The Little Cupcake Bakeshop that could...

Do you love cupcakes...I mean literally crave them? Do you wait on line at Magnolia, go to Buttercup when in midtown, hit Eleni's when in the meatpacking district, pop by Melissa's when in Soho? Good, you keep going to them because they are all very good. I just don't want any of you forming up on lines by my new find The Little Cupcake Bakeshop. However, being it's the holiday season I'm going to share this with you...as long as you promise that if it's too busy...you go for a walk around Soho & then pop back in.

While cupcakes are their speciality Little Cupcake Bakeshop also offers cake by the slice, brownies, pie, etc... The beauty of the cupcakes is that aside from being moist & topped with delicious butter cream they are just the right size for a quick little snack & being priced at only $2.75 you can satisfy your craving without stuffing yourself or paying an obscene amount for a little treat. The slices of cake are very big & only $4.75( I recommend the slices for 2...or 3 cute petite girls).

The Little Cupcake Bakeshop offers a dozen different cupcakes & cakes daily (available as 7",9", & sheets as well). My favorites so far are the Coconut Cloud, Devils Food cake with green icing & blue sprinkles, & the Blue Velvet cake. Red Velvet, German Chocolate, & Chocolate Cloud cupcakes, Banana Bread with Nutella cake & Pistachio Icebox cake are on my list to hit next. To wash it all down they have illy coffee & homemade hot chocolates (homemade whipped cream &/or marsh-mellows optional) I'm becoming addicted to the Peppermint Hot Chocolate...it is actually even better tasting then it sounds.  homemade whipped cream or marsh-mellows.

The Little Cupcake Bakeshop is located at 30 Prince St in Soho & 9102 3rd Avenue in Brooklyn   

Black Swan: Girls Gone Crazy!

Guys if your significant other wants to see this movie...do not scoff & say "no way go see it with your girlfriends". This is no chick-flick...this is the one you want to suggest that the two of you go see. Say, it's by the guy who did the Wrestler...I like his stuff...so what if it's about ballet...that's just the setting for a well written well acted psychological thriller. Now I have to admit...I was sold on seeing this when I saw Natalie Portman making out with Mila Kunis in the trailer. Movie about ballet...who cares I'm in. Plus, it had a great cast & director. Did I mention Natalie & Mila making out?

So to make this spoiler free...Natalie plays Nina a ballerina in a major troupe in New York vying for the lead in the upcoming production of Swan Lake. The Director of the Production Thomas (played by an excellent Vincent Cassel) decides it's time to find a new star. He thinks Nina is a perfect White Swan....but questions if she has it in her to let go to play the Black Swan. Can he help her draw it out? In comes Lily played by Mila Kunis as the new free-spirited addition to the trope who is the flip side to Nina's uptight perfectionist. Throw Barabara Hersey in the mix as Nina's Mom who she still lives with & Winona Ryder as the head ballerina being put out to pasture & you get some scary good girls gone crazy performances.

Yes the themes of women's relationships, sexuality, aging etc...are all here, but make no mistake this is a tense taut expertly done psychological thriller that will keep you on edge. Plus did I mention the Nina-Lily scene...

Pan-American Review: Not your Padre's Cuban

A new Latin-American contender has entered the LES side's ring with a new twist. Pan-American adds & fuses Norte Americano flavor to it's Central & South American fare. I love Latin American food & I'm a big fan of Yuca, Rayuela, Poco & Yuerba Buena to name some favorites...but interestingly enough while Chino-Latino has been around for a while this is the first time that I've really seen Americana thrown into the mix (with the exception of serving American french fries w/Cubans everywhere else in town). A great example is their take on the Cuban sandwich. Along with roast pork, swiss & pickles they add Kentucky Bourbon ham & Mortadella to the mix & serve it cut into 4 triangles of thick toast. It came with some of the better yuca fries that I've had & comes with a really tasty homemade ketchup with some Latino flavor. Some other interesting twists include using buttermilk fried chicken in their Arroz con Pollo, a mint-horseradish-mojito sauce for their take on shrimp cocktail & monkfish w/jalapeno vinaigrette in their taco's.

The decor is pretty cool & with it's dark aqua walls, green glass bottles, long curving bar, & white seating had a SoBe Miami vibe in a good way. The staff was great & really friendly. I was lucky enough to be there during a photo shoot they were doing on their drink menu & my waitress/bartendress gave me the "models" to sample. One called a Monkey's Tail(Pisco & Kahlua) was an upscale adult version of a B-52 & the Espumante Mojito (updated w/Pyrat Rum & splash of Champagne) were both delicious & expertly made.

Pan-American is a welcome edition to the restaurant row of Mott Street located at 202 Mott btwn Spring & Kenmare & is open for Lunch, Dinner, Brunch & Drinks.

Diamonds are NOT forever...

Stop me if you've heard this one before... Boy meets girl. Boy & girl date...they fall in love...11 years later they decide to marry (if you're Irish or Italian & from Queens I know you think this sounds normal...but keep reading)...boy asks girl's Father for girl's hand in marriage (girls mentions boy should discuss ring with Future Father in Law) boy gets blessing (doesn't mention anything about ring...hey who discusses ring?!?) Boy goes out and drops $30K+ on off the charts ring (No the boy in question is not a Prince of a certain Kingdom of the United) girl loves it! Tells her parents. Her father has "little" talk with his future son -in -law...seems he is "slightly upset" over not being consulted over the ring. Demands...demands that $30K+ engagement ring is...drum roll please...DESTROYED!!! Not returned...re-cut...no family ring involved here...decimated. Why...to teach boy a lesson that he will remember about the importance of respect & following instructions (best of my knowledge the Psycho-Daddy-In-Law is not Sauron, a Russian Oligarch or Saudi Sheik...actually a practitioner of medicine). Girl agrees with daddy and understands Daddy's wishes. Mom to best of knowledge ignorant or silent on subject. Boy is in bit of conundrum as to what to do...but seems to be leaning towards wishes of future PSYCHO-In -Law.

To protect the guilty & insane I will simply say that this was a story relayed to me while sober by someone(s) equally sober that happen to be acquainted with the boy in the story. Why someone would suggest something so mind-bogglingly insane or why someone else would possibly agree is beyond me. Love may be blind...but just how off the rails is it? As for the conclusion to the story...

• Does boy destroy ring...& get new one?!?
• Does boy elope with girl?!?
• Does boy hire hit-man to take out psycho-in-law?!?
• Does boy run for the hills...
• Does boy return ring...donate $$$$$$$ to good cause & find new girl & potential in-laws?!?

Stay tuned same Bat-Shit day...same Bat-Shit time...more Bat-Shit action!!!

The Roman Empire Strikes Back/Rubirosa

For many years Chinatown kept expanding while Little Italy kept contracting...yet it seems the tide has been turning somewhat. Over the last few years a load of great old school Italian restaurants/pizza places/speciality shops have been popping up. I think it really started when Lombardi's reopened on Mott & Spring some years ago, but has really picked up recently. L'Asso (maybe the best lunch deal in town, great staff...great food) opened up a few years back on Kenmare & Mott & now Epistrophy is on the other side of Old School Bakery & sandwich shop Parisi (I only recently discovered this place which is over 100yrs old & makes the biggest & best hot & cold hero's) across the street Fiat Cafe opened up. Further west on the street you now have Emporio & Michael White just opened up Osteria Morini on Lafayette. On Bowery you have Keith McNally joining the fray with Pulino. On Mulberry between Prince & Spring you have Torrisi which only uses locally sourced goods & now Rubirosa which just opened up. Before I get to a quick review on Rubirosa lets not forget the Meatball Shoppe on Stanton & further east on Stanton Stuffed Cannoli(amazing multi-flavored mini cannoli's...3 for only $5!...you can get them at the Union Square Holiday market & I believe Whole Foods carries some of their basic flavors).  On wait I almost forgot...Il Laboratorio del Gelato just opened a new cafe on East Houston...of course lets not forget Caio Bella Gelato on Mott.

Whew...OK...now back to the new kid on the block Rubirosa. A brand new old school styled space with a nice long wood bar (with a very good selection of beers) . The menu is a mix of Pizza's (you can get by the slice w/toppings on weekdays) Pasta's, Salads & Sandwiches. So far I've had the pizza...very good thin crust style (need to try the Vodka Sauce), a great sausage & broccoli rabe sandwich, grilled chicken w/fresh mozz & broccoli rabe & their great side salad. I met the owner, his son, & chef when the owner Joe (owns Joe & Pat's in SI) came up to me & asked what I thought while he showed me around the place( there are 2 back rooms...one for a large group & one for grabbing & ordering a pie while having a slice while you wait). They were all great guys & I think they have a winning formula here. The place looks like & is priced for Brooklyn but in Soho with great food. As much as this recession has been less then awesome...it has produced places like this & many of the others named above (did we really need a recession to go back to quality mid-priced food vs. over-priced sea-urchin foamed sea-bream liver?!?). To both find these places & check out their menu's go to http://www.menupages.com/ Manga Bene!

The Deadly Naga Viper!

You don't have to worry about being bitten & struck down while out hiking or camping by the deadly Naga Viper. If the Naga Viper gets you it will be at a riot or in the kitchen. The Viper in question is the new reigning champ of super hot peppers. It has usurped the Bhut Jolokia..aka The ghost chili by more the 300,000 scoville* units! To put this in perspective for those of you who think jalapenos are hot...they clock in at 2,500-5,000 scoville units. The Naga Viper 1,359,000!!! In other words jalapenos are the mint-cucumber of the hot pepper world...

Now at this point the only application being looked at is to weaponize this pepper for tear-gas, which happened to be who Bhut was being looked at at first as well. Wish I was joking here but not. However, I have hope that the same maniacs that found ways to use the Bhut Jolokia in the kitchen will be insane enough to find ways for the Naga. Make no mistake the Bhut is hot as hell. I've had it in Chocolate Cupcakes at Pinisi Bakery, in a Sea Salt mix at the Filling Station (awesome flavored oils & vinegars & now sea salts) in Chelsea Market & I have heard about a place in Billyburgh Brooklyn that uses them in their Buffalo wings! I can only hope someone throws some of this stuff into a Vindaloo, Salsa or chocolate cake. It would be a real shame to waste this pepper on tear-gassing Soccer Hooligans & political protesters when we could be eating it with tears of joy running down our cheeks while trying to get some beer or milk down our throats to ready for the next mouthful!

*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scoville_scale