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Cupcake Kitty
2008-08-28 06:09
by Alex Belth

I looked up from the morning paper this morning on my subway ride to work. We must have been near Columbia University.  A young woman with a bob of red hair and thin, square glasses that made her look as if she stepped right out of an underground comic book, got on the train and stood above me.  She was wearing a black t-shirt with white lettering: "Make Cupcakes Not War."  

That's mad corny, I thought to myself and went back to my paper.  A little while later, I put the paper away and took out my headphones when I looked down and noticed that the girl had a tatoo of a cupcake on the top of her right foot.  She was wearing flip flops and the tatoo was beautifully done.  The cupcake had pink frosting and a red cherry on top.  The girl's toes were painted yellow, her fingernails, pink.

I couldn't resist so I stood up a minute before I was to get off the train, pulled off my headphones and asked her if she was a baker.

"No."

"What's with the cupcakes?"

She smiled and looked down.  "My roommate and I just love cupcakes.  We make them all the time.  It's a little weird, really."

"No, that's cool.  I guess you guys are big fans of Magnolia."

"Naw.  We make much better cupcakes at home."

"Very cool."

With that I excused myself and headed off to work.

Comments
2008-08-28 07:37:19
1.   tommyl
I gotta agree with her, Magnolia is one of the most overrated, overhyped things going in town. Its the David Eckstein of cupcakes.
2008-08-28 07:42:18
2.   dianagramr
http://www.burgersandcupcakes.us/

Mmmmm ..... burgers and cupcakes ...

(drool)

2008-08-28 08:17:30
3.   Start Spreading the News
http://www.sugarsweetsunshine.com/

Former Magnolia bakers who started their own bakery...

2008-08-28 08:26:54
4.   weeping for brunnhilde
I love your vignettes of NY, Alex. I just love them. Almost like being there.

An old friend of mine (from my stint in Brooklyn in the mid-nineties) took me to Magnolia a couple months ago.

Yum.

Yummy yum.

And man, was it packed.

They need to have a couple of birds squawking in cages, though, just for full effect. It would be something out of Hitchcock: birds in a packed cupcake shop.

That has a nice cultish quality to it.

2008-08-28 08:28:12
5.   weeping for brunnhilde
1 Ha ha haa ha ha !!!

I think I had the cheesecake. It was quite tasty. Overhyped, maybe, but it was fun nonetheless.

How 'bout that rice pudding place on Spring St.? That's my favorite of favorites.

2008-08-28 08:45:10
6.   tommyl
5 Never tried it, but then never been one for rice pudding. I like the old school Italian Bakeries in the Village. I love that they still have the boxes with the little ties, its awesome.
2008-08-28 08:59:59
7.   Raf
1 So true. Gotta give the owners credit for that, tho'. Maybe it's the marketing or presentation, I don't know, but I can get cupcakes around the boros that are as good, if not better than Magnolias.
2008-08-28 09:03:58
8.   Raf
7 To piggyback on that comment, if I have out of town friends, I bring them to the overhyped spots like Magnolias, Pinkberry, etc, just so they can have the experience.

We also do places like Nathans or Juniors or H&H just so they can get a taste of authentic NYC eateries/cuisine.

2008-08-28 09:36:20
9.   Alex Belth
I think Magnolia is overrated too though I'll admit, I think their cupcakes are slammin. But I get the banana cream pie in a cup when I go there. That's my Sh**!
2008-08-28 10:09:45
10.   AbbyNormal821
9 True dat, Alex - too much hype over Magnolia, but damn, the red velvet cupcakes and the red velvet cake are sheer heaven...so much better than their regular cupcakes. I can't believe you brought up the banana cream pie...like my granny used to say "I could plotz over it!" SO good!

I blame "Sex & The City" - Magnolia was featured in a episode of that show and I personally think that's when the craze started.

2008-08-28 10:11:54
11.   KJC
1 "Its the David Eckstein of cupcakes."

Are they gritty, too?

2008-08-28 11:18:33
12.   Raf
11 Only when they don't mix the batter properly... :/

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