, and they like giving out a little bit of sampling.


On this particular visit (the picture visit), I purchased a half dozen espresso truffles, which are pretty much as amazing as they sound, and oh-so-fresh. YUM. And I also got the chocolate-iced vanilla-cake cupcake, which wasn't the best cupcake I've ever had, but certainly not the worst. The cake part was moist, but obviously cooked on the bottom rung of the oven, because the bottom was a little burnt. We also sampled the "Chocolate Chili," which consisted of beans, vegetables, and cocoa - kind of like a mole sauce. Michael apparently put a whole chocolate bar in the soup. Excellent decision - it's absolutely delicious.


The next time we stopped by for me to grab a quick brownie - which Laurel had been raving about. Moist, but not overly decadent. it was definitely one of the best brownies I've ever had.


Okay, here's to hoping that I've convinced you to take the A/C to Clinton Washington or the G to Classon and eat at this place. Or, since they don't deliver, maybe we could convince Laurel to deliver some for you. Just ask nicely. - Jennifer



Address: 1015 Fulton St, Brooklyn (Clinton Hill)


Website: http://www.michaelallendesserts.com/

Payment: Cash or Credit


Delivery: no

Open Late: nope


Bar/Happy Hour: no, but they have coffee and an espresso machine

Food at the Brooklyn Flea

So, we've brought you one review from the Brooklyn Flea--a fab flea market with all sorts of goodies in Fort Greene--Kumquat Cupcakery. Those delightful little treats are tasty goodness, but Brooklyn Flea offers a few other options--a couple of which I tried out this past weekend.

A few notes for beginners: The Brooklyn Flea is a Sunday-only event, open from 10-5. It offers items like jewelry, antiques, furnishings, clothes, records, original art, food, and other random things. The market is outdoors and is located on the track field of a high school, but, barring a major storm, is rain or shine, since vendors are under tents. Food-wise, the flea regularly has waffles, ice cream, french food, sandwiches, cupcakes, and best of all.. some vendors from the Red Hook Ballfields.

If you don't know about the Latin American food at the Red Hook Ballfields, google it, for it will be covered in a later post. I decided that this Sunday warranted a pupusa, a thick corn tortilla that is stuffed with different ingredients. The pupusa stand offers several different variations, of which I have tried the pork and cheese and the bean and cheese, and they all cost $2.25. Bargain. Two would easily make a meal.

These tasty creations are topped with raw shredded cabbage, red chili sauce (much like an enchilada sauce for you Mexican food fans), and sour cream. Pickled jalapenos are optional. They make the pupusas right there in front of you--patting then out and tossing them on the grill. And they are delicious--a little crisp on the outside from grilling, with a tasty bit of filling in the middle. The cabbage adds more crunch, the chili sauce adds some nice flavor, and the sour cream adds a little cool to the mix. Tasty combo indeed.

The other item I tried this weekend was a chocolate chip cookie from Wanna Hava Cookie (http://www.wannahavacookie.com/). They offered samples, which I am a total sucker for, and had various kinds of whoopie pies (chocolate cakey cookies with vanilla, mint, chocolate or peanut butter filling) and your usual cookies, like chocolate chip, oatmeal, and snickerdoodle. I went for the classic chocolate chip cookie, of which I am a big fan, and have yet to master in the kitchen.

It was definitely a good one. A little crispy around the edge, chewy in the middle, with both milk and dark chocolate chips. I was satisfied, and would eat again. Cookies are $1, or 6 for $5. A wee bit steep if you're not buying 6, as they aren't huge, but they use quality ingredients.

So if you haven't been flea'ing, you should go! Find a bargain, and stuff yourself. Two of my favorite things ever. -Laurel

Address: Lafayette Ave b/t Vanderbilt and Clermont (Ft Greene)

Website: http://www.brownstoner.com/brooklynflea/

Payment: Cash Only

Take Out: Yes

Delivery: No

Open Late: Nope, and only open on Sundays

Large Group Friendly: Yes

Bar/Happy Hour: Nope!

Babycakes

Pursuing my goal to eat every cupcake worth eating, I came upon Babycakes after having dinner in Chinatown and heading to the LES. I had heard of the place, and knew they offered vegan cupcakes, allergy-friendly treats, and made use of agave syrup in place of refined sugars. I wanted to try it out and see if these good ideas actually equaled a tasty cupcake.

So, here I was, drawn into the snug bakery by a carefully flickering sign. Amy and I stared into the case of the bakery contemplating our options. The offered a good handful of pretty standard options, most available gluten-free or regular. We settled on a regular lemon, and upon receiving it squeezed into the corner and sat on the windowsill. The kitchen is open and the space features brick-a-brack as well as a few things for buying, including bottles of agave syrup. The service was friendly and they dolled out cupcakes to a steady stream of customers passing in and out of the small storefront.

The icing was creamy and lemony--not too tart, not sugary or too sweet, and not piled high. The cake was the most interesting. It was moist and has a great texture, along with an interesting taste. It was more carrot cake-like than anything, minus the carrot, and also not too sweet. Since Babycakes does not use dairy/butter, they use ingredients like sweet potato and pear instead. The taste of these ingredients can't really be picked out when eating a cupcake, but they do have a lightly spiced, different kind of flavor.

Overall Amy and I definitely approved, and felt okay with ourselves after eating it. With organic ingredients and dairy/egg/refined sugar-free, that sneaky guilt feeling is largely absent. Because of these features, however, the prices are a fairly high, with regular-sized cupcakes at $3.00 and up. To sum up, this is an excellent option for vegans, allergy sufferers, diabetics, or just cupcakes lovers looking for something new. -Laurel





Address: 248 Broome St (b/t Orchard and Ludlow)

Website: http://www.babycakesnyc.com

Payment: Cash, Cards

Take Out: Yes

Open Late: 11 pm on weekends

Delivery: Yes

Large Group Friendly: No

Bar/Happy Hour: No

Kumquat Cupcakery

It's no secret I love cupcakes and eat them pretty much whenever the opportunity presents itself. I had heard good things about Kumquat Cupcakery, and just so happens I was also pumped about a new flea market that started in Fort Greene where these mini cupcakes were to be sold.

The cupcakes are bite-sized but only a dollar, and cheaper if you buy 6 or more. Kumquat is limited to 2 Brooklyn flea markets on weekends and special orders and deliveries. At the flea markets, different flavors are offered each week and announced ahead of time on their blog.

By the time we made our way past all of the interesting goodies at the flea market, the tiny stand had run out of red velvet, so we sampled the remaining varieties: peanut butter, banana and honey; coffee; and black and white. If you like the peanut butter/banana combo, this cupcake is a deliciously dense and flavorful treat. The cake was moist and the icing was creamy. The coffee cupcake was also tasty, but strong-- recommended for dedicated coffee-lovers only. The black and white was a great combo- moist chocolate cake with white chocolate filling.

I liked these enough that I stopped by the next week to try a couple more varieties. The strawberries and cream cupcakes were, well, gone before I even got home. They were simply put: borderline amazing. This is coming from a big strawberries and cream fan, and these flavors were perfectly encapsulated in a moist white cake with strawberries mixed in and a creamy vanilla frosting. I will be eating these again whenever I have the opportunity. I suggest you do the same. -Laurel


Bite sized cupcakes from a flea market? Sounds strange, I know, but it's absolutely fantastic. I only had a chance to try the honey and peanut butter one, but it was unbelievably delicious. Strawberry and cream cupcakes are my absolute favorite, but I opted to watch Forgetting Sarah Marshall instead of going to the flea market (btw - the movie is awesome!), but I KNOW I'll be back for those awesome cupcakes. They're just too cute to pass up!

Also - as a note, I love that these cupcakes are only available at flea markets. Especially the best flea market in New York, the Brooklyn Brownstoner Flea Market. And by the way, I know saying this is the best flea market in New York is a stretch because I've never been to any others. But this one does have an awesome vintage postcard stand, homemade charm necklaces (I got a cutsie whale), and some sweet furniture. However, what makes this one the best and makes me think you should 100 percent go, is that Kumquat is there. - Jennifer

Address: Brooklyn Flea Markets-- Artist and Fleas Market and Brooklyn Brownstoner Flea Market (weekends), OR you can place special orders.

Website: http://www.kumquatcupcakery.blogspot.com/

Payment: Cash

Take Out: that's the only option!

Open Late: flea market hours, or special order

Delivery: yes

Cocoa Bar

Amy and I stumbled upon this fun little place after having lunch in Park Slope. Cocoa Bar is cozy and bigger than appearances-- a couple of tables up front and bar seating lead to extra seating in the back. Several tables were occupied by customers taking advantage of the free WiFi and sipping hot chocolates. We picked what we wanted and sat at the bar to stare at the chocolate treats.

Cocoa Bar offers truffles, chocolates, cakes, pastries, brownies, coffees, teas, hot chocolates and wines. We decided upon a coffee, chai latte, and a few chocolates: banana cream pie, cookies and cream, and mint leaves.

My coffee was good (Sumatra was featured that day) and balanced, Amy's chai latte was "the best ever!" and we enjoyed sampling the chocolates. The banana cream pie was a little too sweet, the cookies and cream was sweet but tasty, and the mint leaves was just to our liking-- dark and subtle. They had colorful patterns on top and would make a fun gift for a chocolate lover.

Prices are about average here and the service was good. It's a fun place to stop and hang out if you're in the neighborhood, especially on a gloomy day and you need need some chocolate. -Laurel

Address: 228 7th Ave b/t 3rd and 4th (Park Slope)

Website: http://chatnchew.ypguides.net/

Payment: Cash, Cards?

Take Out: yes

Open Late: 1:00 am on weekends

Delivery: no

Large Group Friendly: medium-sized groups should fit

Bar/Happy Hour: wine (becomes wine and dessert bar at night)