Robicelli's One Year Anniversary

5/19/10: I never updated this; probably because I was so sad. Robicelli's had to close. But, their cupcakes became so popular, they're still in business doing customs orders. You can still get your Elvis cupcake fix!

I went to Robicelli's Gourmet Market on Friday to celebrate their one-year anniversary. I forgot my camera, so bear with me as I describe all the things there were to eat without seeing photos - you'll just have to go to the store to see & taste for yourself! They had a big pot of their famous Butternut Squash soup that got them into the food business in the first place. It was so creamy and flavorful - I'm not a huge soup fan but I could eat this every day for a week and be happy! It was a lovely bright orange color too, certain to cheer you up on rainy, winter days.

There was also a big pan of roasted Brussels sprouts made with lemon juice which I really liked - definitely a new way to have sprouts that made them zesty and fresh instead of their normal earthy mustiness, in addition to roasted broccoli with pignoli nuts, nicely browned & seasoned. (Photo courtesy of Cupcakes Take the Cake via Flickr.)



There were also Pork Belly BLTs that were INCREDIBLE! Parts of the pork were nicely burnt, which made them crisp and crunchy, and the sandwich was completely decadent. There was also an egg salad sandwich made with olive oil and soft-boiled eggs so they made their own mayonnaise. Delicious.

It wouldn't be a trip to Robicelli's without cupcakes, and just for this special occasion, Allison made a Kiwanis Cupcake, based on the special-occasion-cake of her childhood. White cake with banana in the center, with banana (butterscotch?) frosting and topped with a cream puff and a slice of chocolate covered strawberry (help me out Allison, did I remember it correctly?). So rich, so complex - amazing for a small dessert.

There's so much good stuff going on there, I highly encourage you to visit. Run by a husband & wife team, they are always trying to do the best by their customers while also keeping their food top-notch. They are so dedicated to their neighborhood and to keeping business local, they're changing the products they carry to reflect a more NY-based selection.



Allison & Matt with their famous cupcakes. (Photo courtesy of Cathyerway via Flickr.)

Snacks from Robicelli's Gourmet Market

5/19/10: I never updated this; probably because I was so sad. Robicelli's had to close. But, their cupcakes became so popular, they're still in business doing customs orders. You can still get your Elvis cupcake fix!

Allison & Matt opened Robicelli's Gourmet Market (8511 3rd Avenue, between 85th & 86th Streets, 718-748-6804) in the Fall of 2008. I was invited to their store this past weekend to sample some baked goods and take a look at what they've got going. They are lovely, dedicated owners, committed to the neighborhood by supporting small and/or local businesses and contributing to the community. As fourth generation Bay Ridgers (their kids are the 5th generation in the neighborhood) they want to positively contribute to the area by offering a wide variety of organic foods & snacks (both packaged and bulk), hormone and anti-biotic free grass-fed meats (and certified humane, which is most important) and dairy products, as well as homemade baked goods (Allison was up until 4am the morning of our visit!).

So, speaking of baked goods, and with full disclosure, Allison generously gave me two of her cupcakes to try. YUM! One was called The Elvis: banana cupcake with peanut butter frosting, sprinkled with bacon and it was awesome! The cupcake was moist and banana-y, the frosting was whipped into frothy peanut-buttery goodness and the bits of bacon added a wonderful salty, smoky contrast to the sweet.



The other cupcake I got was Allison's Famous Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese frosting. This too was delicious and moist, with a creamy smooth, slightly tangy frosting.



We also purchased a bag of coffee beans from Brownstone Beans which is roasted by local guys who offer different flavors of organic, Fair Trade coffee. It brewed some of the strongest coffee I've ever had; dark and flavorful and rich and it's available at locations all over Brooklyn. Allison & Matt are also are environmentally conscious - the bags they provide customers with are biodegradeable! Whoo-hoo! Go check 'em out and support the new generation of Mom & Pop stores!

Amazing Cupcakes from Ladybird Bakery

A friend celebrated his birthday at a local bar, to which another friend brought two huge bakery boxes full of some of the most amazing cupcakes I've ever had. The cupcakes, from Ladybird Bakery in Park Slope (1112 Eighth Ave., 718-499-8108) were an assortment of vanilla, chocolate and red velvet cake with a whole bunch of icings and toppings.



The hit of the night was the red velvet cupcake with cream cheese frosting. It was devoured before I could snap a picture! The frosting was creamy, subtly sweet, and went incredibly well with the red velvet cake, which was moist and tasty.

There was a vanilla cupcake with strawberry frosting that was really nice too. The frosting tasted like real strawberries! And also reminded me of Breyers Strawberry Ice Cream.



There was a Vanilla Cupcake with Sugar Frosting and Coconut Flakes that was pretty amazing, with the consistently moist cake, and tons of coconut on top. The Buttercream Frosting was too buttery for me, but that's my preference. It was beautiful though, with colorful sprinkles.



You can see that these cupcakes were so enticing, nobody was able to keep their fingers away to sample all the toppings and flavors.



Ladybird Bakery has so many options for building your own birthday cake too - standard cake options, specialty cakes (ie. orange, mocha), types of filling (ie. flavored buttercream, fudge) and all kinds of frosting (ie. vanilla, chocolate glaze). The results are as good as the choices sound! YUM!

Cookies & Cupcakes

I'm a big baked-items fan. Cookies, croissants, cake, cupcakes, scones. I'm always on the search for the best of the best. Cookies are my favorite though, and I'm always looking for a place where I can get a reliable, satisfying cookie.

This first cookie was purchased at the Carroll Gardens branch of Naidre's (502 Henry St. at Sackett St., 718-596-3400, www.naidres.com). They get their baked goods from a number of spots around town, some of which are great, some, not so great. This cookie, the Oatmeal, Dried Cherry & Pecan, was great. It was chewy, packed with plump, tart dried cherries and nutty pieces of pecan. Sweet, but not too, and the oatmeal made me feel like I was also eating healthy.




This second cookie was purchased at the newest incarnation of the space at 264 Clinton St. at Verandah Pl. It's called Ted & Honey (718-852-2212) and is located where the big, red Delicatessen used to be. I actually worked there for a brief time in the early months of 1998 and loved it so I'm happy to see it up and running again as an eatery. This Macadamia Chocolate Chip cookie was so crisp and full of melty chocolate chips and pieces of Macadamia. YUM, so good. I took it home and ate it with a big glass of cold milk.



Then there's this cupcake I tried from S'Nice (315 5th Ave. at 3rd St., 718-788-2121). Woah, what a cupcake. It's the Carrot Cake Cupcake and was SO dense and the frosting SO rich, I had to eat it in two sittings. S'Nice is a vegan & vegetarian restaurant, with really surprisingly good food. It's great, despite that lame-o name.