Crumbs Bakery

Let’s get to the brass tacks. Crumbs is a major player in the cupcake game, as far as I’m concerned. That’s right, I said the cupcake game. If you haven’t been paying attention to the food industry in this country right now, cupcakes have become the new hot commodity in baked sweeties, and we’re not just talking your grandmother who does it for her ‘glaucoma’. DC has seen a proliferation of cupcake and related bakeries, with names like Cakelove offering locations in Shirlington, Tyson’s Corner, and DC, while smaller shops such as Georgetown Cupcake, Hello Cupcake!, Red Velvet, TangySweet, and Baked&Wired (the omnomnivores cupcakery of choice) who each have their own rabid followers (don’t ever put your fingers in between me and a Pretty Bitchin’ from B&W).

So many choices, so little stomach space.

So it was no suprise that on this trip to NYC, we made it a point to break into the Gotham cupcake scene. The first choice was Magnolia on the West side, but promises of long lines (thanks to a featured episode on Sex & The City) with basic flavors had me searching out other places. While talking to concierge at our hotel, I noticed that there were several exchanges of cupcakes from Crumbs, who already have 13 locations in Gotham, as well as storefronts in New Jersey, California, and Connecticut. I wouldn’t say it’s a stretch that we’ll see a Crumbs opening in DC within the next few years as well. What I really liked about this shop was the uniqueness of their cupcake flavors. 30 flavors to suit pretty much anybody’s tastes, and if you can’t find one you like, well, you should just go back to sucking rocks and slurping mud with the other cave dwellers. I instantly targeted the Signature size Key Lime cupcake, which I estimated to be about 1000 calories of artery clogging ecstasy, while Jen opted for the 12 mini-cupcake “Sampler of Dietary Doom”.

The 501 Madison Avenue shop has a convenient public seating place just around the corner, seated next to a soothing public waterfall. Just ask the staff and they’ll gladly direct you there with your baked goods. And don’t tell them that the omnomnivores sent you, because they’ll have absolutely no clue what the hell you’re talking about. Just go, and enjoy the ride.

A Key Lime Signature Cupcake, about to meet its OMNOMNOMNOM