Carytown Cupcakes – My New Happy Place

Why has no one talked about this sooner?!  Shops devoted solely to cupcakes?? BRILLIANT.  Forget a bakery.  Who needs all that extra bread and blah?  Just give me my sweet mini cakes.

Nestled in a little boutique-type shop on

Colonial Street

right near Coppolas Deli and the Byrd Theatre, they bake their cupcakes from scratch daily and only stay open until the cupcakes sell out.  And the options are skimpy.

They have the classics like vanilla (vanilla cupcake with either vanilla or chocolate buttercream frosting), chocolate (chocolate buttermilk cupcake with either vanilla or chocolate buttercream frosting), carrot (carrot cupcake full of carrots, raisins, and a hint of allspice topped with cream cheese icing and chopped pecans), and red velvet (red cocoa cupcake with cream cheese icing).

They also have unique contraptions, like the hummingbird, which is a sweet cupcake full of pineapple, bananas, and a hint of cinnamon, topped with cream cheese icing with chopped pecans.

My personal favorite is the vegan Oreo cupcake.  Irresistible!

But if these options aren’t enough for you, their weekly specials should help you out.
Look what you could’ve been enjoying this week!

The Weekly Specials

December 21 - 25

Chocolate Peppermint: Chocolate Peppermint Cupcake Topped With Vanilla Buttercream With Crushed Peppermint Candies

Winter Wonderland: Vanilla White Chocolate Chip Cupcake Topped With Vanilla Buttercream And Blue Sugar Snowflakes

Maple Spice: Spice Cake Topped With Maple Buttercream

Chocolate-Orange: Chocolate Cupcake Filled With Orange Buttercream, Topped With Chocolate Ganache And Candied Oranges

Their prices are $2.75 for one cupcake, $16.00 for half a dozen, and $29.00 for one dozen.

And with advance notice, they even deliver orders of 1 dozen or more (for free) to customers within 5 miles from the shop.

Check them out at:
2820-C West Cary Street, Richmond, VA 23221
804.355.CAKE   |  info@carytown-cupcakes.com

Really, please, check them out – because every cupcake you buy is one less that ends up in my belly.  I can’t stay away!

Cinebistro: Opening Weekend and After

It’s all so alluring- a comfy, swanky-looking sitting area outside with coffee tables and leather chairs, a waiting area inside that is café (or rather bistro) like, and a beautiful bar with an impressive collection of spirits.  You need all that if you’re at Cinebistro because you can’t go into the actual theater until they announce seating for your movie.

Inside your theater/dining area, leather seats are accented by\ wooden swivel tables and giant wooden arm rests, which come in handy when you realize the swivel table is just big enough to hold one dinner plate and maybe a side plate.  The arm rests are big enough for your extra plates with enough room to spare for a cup/wine glass holder.

During their rough inaugural weekend, there seemed to be two main problems:  a wait staff that seemed unprepared, and an underestimation on quantities of food and some drinks.

Our waiter got held up with one couple for the entire pre-show ordering time.  Since you have to get your food order in before the previews start, this was quite aggravating to our host.  We had most of our questions answered by another employee, but she was “in training” and couldn’t actually take our order.  Luckily another waiter noticed our impatience and was able to step in and help.

They ran out of salmon.  This is unacceptable in my book.  All I wanted was seafood dish, and this was the only one they had.  But it their defense, we went to the 11:00 pm movie, so we may have just missed it.  The 2^nd time we went, everything was there and good to go.

The process of ordering dinner goes like this:  you have to know everything you want (appetizers, main course, dessert and drinks) as soon as your waiter comes to greet you.  Be ready when they come up to you, because if you’re not ready they’ll move on to another group and, in my experiences, they don’t come back.  You’ll just have to wait for another waiter to come find you if you don’t make use of your first opportunity.

Your server will put everything you order into a little computer they carry around with them and then print out your check right then and there.  You pay before the movie so that you can leave right after the movie is over without having to wait around (and of course so that no one would leave half way through the movie or something without paying for their dinner).  Now you’ve done all you need to – you’ve ordered and paid for a meal which has yet to come, and you can sit back and enjoy the previews or walk out to the bar to get a refill.  The servers will bring you new alcoholic beverages and soda or water refills while the lights are still on and the previews aren’t too far along, but once the movie starts you’re on your own and have to walk back out to the bar.

And now when you order, they offer bottomless popcorn, twizzlers, or raisinettes to compliment the full-on dinner you just ordered.  It helps remind you that you’re at the movies, not a restaurant; if you’re more into that kinda thing.

The food runners bring out your food during the previews, you have just enough time to set everything up on your tables and arm rests, and then it’s movie time.  And it is extra fantastic with a glass of wine, a tall margarita, or a cold beer to accompany it (or water if that’s your thing). 

Just be aware that if you go to Cinebistro and try to order a “rail” drink or “house” liquor, they’re not going to know what you’re talking about.  There is no Bacardi or low-prices liquors here.  Which is good and bad, depending if you care more about quality or price.

I don’t which thing I like more about Cinebistro, the movie selection (no kiddy movies here since it’s 21 and up only) or the menu (it rivals a normal restaurants menu in selection, price, and quality).  The only (comical) problem with Cinebistro’s menu is, who brings crunchy tortilla chips and guacamole to a movie? No one, because they’re loud as hell!  Our host at the first movie ordered that and it was quite embarrassing.  At first I didn’t notice (even though everyone around us did) and wondered why my friend was giving me weird looks while glancing at our host who was crunching away, but then as soon as I took my first bite, there was an epiphany and immediate end to that appetizer.

But all-in-all, this place has pulled itself together since opening weekend and is an awesome experience.  It’s a one-stop first date shop – forget dinner and a movie the way it used to be.  This kills two birds with one stone.  Or if you want to go out with friends and can’t think of anything to do (and you’re not broke), the ability to choose your seats from a chart on Fandango make it easy to guarantee you all sit together.  We saw some ladies out for what appeared to be a ladies (of the) night out.  Sorry for that bad joke.  Had to be there.

Anyway, if you get the chance, don’t hesitate to check this place.  It’s pretty darn cool.

 

 

TMI!! the reason G&G's been MIA...

http://womenshealth.about.com/cs/cevicalconditions/a/colposcopy.htm

Now then, glad that's over (for now).  But a lot of ladies have to go through it.  Props.

Now, back to the blogs...