Robicelli's

We had so much fun this past Tuesday at Choice Eats, and hope all of you who came did too! Now that this one is in the books, it means that we have officially kicked off the food event season for 2013, and you need to start planning which ones you’re going to spend your hard earned money on. And OF COURSE you guys are most interested in the ones Matt and I will be appearing at….RIGHT?!?!?!?!

First up:

We’ll be back for our third installment of Tasting Brooklyn on April 16th at the Green Building. If you’re kicking yourself over missing the awesomeness that Choice Eats brought, this is just the event to get you over that.  In addition to us, there will be food & drinks from Allswell, The Clover Club, Fletchers BBQ, Stone Park Cafe and more- including two of my all time personal favorites, ALC Alimentari and Tchoup Shop.  There’s only a few tickets that are still available, so I would order them immediately. IMMEDIATELY I SAY! Like right this very second!

Next one that I can officially announce is….

We are returning to Tasting Table’s Lobster Roll Rumble! We did this one two years ago and are so so SOOOOOOO unbelievably stoked to be back.  This one is a little “pricey” (God I hate that word so much), but it’s worth every single damn penny. If you’re looking for the most epic friend’s night out or can’t afford to party in the Hamptons this summer, this is your next best bet. Because:

1. You get all the damn lobster rolls you can eat for two whole hours. TWO WHOLE HOURS. And we’re not just talking local favorites Red Hook Lobster Pound or Lure Fishbar either. We’re talking lobster rolls from Maine (The Clam Shack, Cousin’s Fresh Maine Lobster and more), Boston (B&G), out east (Lunch Lobster Shack), Virginia (Ford’s), Chicago (Little Market)……even San Francisco (Waterbar). If you have ever had a dream where you were trapped in a clam shack and could eat all the lobster you could possibly dream of- that dream has come true.

2. You can drink all you want for THREE whole hours! Because what goes better with getting yourself sick off lobster than getting completely stinking drunk!

3. You can eat all the desserts you want to counteract all the alcohol you’ve drank, including whoopie pies from yours truly.

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We’ve also got several more events coming up which are going to change your entire damn life, but I’m saving those for another post. It’s HARD coming up with new material for these blogs every day out of just cupcakes and brownies and whatnot! I can’t be writing about just them and otters all the damn time!

Banoffee: Banana cake, toffee pudding, mascarpone buttercream, toffee shards

Tiramisu: Espresso soaked cake, espresso ganache, mascarpone buttercream, cocoa powder

Blueberry Cobbler: Vanilla cake, blueberry syrup, vanilla buttercream, blueberry compote, brown sugar streusel

Hazelnut Kiss: Chocolate hazelnut cake, Nutella buttercream, roasted hazelnuts

So this week we have to shoot the cover for our upcoming cookbook, because THIS didn’t get approved.

I see that, I get hungry for cupcakes. Apparently, I’m the only one.

Fortunately our photographer/friend Eric Isaac is doing a pretty amazing job so far, even with the (hopefully temporary) moratorium on nudity in our book. I can’t show you any photos yet - you’re just going to have to wait til October 17th like everyone else (sorry, Mom) - but if you follow me on Instagram, you’ll occasionally get behind the scenes pics of Eric setting up shots, or sous photographer Fernando teaching me about lighting, or me figuring out what I want to order for lunch (not actual pictures of my lunch though- that’s just annoying).

Other exciting news today- IT’S MATT’S BIRTHDAY!!!

We’ll be celebrating with a romantic birthday dinner catered by the same people who catered our wedding over six years ago:

Not even kidding about that a little bit. White Castle is synonymous with romance. If you can’t score reservations for our one night only pop-up dessert restaurant at The Owl’s Head for Valentine’s Day, you may want to consider calling White Castle to see if you can score a reservation over there. That’s where Matt and I would be if we didn’t have to work that night (though once we finally get home there may be a little romantic late night slider eating competition in bed, followed by a few minutes of cuddling, then probably telling Matt he needs to go sleep on the couch and he’s never allowed to eat White Castle again).

And speaking of Valentine’s, we’re going to start taking orders for V-Day delivery come Wednesday (we’re also taking Mardi Gras orders right now via email if that’s your thing). AND we’re about 99.9% set on our menu of plated desserts based on our cupcakes that were inspired by plated desserts! BEHOLD- VALENTINE’S 2013 AT THE OWL’S HEAD!

First Course: Pear Mascarpone
Mascarpone panna cotta, roasted pear compote, spiced pear chip

Second Course: The Noah
Apple galette, goat cheese mousse, roasted candied bacon, bourbon brown sugar sauce

Third Course: Car Bomb
Jameson whiskey, Bailey’s Irish Cream & Guinness stout opera cake, Guinness beer nut praline

Wine pairings courtesy of The Owl’s Head- contact them for reservations ASAP, as the place is super small and is already filling up!

Now for today’s cupcakes- one of my favorites, Pecan Potato Chip, is back after a lengthy hiatus! It’s so good it might bake you explode…..WITH JOY!!!

The Ebinger: Chocolate cake, chocolate custard buttercream, chocolate fudge, chocolate cake crumbs

The Hinsch: Chocolate malted cake, vanilla buttercream, malted chocolate sauce, homemade malted milk balls

Blueberry Cobbler: Vanilla cake, blueberry syrup, vanilla buttercream, wild Maine blueberry compote, brown sugar streusel

Pecan Potato Chip: Pecan potato chip cake, vanilla buttercream, roasted pecans, crushed potato chips, salted butterscotch

WE WON “BEST MADE IN NY FILM” AT THE FOOD FILM FESTIVAL! AHHHHH!

Well, actually, WE didn’t win it. The filmmaker Alison Grasso won it, since she “did all the work” or something like that. 

Considering there were so many amazing NYC based films presented this weekend, this is an INSANE honor- especially that now there’s been a film about us featured two years running.  We love that so many of you enjoy watching us be idiots (and eat sandwiches) on camera, that you sold out the screening, and you’ve chosen us for the prestigious Slooted Spoon Award.

It’s BEAUTIFUL!

In total seriousness, the AMC Village Cinemas was a big hangout for my back in the 90s when I was in high school. Thinking that one day they would be showing a film about me and my future husband, that the movie would sell out the entire theater, AND that it would win an award over the hundreds of other films submitted? Do you understand how utterly surreal this is for me? I am so incredibly grateful for all of this.

If anyone wants to make a film about us for the 2013 Food Film Festival just let us know - apparently we’re good luck! Maybe we can finally get someone to animate Let’s Bake the Whole Thing Off.

If you didn’t get to the festival this weekend to see the film- well, it’s not up on the internet yet, but I promise you I’ll post it the second it becomes available.

And now……FLAVORS! The much lusted after Car Bomb has returned- go get your before they’re all gone!

Clockwise from front: Blueberry Cobbler, Pecan Potato Chip, Car Bomb, Sweet Potato Pie

Pecan Potato Chip: Potato chip cake, vanilla buttercream, roasted pecans, potato chips, salted butterscotch

Car Bomb: Chocolate Guinness stout cake, Jameson whiskey ganache, Bailey’s buttercream

Sweet Potato Pie: Sweet potato cake, vanilla buttercream, glazed pecans

Blueberry Cobbler: Vanilla cake, blueberry syrup, vanilla buttercream, wild Maine blueberry compote, brown sugar streusel

Things you learn when your back is out:

1. It is really, really hard to type with one hand while lying flat on your back, using your other arm to hold your laptop in the air where you can see it.

2. Your husband COULD help you by holding the laptop for you, but instead will think it’s a far better idea to sit across the room pointing and laughing.

3. Husband obviously has forgotten that my back will not be out forever, and once I’ve healed, I’m going to slapbox the living crap out of him and revenge will be mine.

It will be ever so delicious. Much like these cupcakes you see here.

Clockwise from front: Hazelnut Kiss, The Pickett, Wild Maine Blueberry Cobbler, Creamsicle

Hazelnut Kiss: Chocolate hazelnut cake, Nutella buttercream, roasted hazelnuts

The Pickett: Vanilla cake, vanilla custard buttercream, feuilletine (crunchy puff pastry), ganache

Wild Maine Blueberry Cobbler: Vanilla cake, blueberry syrup, vanilla buttercream, blueberry compote, brown sugar streusel

Creamsicle: Orange cake, vanilla buttercream, hand candied orange zest

Robicelli’s at DeKalb Market is closed Monday, but will reopen with these flavors at noon on Tuesday. You can find these today at select Robicelli’s retail partners.

Today is a landmark day in the Robicelli’s household. We are now the proud owners of this (but in blue):

“What’s the big deal!”, you say? “It’s just a couch!”, you say? Well, this isn’t just any old couch! This is the very first grown-up couch that Matt and I have ever bought in seven years of cohabitation! It’s not from a garage sale, we didn’t find it on the street, it doesn’t have holes or stains we think we can conceal with a slipcover, totally ignoring the fact that the mere act of sitting causes slipcovers to slide right off a couch. 

After a 12 hour day, I stuffed myself right into that corner piece, put my feet up, and have not moved for two hours. Partially because it’s so comfy, it’s like laying down on a cloud. And partially because after a 12 hour day, I can’t stand up again.

There’s a good chance I’ll still be stuck here tomorrow, meaning you’ll also be able to find me screwing around on Facebook or Twitter. So keep me company as I do invoices and work on a creating a permanent Allison-shaped groove on this thing!

Not as sexy as this one though.

Or as sexy as these:

Clockwise from front: Bea Arthur, Wild Maine Blueberry Cobbler, Banana Nutella, PB&J

Bea Arthur: Black coffee chocolate cake, cheesecake buttercream, espresso ganache

Wild Maine Blueberry Cobbler: Vanilla cake, blueberry syrup, vanilla buttercream, blueberry compote, cinnamon streusel

Banana Nutella: Banana cake, Nutella buttercream, banana chip and hazelnut praline

PB&J: Vanilla cake, grape jelly, peanut butter buttercream, roasted peanuts

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Cupcakes Available at:

Robicelli’s at DeKalb Market: 138 Willoughby Street, Downtown Brooklyn 

Hom: Third Avenue and 88th Street, Bay Ridge

Crespella: 7th Ave off 9th Street, Park Slope

Blue Apron Foods: Union Street off 7th Avenue, Park Slope

Tazza: Clark Street off Henry AND Henry off Atlantic, Brooklyn Heights

Battery Place Market: 240 Murray Street, Goldman Sachs Building

Queen City Cupcakes: West Main Street, Patchogue, Long Island

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Whoopie Pies Available At:

Robicelli’s at DeKalb Market: 138 Willoughby Street, Downtown Brooklyn 

Red Hook Lobster Pound: 284 Van Brunt Street, Red Hook AND Madison Square Eats

Tazza: Clark Street off Henry, AND Henry off Atlantic, Brooklyn Heights

Queen City Cupcakes: West Main Street, Patchogue, Long Island

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Brownies Available At:

Robicelli’s at DeKalb Market: 138 Willoughby Street, Downtown Brooklyn 

Queen City Cupcakes: West Main Street, Patchogue, Long Island

Oaxaca Tacos: 250 4th Avenue- Park Slope Brooklyn; 251 Smith Street Cobble Hill Brooklyn; 16 Extra Place, LES Manhattan; 48 Greenwich Avenue, West Village, Manhattan

You now have SEVEN DAYS TIL MOTHER’S DAY.

I know, like 5 days ago we were talking about Easter and Valentine’s, and this one totally creeped up on us. Hell, I AM a mother and I had no clue until the end of last week when I went to pick my kids up from preschool, and they both handed me invitations they handmade for this Friday’s “If You Give Your Mommy a Muffin” teaparty.

Did I cry like a 4 year old girl? Ooooohhhh yeeeaaahhhh…….

So, as a certified mother myself, this is what your mom/wife/partner/babymamma wants:

1. Cupcakes, Brownies, and/or Whoopie Pies. Of course I was going to say this! What did you think I was going to suggest- another vase? Listen, I love my kids, I’ll love anything they get me because it’s from them, but I do not need another thing in this house that I need to dust, wash, worry the cat’s going to knock over, or generally take care of. Speaking of that…

2. Don’t Get Her a Plant. I know we’re only two entries into this list and already we’ve gotten completely off-topic, but any regular readers of this blog totally saw this happening. And if you’re a new reader, welcome, and I apologize in advance.

Getting back to plants- I take care of two kids, two cats, and a husband. I have to do dishes, laundry, and clean the house just enough before the cleaning lady gets here so she doesn’t think I’m some sort of savage beast. If anyone gives me a plant- aka, the gift of “more responsibility”- I’m going to be angry.

Not only that, but the plant WILL end up dying. Matt knows about me and plants so he once got me a cactus after a big fight. Guess how THAT turned out.

Ricardo “El Bandito” Robicelli: January 26 2012-Febuary 4 2012

The last thing I need is to explain to two heartbroken little boys why the “love plant” they gave me is gone, and does the fact it’s dead mean that I don’t love them. This hasn’t even actually happened and already I’m getting stressed out over it. So, no plants. Now we can get back to the list.

3. Clean the house. Or if you don’t want to do it, pay someone for the day. And I mean CLLLEEEAAAANNN the house, especially the kitchen and bathroom. If I got to sit on the couch stuffing my face full of the aforementioned whoopie pies with the knowledge that I did not have to stick my hand inside the toilet for a good long while, I would be freaking thrilled.

4. Take her outside. Anywhere. It doesn’t even need to be “brunch”- in fact, I’d prefer it if I never had to go to a crowded pre-fixe Mother’s Day brunch with my family. Go to a museum, a movie, mini-golf, a scavenger hunt, a walking tour, bowling, shopping at DeKalb Market (hint hint)- anywhere.

The best Mother’s Day I ever had, we went to the kid’s museum, a duck pond, the playground, and then had Denino’s pizza and ices from Ralph’s. Yes, it sounds like more of a day for the boys, but the truth is the only thing that I really ever want, more than a clean bathroom, more than shiny things, more than a robot that does the robot, is to be with the three guys I love more than anything in the entire world.

Doesn’t mean you shouldn’t also get her some cupcakes,though. She’ll just love you more for that.

Clockwise from front: Hazelnut Kiss, PB&J, S’Mores, Wild Maine Blueberry Cobbler

Hazelnut Kiss: Chocolate hazelnut cake, Nutella buttercream, roasted hazelnuts

PB&J: Vanilla cake, grape jelly, peanut butter buttercream, roasted peanuts

S’Mores: Chocolate cake, speculoos pudding, toasted marshmallow buttercream, ganache, graham cracker crumbs

Wild Maine Blueberry Cobbler: Vanilla cake, blueberry syrup, vanilla buttercream, wild Maine blueberry compote, brown sugar streusel

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Cupcakes Available At:

Robicelli’s at DeKalb Market: 138 Willoughby Street, Downtown Brooklyn (CLOSED MONDAYS- come visit us on Tuesday for “2 for $5 Tuesday”!)

Aloha Grinds: 77th & 3rd Ave, Bay Ridge

Crespella: 7th Avenue off 9th Street, Park Slope

Tazza: Clark Street off Henry AND Henry Street off Atlantic, Brooklyn Heights

Cake Shop: 152 Ludlow St, Lower East Side

Simon Sips: Hidden inside 1185 6th Avenue, Midtown

Battery Place Markets: 240 Murray Street, Goldman Sachs Building, Financial District

Joe Columbia University: West 120th btwn Broadway & Amsterdam, Morningside Heights

Queen City Cupcakes: 62 West Main Street, Patchogue, Long Island

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Whoopie Pies Available At:

Robicelli’s at DeKalb Market

Red Hook Lobster Pound: 284 Van Brunt Street, Red Hook

Tazza: Clark Street off Henry AND Henry Street off Atlantic, Brooklyn Heights

Queen City Cupcakes: 62 West Main Street, Patchogue, Long Island

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Brownies:

Robicelli’s at DeKalb Market

Simon Sips: Hidden inside 1185 6th Avenue, Midtown

Oaxaca Tacos: 250 4th Avenue- Park Slope Brooklyn; 251 Smith Street Cobble Hill Brooklyn; 16 Extra Place, LES Manhattan; 48 Greenwich Avenue, West Village Manhattan

Queen City Cupcakes: 62 West Main Street, Patchogue, Long Island

It’s March 23rd! (Wasn’t Christmas just like 2 weeks ago?) This means:

A) we’re only a week and a half away from Tasting Brooklyn! 

B) the grand reopening of Robicelli’s at DeKalb Market is ALSO only two weeks away! AND it’s Easter/Passover weekend, so you should place your orders for pick-up!

C) then the EscapeMaker.com trade show is only THREE weeks away! We’ll be doing free tastings and selling some super-special baked goods!

D) and then the wedding of the millennium, Simon & Christina from Macaron Parlour, is FOUR weeks away! We’re making the cupcakes for it, proving once and for all that cupcakes and macarons can peacefully co-exist. It’s going to be just like the Peace of Westphalia, but with more tummyaches.

E) and finally, to end the month of April, I’m going to be headed to beautiful sunny Delaware for the weekend. If you think for a second that I’m not crazy excited about that one, you’re wrong. Matt’s going to be getting his tattoo finished with Shane O’Neil, so I’m going to hole myself up in a hotel for two days with my phone off, hide under the covers and eat an entire case of Swiss Miss pudding packs. I’ve been dreaming of a vacation just like this one all my life.

You’re going to need to start training if you’re going to keep up with all the deliciousness we’re going to be bringing. I say you start now with some of these:

Clockwise from front: Tiramisu, Wild Maine Blueberry Cobbler, Banana Cream Pie, Ebinger

Tiramisu: Espresso soaked cake, espresso ganache, mascarpone buttercream, cocoa powder

Wild Maine Blueberry Cobbler: Vanilla cake, blueberry syrup, vanilla buttercream, blueberry compute, streusel

Banana Cream Pie: Banana cake, vanilla pudding, custard buttercream, banana chip, graham cracker crumbs

Ebinger: Chocolate cake, chocolate custard buttercream, chocolate fudge, cake crumbs

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Cupcakes Available at:

Cafe at Sam’s Bakery: 94th Street off 3rd Avenue, Bay Ridge

Aloha Grinds: 77th & 3rd Ave, Bay Ridge

Bagel Schmagel: 76th & 3rd Ave, Bay Ridge

Hom: 88th & 3rd, Bay Ridge

Crespella: 7th Avenue off 9th Street, Park Slope

Blue Apron Foods: Union Street off 7th Ave, Park Slope

Tazza: Clark St off Henry AND Henry St off Atlantic, Brooklyn Heights

Eastern District: Manhattan Ave off Eagle, Greenpoint

Brooklyn Standard: Nassau Street off Jewel, Greenpoint

Cake Shop: Ludlow btwn Stanton & Rivington, LES

Battery Place Market: 240 Murray Street, Goldman Sachs Building, Financial District

Bar 5F at Bergdorf Goodman: 5th Avenue & 58th Street, 5th Floor, Manhattan

Queen City Cupcakes: 62 West Main Street, Patchogue, Long Island

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Whoopie Pies Available At:

Red Hook Lobster Pound: 284 Van Brunt Street, Red Hook

Tazza: Clark St off Henry AND Henry St off Atlantic, Brooklyn Heights

Queen City Cupcakes: 62 West Main Street, Patchogue, Long Island

_________________________________

Brownies Available At:

Queen City Cupcakes: 62 West Main Street, Patchogue, Long Island

Oaxaca Tacos: 250 4th Avenue- Park Slope Brooklyn; 251 Smith Street Cobble Hill Brooklyn; 16 Extra Place, LES Manhattan

Over the weekend, Matt got about a thousand Facebook messages and phone calls hoping that he was “getting his drink on” for his birthday.  And this is how you know you’re getting old- when you just don’t understand why you would do that for your birthday. Spending a fortune to scream at your friends in a bar, making an ass out of yourself, waking up the next day with your head in the toilet, and starting the next year of your life with the memory of the time you ran down 5th Avenue naked. (and yes, this may have been one of our past birthdays- though we won’t say which one)

What did we do for Matt’s birthday? After taking our son for his kindergarten admissions test (one of the most insane experiences of my life, which I will blog about another day when I can fully articulate how batcrap crazy I am in real life), we bought a ton of Italian food as Pastosa, curled up into bed to watch the NHL all-star weekend, then spent hours YouTubing “mascot fights”.

Much worse ways to spend a birthday.  And the grand finale? Baking! Go have some birthday cupcakes!

Clockwise from front: Pecan Potato Chip, The Hinsch, Blueberry Cobbler,Southern Belle

Pecan Potato Chip: Pecan potato chip cake, vanilla buttercream, crushed pecans and potato chips, salted butterscotch

The Hinsch: Chocolate malted cake, vanilla buttercream, malted chocolate sauce, homemade chocolate malted milk balls

Blueberry Cobbler: Vanilla cake, vanilla buttercream, wild Maine blueberry compote, cinnamon streusel

Southern Belle: Banana cake, vanilla buttercream, brown butter bourbon glazed pecans

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Cupcakes Available at:

Cafe at Sam’s Bakery:  94th off 3rd, Bay Ridge

Aloha Grinds: 77th and 3rd, Bay Ridge

Crespella: 7th Ave off 9th Street, Park Slope

Tazza Cafes: Clark off Henry AND Henry off Atlantic, Brooklyn Heights

Cake Shop: Ludlow btwn Stanton & Rivington, LES

Joe Columbia University: West 120th btwn Broadway & Amsterdam, Morningside Heights

Battery Place Market: 77 Batter Place, Battery Park City

Queen City Cupcakes: West Main Street, Patchogue, Long Island

Whoopie Pies Available At:

Red Hook Lobster Pound: 284 Van Brunt Street, Red Hook

Tazza Cafes: Clark off Henry AND Henry off Atlantic, Brooklyn Heights

Queen City Cupcakes: West Main Street, Patchogue, Long Island

Brownies Available At:

Crespella: 7th Ave off 9th Street, Park Slope

Queen City Cupcakes: West Main Street, Patchogue, Long Island

Oaxaca Tacos: 250 4th Avenue- Park Slope Brooklyn; 251 Smith Street Cobble Hill Brooklyn; 16 Extra Place, LES Manhattan

To recap for all of those joining this blog late, recently Matt “fired” me from the kitchen so that I could handle other important projects: logistics for Madison Square Eats, concentrating on DeKalb, building our online store, working on the cookbook etc.  But priority number one is finishing a project that I started last July and haven’t finished……

Writing our business plan.

Last year Matt and I realized that if we were going to grow this company to where we want (which will involve lots of robots), we needed a partner. Someone to take over operations while we did all the other fun stuff that makes Robicelli’s happen, like product development, taking meetings, making comic strips in MS Paint and writing blog posts that have absolutely nothing to do with cupcakes.  And to find the right partner who completely understood our vision, and to get enough capital that we could afford to pay them a good salary, plus have enough to buy ourselves some sweet gold-plated fur coats, we’d need a killer business plan.

I’d like to say that I do kind and altruistic things because I’m just innately a good person, but the truth is that I desperately want to get into heaven, because I know hell is not some dark circle of fire but rather a room bathed in florescent light where one is condemned to an eternity of writing business plans.  I have written these several times before, each time praying it will be my last, but to no avail. It does not get easier each time you write one- it is only more painful because you can feel entire years coming off your life as you are researching and writing it.

To illustrate my point, I left my webcam on while I worked tonight. You can see how it went yourself.

8:30 pm

8:45 pm

9:00 pm

9:01 pm

9:30 pm

10:00 pm

10:30pm

11:00 pm

11:30 pm

Midnight

Got 10 pages done!  We’ll be rolling in the big bucks in no time!  Watch out, venture capitalists of America, because Allison Robicelli is coming to BLOW YOUR MIND WITH BAR GRAPHS!!!

And Matt made some cupcakes.  Here they are!

Clockwise from front: Southern Belle, Blueberry Cobbler, German Chocolate, Key Lime Cheesecake

Available at:

ROBICELLI’S AT DEKALB MARKET: Flatbush Ave Extension & Willoughby Street, Downtown Brooklyn

CAFE AT SAM’S BAKERY: 94th Street off 3rd Avenue, Bay Ridge

I’m trying desperately to be funny or quirky right now, and coming up shy.  Worst part is that it’s for the most PATHETIC reason on Earth.

Yesterday, Matt was out all day, so I barely saw him at all til after bedtime. Today, I left for DeKalb before he woke up, and while I’m home writing, he’s still at the kitchen. This makes two whole days where we’ve barely seen each other.  And you’d think that after being trapped in an apartment together all weekend I’d be happy with not seeing him, I’m wide awake staring at the door like a sad puppy.  

To alleviate the sadness, I decided not to work on the couch like I always do, and instead curled up into his side of the bed because it smells like him.  That’s when I was reminded of the fact that while we were trapped inside, Matt ate 2 pounds of deli turkey, a bunch of stinky French cheese, and a tremendous amount of bean dip. Then I went back to the couch.

It’s kinda great that after over six years together, I still get butterflies when I think of him.  Or I’m nauseous, but we’ll say it’s butterflies because it’s a lot sweeter.

Perhaps I’m mushy because Matt has “fired” me from the kitchen so I could concentrate on other projects, like getting our online store up so we can ship brownies (by November), writing for NonaBrooklyn again (I SWEAR I will write something soon), and working on our updated business plan for potential investors (which right now is just a piece of looseleaf that says “Please give us money” with a bunch of sad clownface doodles, and a pie chart. Don’t really know what the pie chart is about, but it looks really professional).  

Most importantly, he fired me so that I’d have time to work on writing a cookbook, which has been a dream of mine since I was a kid.  And to have the the kind of husband and business partner that will take on a little extra responsibility so you can chase the things you love……..well, let’s just say there’s never a minute of my life where I don’t feel like the luckiest girl in the whole world.  Except for the moment when I finish writing this and I’ll have to go Febreze the sheets.

I love you, Matt.  Thanks for believing in me.  And why don’t you go love these cupcakes Matt worked hard at making tonight. 

Clockwise from front: Key Lime Cheesecake, Blueberry Cobbler, Odessa, German Chocolate 

Key Lime Cheesecake: Graham cracker cake, key lime curd, key lime cheesecake buttercream, graham cracker crumbs, lime zest

Blueberry Cobbler: Vanilla cake, blueberry syrup, vanilla buttercream, blueberries, streusel crumbs

Odessa: Vanilla cake, sour cream buttercream, sugared sour cherries

German Chocolate: Chocolate cake, salted caramel buttercream, roasted coconut

Available at:

Robicelli’s at DeKalb Market: Flatbush & Willoughby, Downtown Brooklyn

Bagel Schmagel: Third Avenue btwn 75th and 76th, Bay Ridge

Hom: 88th and Third Avenue, Bay Ridge

The Cupcake Stand: Fifth Avenue between 60th and 61st, Sunset Park

Tazza Cafes: Clark St off Henry AND Henry Street off Atlantic, Brooklyn Heights

We are now THREE AND A HALF WEEKS from the opening of our store at DeKalb Market- if you think we’re stressed out, that’s a TOTAL understatement.  Here’s what I can update you on so far:

• Yesterday, we had a meeting with woodworker extraordinaire Jeremy Pickett of Brooklyn’s own Pickett Furniture regarding the design for the store. Matt and I are longtime admirers of his work not just for the aesthetic value, but also because of his ethics and exceptional craftsmanship (you can read more about his philosophy here).  He’s going to be making all of our wood pieces, including custom cabinets and mirrors, out of reclaimed materials that would otherwise be destined for the landfill.                                                                                                                                                                      I am astounded that we managed to snag someone as talented as Jeremy for this project, but as I’ve said a thousand times, we are blessed in that we have the greatest fans and friends in the world.  He’s been a cheerleader of ours for a long, long time, and as a dad and one half of another husband and wife entreprenuer team, he’s sympathetic to what we go through (his wife is the owner of Lunacy Design, who make my absolute favorite kids t-shirts ever. ROBOTS!).  When you’re mind explodes from walking into the shop and seeing how super freaking awesome it looks, you can thank Mr. Pickett and his supernatural woodworking powers.  And if you’re an architect, designer, or looking for any kind of custom woodwork, you should probably give him a call and introduce yourself.  He’s one of the coolest people ever, plus his office has the best view in all of NYC (you’ll have to go there to see it, but trust me, it’s perfect).

• Atticus and Toby have selected a color for the walls, and it’s “Buzz Lightyear Blue”.  

• I am 85% done with the IndieGoGo thank you notes and coupons, which will be in the mail this week.  The last time I wrote so many notes was after my wedding, and if I remember correctly by the end of those things started to get a little sloppy.  So if you get one with a few spelling errors, handwriting so bad you can’t read it, or it’s just a large “X” written in my blood, my apologies.  The sentiment is there, I swear to God.  

• Matt and I have both officially started having recurring nightmares about the shop.  The good news is they involve lots of nudity, so maybe you guys will get lucky one day!

Aaaannnndddd in my stress I forgot to take pictures, so here’s a picture of two kittens eating ice cream!

AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

FLAVORS:

Chocolate Cheerwine:  Chocolate Cheerwine cake, chocolate buttercream, chocolate Cheerwine ganache and Cheerwine simmered cherries

Dom DeLuise:  Pistachio cake, ricotta buttercream, roasted pistachios, candied citron, miniature chocolate chips

Romeo y Juliet: Guava cake, cream cheese buttercream, guava puree

Wild Maine Blueberry Cobbler: Vanilla cake, blueberry syrup, vanilla buttercream, wild Maine blueberry compote, streusel crumbs

Available at:

CAFE AT SAM’S BAKERY- 94th Street off 3rd Ave, Bay Ridge

NEW! BAGEL SCHMAGEL:  Third Avenue btwn Bay Ridge Pkway & 76th Street, Bay Ridge

HOM- Third Avenue and 88th Street, Bay Ridge

BLUE APRON FOODS- Union Street off 7th Avenue, Park Slope

COURT STREET GROCERS: 485 Court Street, Carroll Gardens

RED HOOK LOBSTER POUND: 284 Van Brunt Street, Red Hook and Roving Food Truck *Whoopie Pies only* 

NEW!!! BATTERY PLACE MARKET:  77 Battery Place, Battery Park City

I am extremely bummed today, because yesterday was Father’s Day, and once again we missed it.  I had planned to get to work a bit early, bake like a lunatic, get out at a reasonable hour and take Matt and the kids out to do something special, which was doubly important because Matt didn’t get a Father’s Day last year since he was working.  But despite my best intentions, it didn’t happen.  A few little delays began to add up, and before you know it, by the time we got home the sun had set and the restaurants were closing.  And the perfect gift I had asked a friend to pick up for me?  She never did it, so my kids had nothing to give their dad. Today, my friends, I am the epitome of a sad panda.

It was a Perry the Platypus WHOOPIE CUSHION. Celebrating our shared love of Phineas & Ferb, and Matt’s love of fart jokes.  Now I can’t find one anywhere.

Here’s what you can do to help me out: a few weeks ago, Matt joined Twitter under the handle @MattRobicelli.  Give him a tweet today and remind him how incredible he is.  I may be the voice of this company, but Matt IS this company.  I am, being perfectly honest, barely functional as a human being, and he’s the thing that holds me together.  He works 16 to 18 hours a day, EVERY day, to make this company succeed, and still finds time to make Atticus, Toby and I feel like the three most loved people in the whole wide world.  There is not a moment of my life where I don’t feel like the luckiest girl in the whole wide world, because I found the perfect man and for some crazy reason, he fell in love with little old me.

Happy Father’s Day a day late, baby.  You’re the greatest there ever was.

Now go eat some cupcakes so I can afford to buy the man something pretty! Maybe a gold lame thong or something- dudes love that crap!

Clockwise from front: Romeo y Juliet, Raspberry Lemonade, Chocolate Caramel Pretzel, Wild Maine Blueberry Cobbler

Romeo y Juliet: Guava cake, cream cheese buttercream, guava puree

Raspberry Lemonade:  Lemon cake, raspberry buttercream, hand candied lemon peel

Chocolate Caramel Pretzel: Chocolate cake, salted caramel buttercream, crushed pretzels, ganache & caramel drizzles

Wild Maine Blueberry Cobbler: Vanilla cake, blueberry syrup, vanilla buttercream, wild Maine blueberry compote, streusel crumbs

Available at:

CAFE AT SAM’S BAKERY- 94th Street off 3rd Ave, Bay Ridge

NEW! BAGEL SCHMAGEL:  Third Avenue btwn Bay Ridge Pkway & 76th Street, Bay Ridge

THE CUPCAKE STAND: Fifth Avenue between 60th and 61st, Sunset Park

CRESPELLA CREPE & ESPRESSO BAR- 321  7th Avenue at 9th Street, Park Slope

TAZZA CAFES- Henry off Atlantic and Clark off Henry, Brooklyn Heights

RADISH- Bedford Ave off N8th, Williamsburg

RED HOOK LOBSTER POUND: 284 Van Brunt Street, Red Hook and Roving Food Truck *Whoopie Pies only*

CAKESHOP- Ludlow btwn Stanton & Rivington, Lower East Side 

NEW!!! BATTERY PLACE MARKET:  77 Battery Place, Battery Park City

Have we all seen the cat hugging the kitten yet?  In the event you’ve been living under a rock, here it is.  And in the event you’ve seen it, do you really mind seeing it again?

SQUEEEEEEE!!!! Who wants to come over and cuddle?!?!?!

Anyway, if you’re actually still in town and reading this, there are cupcakes in stores because we love working on holiday weekends.  So close the computer, go buy one, sit outside somewhere and enjoy this incredibly beautiful day. 

And if you get bored, the cuddling offer still stands.

Clockwise from front: Creamsicle, The Hinsch, Southern Belle, Blueberry Cobbler

Blueberry Cobbler: Vanilla cake, blueberry juice, vanilla buttercream, wild Maine blueberry compote, cinnamon streusel

Creamsicle: Orange cake, vanilla buttercream, hand candied orange peel

The Hinsch:  Chocolate malted cake, vanilla buttercream, malted chocolate sauce, homemade malted milk balls

Southern Belle: Banana bourbon cake, vanilla buttercream, brown butter bourbon pecans

AVAILABLE AT:

CAFE AT SAM’S BAKERY- 94th Street off 3rd Ave, Bay Ridge

THE CUPCAKE STAND: Fifth Avenue between 60th and 61st, Sunset Park

CRESPELLA CREPE & ESPRESSO BAR- 321  7th Avenue at 9th Street, Park Slope

TAZZA CAFES- Henry off Atlantic and Clark off Henry, Brooklyn Heights

RADISH- Bedford Ave off N8th, Williamsburg

RED HOOK LOBSTER POUND: 284 Van Brunt Street, Red Hook and Roving Food Truck *Whoopie Pies and Wild Maine Blueberry Cobbler cupcakes only*

CAKESHOP- Ludlow btwn Stanton & Rivington, Lower East Side 

LINK CAFE @ THE SHERATON TRIBECA: 307 Canal Street, Tribeca

JOE: COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY-  W. 120th btwn Broadway & Amsterdam Avenue

*Note: Not all locations receive all flavors.  The flavors recieved are determined by each store’s management, not by us.  If there’s something in the upcoming rotation you want to see, let them know directly

If you follow us on Twitter, you may have noticed earlier in the week I was talking about shipping cupcakes.  I’d say after recipe requests, the second most popular type of email we get is asking us when we’ll start shipping.  I’m here to tell you that this week, we shipped our first dozen cupcakes ever.  Remember how I promised you a funny story a few days ago?  Well here it is!

Before we begin, I must stress that these cupcakes were not for a client, and you CANNOT order cupcakes from us at this time.  It all has to do with some of the super-secret stuff we said we can’t talk about. I’m not saying to give up hope on the shipping- I’m just saying I can’t see it happening until at least the end of the summer at this point, if not later.  And you’re about to find out why.

Tuesday morning we were invited to be in the audience for the special entrepreneur episode of Martha.  This meant- brace yourselves- we actually had to turn off our Blackberries for an hour and a half (I know- it was really hard).  The second we’re off the air, I grab it and turn it on, only to find a missed call from a certain “Mr. X”, a very, VERY important person whom I have been waiting to hear from for almost a week.  Mr. X is in Florida, and has just learned he has a big meeting with Mr. Y the next day. 

Note how Mr. X had TWO “verys” in front of his “important person” status.  Well, Mr. Y has twenty “verys”.  And Mr. Y wants to try the cupcakes.  At 11am.  The next day.  In Florida.

It is at this point I almost brush off the staffers of Martha I was hoping to talk with, because Matt and I need to get our asses back to Brooklyn two hours ago.  We bolt out the door into the pouring rain and into the subway, where we can do nothing but just sit there for an hour (we really need you to get on that whole cell service in the subway thing, MTA).  We now have 2 hours to drive around Brooklyn, find proper packaging, figure out how to secure the cupcakes to said packaging so they don’t get destroyed, get ice packs and boxes, wrap the whole thing up and ship it to beautiful sunny Florida, AND see our children for 10 minutes before Matt has to load-in at Tasting Brooklyn and I have to bake for the next day.  You know- average entrepreneur problems.

Matt walks into FedEx with the empty clamshell box just to get a quote and see if they have a box. And this is how that exchange went:

FedEx Guy: Box that size about five pounds? Let’s see….that will be $130.

Matt: (almost slaps the FedEx guy) Excuse me?

FedEx Guy: $130.

Matt:  One more time.

FedEx Guy: Yeah, a few months ago it would have only been, like, 60 bucks.  But gas went up.  So it’s going to be $130.

Matt: Gas went up 33%. How the hell did the price go up over 200%?

FedEx Guy: Well, all our costs went up.  And it’s a perishable package. So we need refrigerated trucks to transport the box to the airplane.

Matt:  But we have ice packs.

FedEx Guy: But we still consider it perishable, so it’s going to cost you more.

Matt:  So what you’re trying to say is that you won’t kick it around as much.

FedEx Guy: In not so many words, yes.

Matt returns to the car and screams about this for a good five minutes, when we decide to drive 6 blocks to the Post Office.  Here is that exchange:

Post Office Guy: Overnight, that’ll be $123. Gas went up. And also, it might not be there tomorrow.

Matt:  But I’m overnighting it.

Post Office Guy: I get that, but it doesn’t mean it’s actually going to show up tomorrow.

Matt:  Then why would I pay you $123?

Post Office Guy: Well, we’ll TRY to get it there tomorrow.  But we can’t swear it’s going to happen.  It might.  But if you don’t overnight it, it definitely won’t.  We can promise it will get there eventually.

Matt:  So if it doesn’t get there tomorrow, do I get my money back?

Post Office Guy: No.

Onto UPS!!!

UPS Guy: Well, the bad news is that it’s $144.  But the good news is that if you’re a AAA member, it’s only $133!

Well, we really don’t have a choice at this point.  One hundred and thirty freaking dollars is a lot of money to us, but it’s nothing to Mr. Y, and we want to eventually be chilling with Mr. Y in a hot tub on his yacht somewhere.  Our friends at Liddabit Sweets, who ship all the time, hooked us up with ice packs and shipping materials, and off Matt went to FedEx.  Last we heard, cupcakes showed up perfect, and Mr. Y loved them.  We both had nightmares about the post office that night.

Hey, at least we know how to ship now.

Onto flavors……..pay attention to the locations portion, because there’s a brand new store in there! IN QUEENS! Who loves ya, Astoria?!?!

Clockwise from front: Wild Maine Blueberry Cobbler, Banana Cream Pie, Car Bomb, Tiramisu

NEW!!! Banana Cream Pie: Banana cake, pastry cream filling, mascarpone & vanilla custard buttercream, ground graham crackers, banana chip

Wild Maine Blueberry Cobbler:  Vanilla cake, blueberry syrup, vanilla buttercream, blueberry compote, cinnamon streusel

Tiramisu:  Espresso soaked cake, espresso ganache, mascarpone buttercream, cocoa powder

Car Bomb:  Chocolate Guinness stout cake, Jameson whiskey ganache, Bailey’s Irish Cream buttercream

_________________________________________

Available at:

CAFE AT SAM’S BAKERY- 94th Street off 3rd Ave, Bay Ridge

CRESPELLA CREPE & ESPRESSO BAR- 321  7th Avenue at 9th Street, Park Slope

BLUE APRON FOODS: Union St. off 7th Ave, Park Slope

TAZZA CAFES- Henry off Atlantic and Clark off Henry, Brooklyn Heights

COURT STREET GROCERS: 485 Court Street, Carroll Gardens

QATHRA:  1112 Cortelyou Road, Ditmas Park

RADISH- Bedford Ave off N8th, Williamsburg

RED HOOK LOBSTER POUND: 284 Van Brunt Street, Red Hook *Wild Maine Blueberry Cobbler cupcakes only*

BEDFORD HILL: Corner of Franklin & Greene, BedStuy/Clinton Hill Border

EASTERN DISTRICT- Manhattan Ave off Eagle St, Greenpoint

BROOKLYN STANDARD:  Nassau Ave & Jewel St, Greenpoint

CAKESHOP- Ludlow btwn Stanton & Rivington, Lower East Side

 JOE: COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY-  W. 120th btwn Broadway & Amsterdam Avenue

JOE: GRAND CENTRAL STATION-  44 Grand Central Terminal, Near the Graybar Passage

NEW LOCATION!!!!! QUEENS COMFORT: 40-09 30th Ave, Astoria

*Note: Not all locations receive all flavors.  The flavors recieved are determined by each store’s management, not by us.  If there’s something in the upcoming rotation you want to see, let them know directly.

Well the cat is finally out of the bag……after months and months of keeping our mouths shut on a certain “super secret project”, The DeKalb Market was officially announced on Wednesday!  This has been in the works for us since last July, and for Urban Space (the curator) even longer, so we are tremendously excited to be getting so close to opening. 

Since there seems to be so many misconceptions about what this is and isn’t, I will sum it up with the CAPS LOCK button on, so you know I’m not fooling around:

THIS IS OUR BRAND SPANKING NEW RETAIL LOCATION!!!!  THIS IS NOT A POP-UP, NOT A FLEA MARKET, IT IS AN ACTUAL 160 SQUARE FOOT RETAIL SHOP THAT WILL HAVE CHAIRS AND TABLES AND THE WHOLE SHEBANG.  OPEN ALL YEAR ROUND.

EXCEPT CHRISTMAS. 

AND MAYBE MY BIRTHDAY, BECAUSE THAT’S ON AUGUST 1ST AND IT’S ALWAYS REALLY HOT THAT DAY SO YOU’LL ALL PROBABLY BE STAYING HOME ANYWAY.  OR WE’LL COME INTO WORK IN BIKINIS.  THAT INCLUDES MATT.

     Since we’re going back into retail, expect to see a LOT more of our flavors available all the time, being delivered fresh every day of the week.  AND this means you’ll be seeing fan favorites like The Elvis, The Iona and Chicken n’Waffles several times a month, not just once in a blue moon.  Plus, it means we finally get the creative outlet to take risks again, so you’ll be seeing us go back to developing more things along the lines of The Spicy Panda (chocolate Thai chilli) and The Mikey (Coke & Pop-Rocks).  AND it means that many of the other baked goods that you old-skool fans from our first store remember will be coming back, like the brownies, whoopie pies, coffee cakes with 63 inches of crumbs on top, and more!

     Visiting our new shop is reason enough for most of you to come down once it opens, but I’m sure you’re wondering what else the place will have to offer.  Well….

   ……there’s going to be a large performance space for outdoor concerts & conventions, that’s going to be enclosed during the winter to become a big indoor picnic spot

  ………there’s going to be an urban farm, with outreach programs to local schools getting kids involved in learning where our food comes from

     ……….there’s going to be LOTS more containers than just the one we’re in, and each will be it’s own unique retail store curated by some of NYC’s best.  Joining us in the food section will be:

• Our friends at Joe Coffee (their first Brooklyn location!)
• Roberta’s!!!!  (ACK!)
• Maharlika!!!!  (Yay Filipino food!)
• Cuzin’s Duzin!!! (I hear donuts are the new cupcake!)
• LOTS more that I can’t announce yet, but am ridiculously excited about.  And you guys know what an incorrigible food slut I am, so it’s gonna be good.

And that’s not to mention all the cute retail boutiques: Daga Antiques, Harriets Alter Ego, Dalaga, 3rd Ward, and dozens more.  There’s going to be an independent book store, cheese shop, greenmarket….pretty much if I didn’t have a shop there, I’d quit my job so I could be there every single day. 

Sure beats the hell out of just selling cupcakes out of a shipping container on Flatbush Avenue, doesn’t it? :P

(btw- It has been really hard keeping this a secret for the past 8 months. REALLY REALLY hard.)

We’ll be posting a lot more about this project over the next few weeks: raising funds for equipment, asking you guys for design ideas (we really shouldn’t be leaving the design portion to ourselves, as we’ll end up filling the place with stuff like this, or this, or this), and most importantly, having repeated nervous breakdowns which I will share with you in hilariously uncomfortable blog posts. 

But enough about the future- let’s get to today and the glorious flavors that it brings!!!

I have no idea how to make this picture go right side up.  I’ve corrected it on my computer, saved it, but the when I upload it to Foodspotting it flips it upside down again.  So instead of fixing the problem, everyone tilt your heads alllllll the way to the left so you’re upside down a little, and then say to yourself: “Clockwise from front: Wild Maine Blueberry Cobbler, Cinnamon Bun, Bluth and Butterbeer”.  Now you’ve done your stretching for the morning.  You’re welcome.

NEW!!!! CINNAMON BUN:  Vanilla cake with cinnamon swirl, cream cheese buttercream, streusel top, cinnamon drizzle

THE BLUTH: Chocolate banana cake, chocolate buttercream, roasted walnuts, chocolate ganache

WILD MAINE BLUEBERRY COBBLER:  Vanilla cake splashed with blueberry sauce, vanilla buttercream, wild Maine blueberry compote, streusel topping

BUTTERBEER: Butterscotch soaked cake, butterscotch buttercream, edible gold dust

________________________________________

Available at:

CAFE AT SAM’S BAKERY- 94th Street off 3rd Ave, Bay Ridge

CRESPELLA CREPE & ESPRESSO BAR- 321  7th Avenue at 9th Street, Park Slope

MARKET- Cortelyou Road btwn Westminster & Argyle, Ditmas Park

TAZZA CAFES- Henry off Atlantic and Clark off Henry, Brooklyn Heights

BEDFORD HILL:  Corner of Franklin & Greene, Bed Stuy/Clinton Hill

RADISH- Bedford Ave off N8th, Williamsburg

RED HOOK LOBSTER POUND: 284 Van Brunt Street, Red Hook AND The Brooklyn Flea at One Hanson Place

EASTERN DISTRICT- Manhattan Ave off N8th Eagle St, Greenpoint

BROOKLYN STANDARD:  Nassau Ave & Jewel St, Greenpoint

CAKESHOP- Ludlow btwn Stanton & Rivington, Lower East Side

LILY O’BRIEN’S AT BRYANT PARK-  E40th btwn 5th and 6th, Midtown

THE BROOKLYNEER-  220 West Houston btwn 6th & 7th Avenues, West Village

JOE: UNION SQUARE-  E. 13th Street btwn 5th Avenue & University Place

JOE: COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY-  W. 120th btwn Broadway & Amsterdam Avenue

*Note: Not all locations receive all flavors.  The flavors recieved are determined by each store’s management, not by us.  If there’s something in the upcoming rotation you want to see, let them know directly.