By: Cori Sue

Artfully Chocolate Kinsbury Confections (quite the mouthful), also known as ACKC, is a charming chocolate boutique with locations on 14th Street in D.C. and in Old Town, Alexandria. Not only is it a boutique, offering lots of cute gifts, cards, chocolates, and artwork; it’s also a café, serving hot chocolate, coffee, and dessert; a wine bar, with happy hour specials; and a restaurant, providing brunch as their sole meal (as if they needed anything else). In the summer, they have an all-you-can-eat ice cream bar on Saturdays. On Sundays, their brunch offers bottomless mimosas for $10. (Don’t worry, Bitches, we’ll be reviewing that ASAP).

Photo credit: Cori Sue Morris

Despite all of this, and the fact that it’s three blocks from my house, I’ve only been to ACKC once. Why? I have no idea. Because this place is chocoholic heaven. Perhaps I was avoiding it like a recovering drug addict avoids his old haunts: don’t get too close to the chocolate, CS, you might have a relapse.

Photo credit: Cori Sue Morris

Upon my arrival to meet my dear friend Julie for coffee, it was clear that relapse was coming. I certainly wouldn’t be having a plain-old-boring coffee what with the plethora of options ACKC offers.

Photo credit: Cori Sue Morris

I’m not sure whether their collection of “Diva” hot chocolates – a selection of 14 hot chocolate creations named after famous females – appeals more to gays or gals. But, you can have a “Marilyn Monroe” bold white hot chocolate with crème de menthe, whipped cream, and crumbled Oreos. A “Liz Taylor,” semi-sweet chocolate infused with lavender, topped with whipped cream and pistachios. Or even a “Carmen Miranda,” a mix of raspberries in dark chocolate with whipped cream and dried strawberries and mangoes. They even have a hot chocolate sampler where you can pick three. I’m definitely going back for the toffee-infused “Eartha Kitt” in the near future. (Perhaps I’ll sing “Santa, Baby” along the way).

Photo credit: Cori Sue Morris

I went for a standard Belgian Milk Chocolate, topped with whipped cream, as I was also having a cupcake and didn’t want to collapse into a sugar-induced frenzy following the combination. It was rich and delicious and the best cup of cocoa I’ve ever had (and I’ve had a lot).

Photo credit: Cori Sue Morris

The red velvet cupcake, made in-house, was phenomenal. Very light, fluffy red velvet cake, topped with cream cheese icing, also light and flavorful, and chocolate shavings (a nice touch!). Devoured within seconds. You could tell they were made in-house by how fresh it was.

Julie, who behaved herself with a cup of coffee with steamed soy milk and a bowl of chicken noodle soup, was surprised by how delicious the soup was. She reports that both were scrumptious and kept her warm on the cold winter’s day.

So, if you’re looking for a place to catch-up with a friend, or do some holiday shopping, stop by ACKC. We’ll let you know how brunch is ASAP.

ACKC
1529C 14th St. N.W.
Washington, D.C.
(202) 387-COCO
and
2003A Mt. Vernon Ave.
Alexandria, V.A.
(703) 635-7917

By: Cori Sue

I like to think Old Town Alexandria is the new Georgetown. At least, it’s my new spot for brunching, shopping, and a stop at a cupcakery with girlfriends on the weekend. The neighborhood is filled with adorable boutiques, including a lot of upscale consignment and sample-sale boutiques for great deals on high-end goods. I’d stopped at Lavender Moon Cupcakery before, so it was only fair I stop by its recently opened rival, Alexandria Cupcake.

Photo credit: Cori Sue Morris

Located right on King Street, Alexandria Cupcake has a prime location for a mid-shopping snack. The décor is sparse—definitely not as charming as its rival down the road. When we stopped in, they were out of a lot of flavors, including their “signature” and my favorite, red velvet. (This is unfortunate for my comparison of all red velvets in the city, sigh.)

Photo credit: Cori Sue Morris

At three dollars, Alexandria’s cupcakes are cheaper than those in the District. They have plenty of special menu items, including Vegan and gluten-free chocolate cupcakes, which are a bit more expensive than the regular ones ($3.75). The menu also says they have a rosewater cupcake, another signature menu item that was regrettably absent on our visit.

I had the vanilla bean: bourbon vanilla bean cake with vanilla bean butter cream frosting topped with a blueberry. They took the vanilla bean to another level with large specks that emitted a lovely vanilla scent and a very strong flavor.

Photo credit: Cori Sue Morris

Far braver, Maggie had the PB&J: vanilla cake, layered in the middle with grape jelly, and topped with peanut butter frosting, which she said was phenom. The almond cupcake, which had both almond cake and frosting, she described as pouring almond extract into your mouth—overpowering and not-so-good.

Photo credit: Cori Sue Morris

I brought beau back a strawberry cupcake and was very pleased they had biodegradable cupcake to-go-cases (which I saved and now use for my lunches).  Beau loved his strawberry cupcake– but what does he know? He’s more of a whoopie pie expert.

Photo credit: Cori Sue Morris

Good cupcakes, nice they have vegan and gluten-free options. But, in Alexandria, we like Lavender Moon Cupcakery better—better ambiance, more flavors, cuter/yummier cupcakes. Definitely beats out Red Velvet, Curbside Cupcake, and Cake Love here in the District, however.

The Cupcake 5 Factor:
Pretty? Yes.
Extensive Flavor Selection? Decent.
Moist cake? Yes.
Good Frosting? Yes.
Good Ambiance? Somewhat.

Alexandria Cupcake
1022 King St. Alexandria, V.A.
(703) 299-9099

By: Cori Sue

In the fortunate absence of real problems, the boyfriend and I enjoy arguing about nonsensical issues like whether I wear too many bows (perhaps), whether the Daisy Mae is too spoiled (impossible!), and which baked goods are best.

That last reference refers to the great cupcake vs. whoopie pie debate. Beau claims that whoopie pies are better than cupcakes because you can eat them like a sandwich and they’re less messy. Cupcakes, he says, are stupid (gasp!) and messy. I maintain that cupcakes are better because they’re pretty, and this trend isn’t going anywhere. (Anyone see that Sprinkles is opening up shop in Georgetown?)

Well, apparently beau was on the forefront of the baked goods trend while I, in my cupcake-educed haze, had fallen behind. On our recent trip to Dallas, we stopped by Society Bakery, as recommended to us by Dallas blogger Deux Maisons. Society Bakery offered both cupcakes and whoopie pies. (Point 1, beau).

Photo credit: Cori Sue Morris

We had two whoopie pies—Italian vanilla cream and pumpkin. And, of course, I got a red velvet cupcake. Unfortunately, the red velvet’s flavor didn’t match up to my favorite D.C. bakeries like Baked & Wired and Frosting. It lacked flavor and wasn’t very pretty. I think the icing was regular vanilla rather than cream cheese—bummer—and if it was cream cheese, it lacked the flavor altogether.

Photo credit: Cori Sue Morris

But, the whoopie pies were delicious and less messy—as evidenced by the fact beau was crumb-free but I was covered in red velvet crumbs. (Point 2, beau).

So, upon my return, I did some research. The New York Times covered the whoopie pie phenomenon last year and Metrocurean reports that the 14th and U Farmer’s Market has pumpkin whoopie pies from Pecan Meadow Farm. Our local Whole Foods just started baking whoopie pies. Then, U Street Girl informed me that D.C. has its own whoopie pie specialist: B. Hall Baker, Whoopie Pie Maker. Look out for an interview from her soon. (Point 3, beau).

Photo credit: Cori Sue Morris

Has a new foodie trend hit the District? I suggest going out and tasting a whoopie pie for yourself. They can’t possibly replace my beloved cupcakes, can they? Anyone willing to weigh in and settle the score of this great debate?

By: Cori Sue

A former vegan (I missed cheese, people; don’t judge me), I would have died for a vegan bakery like Sticky Fingers in my old South Florida locale. Instead, I baked my way through Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. (It’s a real book, I swear.)

Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World

Point being, I know first-hand the challenges of making a light-and-fluffy cupcake with flavorful frosting that’s egg-and-dairy-free. It’s a challenge, to say the least. Sticky Fingers Bakery in Columbia Heights, with its delicious cakes and cupcakes, makes it look like a breeze.

The traditional vanilla was sweet – but not too sweet – and moist, with very fluffy frosting. In my other experiences at Sticky Fingers, I’ve sampled chocolate and chocolate-peanut butter, which were also lovely.

Photo credit: Cori Sue Morris

Though I’m not a vegan any longer (I consider myself a pescetarian), I believe that non-vegans and non-vegetarians can (and should) go dairy or meat-free on occasion to help improve their health and reduce their environmental impact.

If you’d like to check out some Vegan treats or are in Columbia Heights, stop by Sticky Fingers, you won’t be disappointed. Oh, and PS, they also have a brunch! Weekends until 2:30, choice of pancakes, French toast, or biscuits ‘n gravy served with roasted potato home fries and hearty tofu scramble for $10. Not bad!

Great cupcakes that are better for you, and better for the environment.

The Cupcake 5 Factor:
Pretty? Not really.
Extensive Flavor Selection? Not really.
Moist cake? Yes.
Good Frosting? Yes.
Good Ambiance? Yes.

Sticky Fingers Bakery
1370 Park Road N.W.
Washington, D.C.
(202) 299-9700

By: Cori Sue

What better reason for a girls’ night out than fashion? On our bitchtastic date, Becca and I shopped our way through Fashion’s Night Out in Georgetown—hanging with the lovely K Street Kate at Intermix and stopping in at Simply Soles to see our friend, Kassie, owner and shoe designer extraordinaire.

Lovely Lillybee Shoes, Designed by Kassie. Photo credit: Simply Soles.

Then, off to Pizzeria Paradiso, the only decent pizza place I’ve found in the city. (This discludes the pizza from an unknown establishment I stuffed in my face very late the following evening. Let’s not talk about that.) Have a good pizza place? Leave it in the comments, please!

Mmm, pizza. Photo credit: Pizza Paradiso

Of course, no girls night out is complete without dessert. We stopped by recently opened Georgetown Scoops to top off our evening. Now, D.C. is laden with cupcakeries and fro-yo places, but, traditional ice cream parlors are lacking. Georgetown Scoops home-made ice cream was noticeably richer than most, and the cookie dough chunks were the largest I’ve ever seen!

Cheers! Photo credit: Cori Sue Morris

Best friends, shoes, pizza, and ice cream? What more could a girl want! Wishing you a lovely weekend, too, bitches.

Bon Appetit, Bitches! Photo credit: Cori Sue Morris

By: Cori Sue

Recently I stopped by Love Cafe to sample their cupcake selection. I had high hopes, since it’s the sister cafe to the infamous Cake Love, which sits right across U Street and is a well-known name about the Beltway thanks to its baked goods and a certain American Express commercial.

Love Cafe, however, is more a coffee shop than a cupcakery, with people nestled in corners typing away on their laptops or reading the newspaper. It’s got a different feel from other area cupcakeries; it lacks the usual pink frills and long lines (this might be because it was founded by a man).

Photo credit: Cori Sue Morris

It’s unfortunate, but I was not very impressed by the cupcakes. They aren’t cute or well-decorated, and they look kind of blah (with a blah flavor to match).

First off, they’re cold, which peeves me. Second, the cake is dry. I had the Mud Pie – chocolate cake topped with chocolate ganache frosting and a dollop of chocolate buttercream on top, along with a german chocolate center. It was alright; nothing memorable. And, if four types of chocolate can’t impress me, nothing can.

Photo credit: Cori Sue Morris

Also, in the name of research, I brought home a second cupcake, the Red Velvet, to sample later on. Once again, the cake was dry, and it was a fake-bright-cherry red that could be mistaken for strawberry. It didnt taste like red velvet cake, either. Lastly, the cream-cheese frosting (my favorite part) was light and unflavorful.

I make much better cupcakes than these at home. Le sigh.

Photo credit: Cori Sue Morris

Update: A friend recently ordered two dozen Cake Love cupcakes for a birthday party where the bitches were in attendance.  All the bitches agreed the variety of flavors were lackluster, and Cake Love’s customer service was rotten.

The Cupcake 5 Factor:
Pretty? No.
Extensive Flavor Selection? No.
Moist cake? No.
Good Frosting? No.
Good Ambiance? Yes, but awful awful service.

Locations:
U-Street: 1506 U St. N.W., Washington D.C. (202) 588-7100
Silver Spring: 935 Ellsworth Dr., Silver Spring, M.D. (301) 565-2253
Tyson’s Corner: 1961 Chain Bridge Rd., McLean, V.A. (703) 442-4880
National Harbor: 160 National Plaza, Fort Washington, M.D. (301) 686-0340
Hours: vary by location, see Web site.

By: Cori Sue

This year has seen an explosion of mobile food in Washington. From cupcakes to burritos, you can catch almost any kind of grub on the fly, whizzing by in a colorful truck. Just follow them on Twitter to figure out their latest whereabouts – and next pit stops. You never know, you might have a new lunch option in your ‘hood today.

Photo credit: Sauca

Here’s our list of food carts and mobile food trucks in the District. Let us know if we’re missing any good grub-on-the-go!

Bulgogi. Authentic Korean food. Cart located on the corner of L and 14^th Streets N.W.

Curbside Cupcake. Cupcakes out of a pretty pink truck. Mobile, find its location online or on Twitter, @CurbsideCupcake.

DC Slices. Whole and by-the-slice pizza. Cheese, pepperoni, Italian sausage, veggie, and Hawaiian.  Mobile, find its location online or on Twitter, @DCSlices.

District Taco. Breakfast burritos, homemade salsas, tacos in $3/1 $5/2 and $7/3 increments. Fast, simple, Mexican. Mobile, find its location online or on Twitter, @DistrictTaco.

El Floridiano. Cuban cuisine with an Asian twist—sandwiches and soups with Vegan options. Mobile, find its location online or on Twitter, @FLmeetsDC.

Fojol Bros. Fresh, preservative-free Indian food—vegetarian and meat-based meals served over basmati rice. Mobile, find its location online or on Twitter, @FojolBros.

Fry Captain. French fries, milk shakes, and bottled sodas.  Options for French fry seasonings and dipping sauces like truffle ketchup, sweet and sour mustard, galic aioli, pesto mayo, and more. Mobile, find its location online or on Twitter, @FryCaptain.

On the Fly. Eco-vending: smart, healthy options. Easy to spot the kelly green carts located along the National Mall, the Capitol, the Corcoran Gallery of Art, and the Phillips Collection. Find locations online or on Twitter, @OnTheFlyDC.

Rebel Heroes. Revolutionizing the sub with options like roast pork banh mi, pressed cubano, macho meatball, and more. Mobile, find its location online or on Twitter, @RebelHeroes.

Sauca. International cuisine—saucas (a flat bread wrap), fish tacos, Pork Banh mi, Beef Shawarma, buffalo chicken—and dozens of sauces like lemon mayo, dill yogurt, garlic chili, sweet ginger soy, and more. Two mobile carts, Sauca and Pangea, find locations online or on Twitter, @WheresSauca.

Solar Crepes. Sweet and savory crepes from a cart run by culinary school grads. 4245 Fairfax Drive, Ballston, V.A. @solarcrepes.

Sweet Bites. Gourmet cupcakes, cookies, coconut macaroons, muffins and coffee cakes. Mobile, find its location online or on Twitter, @SweetBitesTruck.

Sweet Flow. Salad spot Sweet Green’s mobile frozen yogurt truck is environmentally friendly, uses 100% compostable packaging and local/organic ingredients and toppings. Top your fro-yo with lots of fruit and topping options or pick up oatmeal for breakfast. Mobile, find its location online or on Twitter, @SweetFlowMobile.

Photo credit: Tommy Dingus

TaKorean.  Korean BBQ with a twist of Mexican style. Start by picking your meat—chicken, steak or tofu, then your slaw, then your topping (siracha, lime crema, fresh cilantro, sesame seeds). Also, the brand pledges 1% of gross sales to local environmental and youth-based non-profits. Mobile, find its location online or on Twitter, @TaKorean.

By: Cori Sue

Nestled on South Royal Street just off bustling King Street lies a small, indiscriminant doorway with a cupcake sign by the door.  Upon entry, you are greeted by hand-painted flower pots, raspberry pink walls, and mismatched café seating.  The décor is shabby-chic with a hint of playfulness—lace curtains are accented by Christmas ornaments and the cupcakes are displayed on a variety of cake pedestals.  It seems as if you’ve just walked into your eccentric aunt’s cottage home rather than a bakery.

Photo credit: Cori Sue Morris

Photo credit: Cori Sue Morris

The cupcakes flavors, too, are playfully unique—Devil’s Food with Peanut Butter Ganache, Espresso Meringue, Mexican Chocolate Pudding Buttermilk Chocolate, Vanilla topped with Strawberry, Red Velvet, Vanilla Vanilla, and a few I cant remember the names of—including a flavor where she mentioned chocolate three times.

Photo credit: Cori Sue Morris

We had Peach and Vanilla Lemon Curd—vanilla cake filled with a thick, tart lemon curd and topped by vanilla-speckled frosting and a raspberry.

Photo credit: Cori Sue Morris

All in all, a charming ambiance, delicious cupcakes in unique flavors. Worth the trip to Alexandria.

The Cupcake 5 Factor:
Pretty? Yes.
Extensive Flavor Selection? Yes.
Moist cake? Yes.
Good Frosting? Yes.
Good Ambiance? Yes.

Lavender Moon Cupcakery
116 South Royal Street
Alexandria, VA 22314

By: Cori Sue

Although Frosting of Chevy Chase has been open for a month or two, they are having a grand opening celebration this weekend. Their cupcakes are delicious, as you know, if you read my recent raves about the cupcakery last week.

Photo credit: Cori Sue Morris

They’re offering great specials so everyone should hop over there this weekend! Because who doesn’t love sunshine, weekends, cupcakes, and balloons? Here are the deets.

By: Cori Sue

Michelle and Todd Braken. Photo credit: Mark Gail, The Washington Post

Two years later, you can find the couple holding hands or being just plain adorable at Frosting in Chevy Chase. (Todd, Michelle, and her mother are business partners.) I met Michelle on Tuesday, and she radiates happiness. She’s had a big year, after all, getting married and starting a business.

Photo credit: Cori Sue Morris

All recipes are family secrets. (The carrot cake is Todd’s mother’s recipe, for example). The most popular cupcake is the traditional vanilla—but with Michelle’s super-secret extract this cupcake is anything but plain.

Photo credit: Kate Headley Photography

Frosting, a “boutique bakeshop,”  holds its own in ritzy Chevy Chase, M.D.—it’s simply lovely. Their shop, Web site, logo, and menu are all super cute. More importantly, the cupcakes are delicious—moist, amazing, unique—girlfriend has some serious baking skills. And, at $2.75, they’re a whole two quarters cheaper than most competitors. They also have a breakfast bar with breakfast cupcakes—how novel!

Photo credit: Kate Headley Photography

We’re storybook ending satisfied.

The Cupcake 5 Factor:
Pretty? Yes.
Extensive Flavor Selection? Yes.
Moist cake? Yes.
Good Frosting? Yes.
Good Ambiance? Yes.

Frosting
1 Wisconsin Circle
Chevy Chase, M.D.
(301) 539-9021