Battle of the Tallahassee Cupcakes

So I've made the big move to Nashville! Packing was a mess, but it had some perks. My mother was able to take some time and come help me pack and brought along some treats to test for my blogging research. Recently in my hometown of Tallahassee, the first cupcake specialty shop opened, Lucy & Leo's. Before this, the local places in town pick up a good cupcake were Tasty Pastry Bakery, The Cake Shop and Heidi's Bakery. Although Heidi's was not open, I was able to get samplings from the other 3 current competitors to test and determine who has the best cupcake in Tallahassee.

Let's begin with prices and sizes. Both Tasty Pastry and The Cake Shop offer 2 options: large or small cupcakes. At Tasty Pastry, the large runs $2.99 and the small $1.39. At The Cake Shop, the large runs $2.50 and the small $1.00. The two have comparable prices and sizes, and both places definitely give you your money's worth. At Lucy & Leo's there is only one size (the same size as the small cupcakes from the 2 competitors) and it is priced at $2.39 - not the best value in town. In this department, The Cake Shop takes the lead, with Tasty Pastry in a close second.

The next, and most important, test was the taste test. I had a sample of 3-4 cupcakes from each store and tasted them blindly. While I could go on for quite some time describing each, I'm going to stick to some high and low points and share my general observations. Overall, my two favorite cupcakes were the caramel drizzle cupcake from The Cake Shop and the hummingbird cupcake from Tasty Pastry. My least favorite cupcake was the chocolate with cream cheese frosting from Lucy & Leo's. This is consistent with my general store observations.

The Cake Shop has plain flavors (white and chocolate cake) and rich butter cream icing mastered. The icing is so delicious that often times they "stuff" their large cupcakes with even more icing. However, paired with specialty cakes (such as the red velvet and Italian cream I sampled) it is a little too strong.

Tasty Pastry, however, has specialty cakes down to a "t" and an icing that is subtle enough not to overpower the flavors.

Lucy & Leo's was a big disappointment to me. Not only were the cupcakes overpriced, but the cakes themselves (with one exception) were not very good. Both the chocolate and the Lemon Blue Sky cupcakes I tried were very dry - not because they were stale tasting, but because they just didn't taste like good, moist cakes. The icing was too mild, as well, and flavor was lacking in general. The exception was the Monkey Biz: although I don't care for peanut butter frosting and am picky about peanut butter with dessert, the banana cake was tasty and I could imagine peanut butter fans raving.

So the verdict and winners for Tallahassee...

Best plain cupcake: The Cake Shop
Best specialty cake: Tasty Pastry Bakery
Best price: The Cake Shop

My Favorite Last Resort

Last night I went to Last Resort for the last time as an Athens resident. For those of you who have never visited Athens, or who have somehow had blinders on and have never been to or tried the Last Resort Grill, it is hands-down my favorite dinner spot in Athens. From the delicious homemade salad dressings, to the scrumptious entrees, to the fabulous Cecilia cake desserts, to the wine list - this place is unbelievable.

I decided to go out with a bang and order my favorite entree - the U-10 scallops. Although they are on the pricier side of the menu (listed as Market Price, but typically $24.95), this dish is quite the tasting treat. Starting with the side salad with homemade Vidalia-bacon dressing and finishing with a sweet piece of caramel cake, I left the restaurant on a high note. I even got to have a taste of another favorite, go-to menu item: the Last Resort's Praline (absolute comfort food at a reasonable price - $13.95).

Joined by my mom, Allie, and Erica (my eating partners in crime, if you can't tell!), this dinner was delightful. Pictured are my U-10 scallops and the Last Resort's Praline. The restaurant also ranks at the top of my lunch and brunch picks, having filling and spectacular meals that are mostly under $8. Oh Last Resort, you will never be a "Last Resort" of mine...

Farewell Margarita

As I mentioned in my first post, I'll be moving from my 5-year home of Athens a week from today. In honor of the best college town there is, I will be paying tribute to some of my favorite eating spots. While the cupcake scene has yet to take root here, there are plenty of other tasty spots that I will dearly miss.

In honor of National Tequila Day and my last full weekend in Athens, I decided I had to pay one last visit to my favorite Mexican restaurant in town, Taqueria La Parilla (or just La Parilla, as we locals call it). Erica and I had some fabulous frozen margaritas and I ordered the #29 - one soft taco, one chile relleno, refried beans and guacamole salad. I have just recently started trying chile rellenos, and La Parilla's are definitely on the top of my list. The sauce is spectacular and the balace of the fresh pepper and cheese adds a nice switch from some typical carb-loaded Mexican entres.

Stay tuned for more farewells to local Athens favorites this week. Also be looking for an update on the Tallahassee cupcake scene. Have a great weekend and eat well!

My first blog

As I was sitting around the dinner table last night with my two friends Allie and Erica (I had grilled some fresh caught grouper with EVOO and Old Bay and made cornbread; Allie brought dessert - Cecelia cakes; and Erica made a delicious blue cheese, blueberry, and sugar-coated pecan salad), Allie suggested that I start my own blog about cupcakes. Random, you might think. Quite possibly - if you don't know my obsession with food and sweets.

I'll share bits and pieces about my foodie past as I go, but for right now, I'll just set you up with the basics. In just less than two weeks I will be moving from Athens, Georgia, where I have been living and attending undergraduate and graduate school for the past 5 years, to Nashville, Tennessee. It will be difficult for me to say goodbye to my favorite dining spots in Athens, but I am excited to take on Nashville, try new spots, and let you know my thoughts along the way!

While I have a particular interest in the super-trendy cupcake shops (there are six in Nashville I've heard about so far and plan to try), I'll also be writing about the yummy grub and tasty cocktails I have along the way!

Please feel free to comment and suggest new spots for me to taste!