nosh nook #107 - tuesday, august 11, 2009

nyc cupcakes: bakeries, cafes, a hotel and a truck (link)
08.10.09 - san jose mercury news - by beth harpaz

gotta be honest, folks. i'm still sick of the cupcake craze. maybe it's because i've never seen sarah jessica parker bite into a cupcake from magnolia bakery nor have i been to said establishment. it's not that i hate cupcakes, i'm just sick of hearing about them. remember that episode of happy days where the fonz strapped on a pair of water skis & leapt through the air over a shark to prove a point? that's what cupcakes have become here in nyc.

beth harpaz of the san jose mercury news breaks down the nyc cupcake craze for us right in her opening sentence--"this city is crazy for cupcakes. there are cupcake classes and cupcake tours, lines down the block at cupcake bakeries, a cupcake tea at a five-star hotel, and a cupcake truck with 6,000 followers on twitter." according to melanie underwood, who teaches cupcake classes at the institute of culinary education, "you'd think it would reach its peak but it hasn't—people are still into cupcakes, and i don't see it slowing down." awesome...looking forward to cupcakes really taking off.

harpaz also gives a rundown of the places stoking the nyc cupcake craze flames. magnolia's the most well known culprit, but there's also cupcake cafe, which has been around for over twenty years. there are vegan cupcakes (babycakes nyc), a cupcake truck (cupcakestop), cupcakes made with miso & tofu (kyotofu) & a hoighty-toighty $25 cupcake tea (the ritz-carlton). basically, if you're into cupcakes, there are no shortage of options, but really, i think it's about time that we moved on from the cupcake & started a new, exciting dessert craze. my vote is for spotted dick. if i don't see spotted dick on the lips of food bloggers by this time next year, i'll feel seriously let down.