Now Closed
20 Aug 2009

Crumbs Bake Shop – Los Angeles (Beverly Hills)

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I think about cupcakes a lot. Aside from baking them, buying them, and analyzing their merits on an all too regular basis, I also read about them in the paper, in cookbooks, and online. After a great deal of thought and introspection on the sweet subject, I’ve concluded that cupcake lovers can be divided into two camps: In-the-Box and Out-of-the-Box.

Team In-the-Box seeks a cupcake that tastes like it came from Betty Crocker or Duncan Hines’ oven. The cake is fluffy and airy, while the frosting is unabashedly sweet and messily applied. These folks are of the thought that nothing tastes better than childhood nostalgia and embrace joints like Yummy Cupcakes (Santa Monica, Glendale) and Violet’s Cakes (Pasadena) with all of their sugary hearts.

Team Out-of-the-Box desires a more unique and thoughtful product—a cupcake so special that it cannot be replicated at home, unless of course one’s pantry contains Madagascar bourbon vanilla and imported sprinkles. The cake tends to be dense, yet moist, while the easier-on-the-sugar frosting is always stylishly applied. Cupcakeries like Sprinkles Cupcakes (Beverly Hills) and Dots Cupcakes (Pasadena) hit a home run with this crowd.

As Captain of Team Out-of-the-Box, Crumbs Bake Shop didn’t sweep me off of my feet. The vanilla cake with chocolate cream cheese frosting ($2.95) tasted disappointingly ordinary with strangely buttery tones—I swore I was eating a pound cake. While the cupcake was pleasant enough to avoid being tossed in the bin half eaten, it lacked the “specialness” that I desire in a boutique cupcake experience. After all, if I’m going to go through the trouble of procuring a premium-priced cupcake, it sure as heck better taste better than something I could crank out at home. Another factor working against Crumbs’ cupcake was its bulk. Even with my extraordinary chompers, I could not manage a clean bite from top to bottom. Please note that Crumbs offers an even larger size than the one I ate for $3.75. That’s crazy talk, I say.

POWER RANKINGS

Sprinkles Cupcakes > Dots Cupcakes > Vanilla Bake Shop > Crumbs Bake Shop > Auntie Em’s Kitchen > Yummy Cupcakes > Violet’s Cakes.

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Crumbs Bake Shop
9465 S. Santa Monica Boulevard
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Phone: 310-550-9811

Restaurant Review
19 Aug 2009

L'abricot – Tijuana

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5 p.m. I’m this close to wrapping up Day 1 of the Baja culinary blitz! Just one French brasserie, a fancy pants Baja Med dinner, and we’re finally moving on to Day 2. It was a whirlwind of an adventure at the time, and reliving it again as I write has been spectacular. Tijuana really does offer much more than donkeys disguised as zebras and cheap shots of tequila on Revolucion.

Our penultimate stop of the day brought us to L’abricot, a French eatery run by Maribel Villareal Sosa. Chef Sosa honed her culinary chops in Paris at Le Cordon Bleu and Ritz Escoffier. L’abricot is a charming spot offering classic French dishes and pastries.

Even though we’d endured eight meals prior, the restaurant’s terrific display of sugary creations had our group gawking as we walked out to our al fresco table. If there’s one thing I learned on this trip, it’s that the mind and the stomach are oftentimes at odds.

Chef Sosa prepared three dainty bites, including a poached quail egg with a Dijon vinaigrette (left), crème brûlée (right, top), and French onion soup (right, bottom). I wasn’t expecting a particularly strong showing from a French brasserie located in the heart of Tijuana, but each of the dishes was deftly prepared. Underneath the French onion soup’s thick blanket of cheese lay a deep, rich broth with caramelized onions. The crème brûlée, with its teeny tiny black vanilla specks and perfectly candied top, had me sold. L’abricot is the real deal.

Chef Sosa already had the group eating out of her hands, but to further seal the deal, she brought out plates of linzer torte cookies. As every glutton knows, two desserts are better than one.

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L’abricot
1910 Antonio Caso Boulevard, Zona Río
Tijuana, BC, Mexico
Phone: 664-634-0643

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BAJA BITES: 2 Days, 3 Cities, 18 Meals
 Introduction > 1 > 2 > 3 > 4 > 5 > 6 > 7 > 8 > 9 > 10 > 11 > 12 > 13 > 14 > 15 > 16 > 17 > 18

Restaurant Review
18 Aug 2009

Cien Años – Tijuana

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4:20 p.m. Stop number seven on the Baja culinary blitz took our grossly over-fed group to Cien Años. The kitchen here is headed up by twenty-one-year-old Talia Nunes, who prepares Mexico City-style alta cocina using local ingredients. Cien Años’ philosophy is similar to La Diferencia, but with a greater emphasis on Baja flare and an absence of six-legged creatures on the menu.

It’s a crying shame that Cien Años was scheduled so late in the afternoon. By the time we walked through its colorfully appointed dining room, our bellies were full to the brim, while our minds were wiped-out from sensory overload.

Cien Años flight of light bites included nopales tostadas (left), octopus tostadas (right, top), and chili shrimp on crackers (right, bottom). H.C. and I were feeling so overwhelmed that we split each of these small botanas (snacks) in order to fit everything in.

Next, we were served a ceviche of salmon and mango in tortilla cups (left) and shooters of spicy almeja de chocolata (chocolate clam – right). Native to Mexico, the chocolate clam was undeniably fresh and had a texture so appealing that it made me forget that I was supposed to be sharing with H.C. The wonton chip was a curious, but ultimately fitting pairing.

The finale, a shredded smoked marlin salpicon, was plated with care, but we were sadly too stuffed to give it proper attention. On occasions like these, I wish I were blessed with four stomachs like a cow. Moo.

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Cien Años
1407 Calle José María Velasco, Zona Río
Tijuana, BC, Mexico
Phone: 1-888-534-608

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BAJA BITES: 2 Days, 3 Cities, 18 Meals
 Introduction > 1 > 2 > 3 > 4 > 5 > 6 > 7 > 8 > 9 > 10 > 11 > 12 > 13 > 14 > 15 > 16 > 17 > 18