Best Cupcakes in Manhattan

So of course just when I'm leaving, I find my favorite cupcake spot in Manhattan.

Keep in mind that I live near the tempting Magnolia Bakery and their cupcakes are good, yes, but they aren't all that. Billy's, their spin off, is a little better and then there were some disappointments at Burgers & Cupcakes and Eleni's BUT now I've found ambrosia at Sugar Sweet Sunshine on the Lower East Side.

It was recommended to me by Nichelle, a blogger at Cupcakes Take the Cake. We were chatting at a pre-fashion week party and I eagerly asked the cupcake aficionado what her favorite cupcake in New York City is and she quickly replied, Sugar Sweet Sunshine--not to be mistaken with the fun independent film that I wrote about, Little Miss Sunshine.

So on a mission, two of my girlfriends and I headed there after work to try for ourselves. I admit I was skeptical but eager and very hungry. I ordered their sunshine cupcake ($1.50) which is a vanilla cake and buttercream frosting and their lemon cupcake. Sunshine was amazing. The cake was really moist and flavorful and the frosting was sweet and creamy. Way better than Magnolia's and without the line and a quarter cheaper a cup. My friends tried their red velvet cupcake and pumpkin spice instead of the lemon one, both of which were received with enthusiastic moaning.

The place itself has a relaxed coffee shop feel to it that invites visitors to stay and eat instead of taking it to go.  

So forget the line and two dozen limits at Magnolia's and head to Sugar Sweet Sunshine on 126 Rivington Street. The NY Press agrees by the way. Enjoy!

News: Sorry, Cupcake, You're Not Welcome in Class

Oh, the Places You'll Go!

I'm moving to California. Yup, I figured the direct, rip the band aid off approach would be best. To Los Angeles' Venice Beach area to be specific, only a block away from the sand. I'll also be living with my boyfriend, who I met here on a subway platform but he moved out there two months ago (read more). It was on the E line stop, 52nd Street, in case you were wondering. I have a job there already too, its with my former PR agency's LA branch. And remember several months ago a fortune teller told me that she saw the west coast as a positive place for me and that was without me asking her that question, she just randomly said it.

Now, to address some of your concerns about When Tara Met Blog, a reader (like you) interviewed me:

Reader: Will you still blog?
Tara: Hell yeah, it has become too important to me to just stop and I hope to take you all along for the ride with me.

Reader: What will you write about now that you'll be on the West Coast?
Tara: Good question reader. The same stuff as I write about here, my observations about relationships and people, the places I visit, restaurants I eat at, films I see and the crazy stuff that happens to me along the way. Just minus the crowded subway stuff, but I'm sure now I'll have driving issues instead. It will be about me being transplanted to LA - with stories of the coast to coast differentials and of course my activities like it is now.

Reader: But you love NY!
Tara: I do, and it's going to be hard to say goodbye to "the City," but I won't really be saying goodbye because I'm a NYKer and I'm taking that with me. Plus, I'll probably come back eventually and of course will be visiting my family and friends here. Years ago, I went to live in London for 6 months and I didn't know anyone and that was a great experience, I'm hoping this will be the same.

Reader: Will you be able to sleep in a bed that's not 6 inches from the ceiling or located above your kitchen?
Tara: Hmm I've been asking myself the same question. It's definitely going to be a challenge not living in a bitchen. I'm very worried I might get lost in all that extra storage space.

Now for some wise advice from Dr. Seuss for anyone trying something new and embarking on an adventure:

"Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You're off to Great Places!
You're off and away!

You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose.
You're on your own.  And you know what you know.
And YOU are the guy who'll decide where to go.

You'll look up and down streets.  Look 'em over with care.
About some you will say, "I don't choose to go there."
With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet,
you're too smart to go down any not-so-good street.

And you may not find any
you'll want to go down.
In that case, of course,
you'll head straight out of town.

It's opener there
in the wide open air.

Out there things can happen
and frequently do
to people as brainy
and footsy as you.

And when things start to happen,
don't worry.  Don't stew.
Just go right along.
You'll start happening too.

OH!
THE PLACES YOU'LL GO!" (Full text)

Links: New York Magazine's guide to Los Angeles and 24 Hours in LA

9/11

The toughest assignment that I had during journalism school was not the midnight cop ride-a-long in Washington Heights, nor was it attending public court and trying to get quotes from legal teams or stopping bikers on the Williamsburg Bridge at rush hour, it was covering the 3rd year anniversary of 9/11.

I was too emotionally attached and sensitive to the topic to be an observational writer. I hated being there at the church memorial ceremony, I hated having to go up to those who were grieving and ask how they felt, which is why I got a lower grade on my article. I simply refused to intrude on the personal moments of the grievers who lost immediate family during the terrorist attacks. I’ve lost people—not in the attacks, but I recognized their pain and anguish on their faces and I just backed away or cried when I attempted to even approach. Instead, like many others in the church, I hung on the words of our leaders for hope. The eloquent quotes from politicians like Gov. Pataki and Mayor Bloomberg still ring true on the 5th year anniversary as it did then and still give me chills. Here's what I wrote and saw.

Sept. 11, 3rd year anniversary. Port Authority Workers Remembered
By Tara Renee Settembre

One block north of Ground Zero, as the city's church bells tolled in the background, hundreds gathered for a noon Interfaith Remembrance Service at St. Peter’s Church in Lower Manhattan on Saturday, Sept. 11, 2004

The service, at New York state’s oldest Catholic parish, which only three years before was covered with dust inside and out, honored the Port Authority employees who were killed that day.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey lost 84 of its members in the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001. Three years later their memories are far from forgotten (read more).
__________________

Working on Wall Street

Here are the views that I take in on my way to work in Lower Manhattan, I find them pretty inspiring and powerful, especially on this anniversary.

The Stock Exchange and its columns covered with a large American flag:

George Washington:

And sadly, the large dents on the side of this building on Wall Street are from the September 11th debris. I pass and look at these chunks each day:

MSN Video: Lower NY Rebounds, my office on 55 Broad Street is featured and many of the above images, as is Horn Group's CEO, Sabrina Horn, here at our NY offices! Check it out.

The Color Purple
I had three books glued to my cap when I graduated from Wheaton College (I majored in English) and Alice Walker's The Color Purple was one of them. I also remember being sick in elementary school and watching the film when I was home and became enthralled. I've seen it at least a dozen times now. Tonight though I saw the musical version of The Color Purple on Broadway backed by Oprah and loved it just as much as the the former two mediums.

The songs were great, the costumes timely and colorful, the story as inspirational and dramatic as ever and the cast was great. I was impressed with how the music really fit along with the narrative and wasn't forced or out of step at all considering it's the first time the story was adapted into a musical form. The leading actress, LaChanze, who played Celie, Whoopi's character from the film, won a Tony Award for best actress in a musical this year and I can now see why. Her singing gave me chills when it hit the high notes and oozed her passion. The musical followed closer to the book especially the relationships between Shug Avery, Mister and Celie. At times I was laughing and at others my eyes were glistening. Not once did I look at my watch or wonder when intermission was coming. The audience was cheering on the characters and rised to their feet at the end. So, yeah, I'd recommend seeing it. My friend Karen got us both rush tickets in the second row for $26, it felt like we were practically on the stage with the cast.

The film meanwhile just made AFI's 100 Years 100 Cheers list of inspiratonal films.

Dim Sum in the City

 I originally heard of dim sum from the film Working Girl back in the late 80s, but I had assumed it was the dumplings she was passing around and not the actual cart that she was pushing full of a variety of Cantonese eats. Dim sum is a Chinese light meal or brunch served with tea. Over the last year I've experienced the real dim sum experience, but over Labor Day Weekend I found the mecca of Dim Sum eateries in China Town, Jing Fong. You have to ride up an escalator to reach the banquet hall filled with round tables and moving carts. It looked like I was attending a large wedding of strangers.

There was a 20 minute wait since we went on the most popular dim sum day, Sunday, and unless you have a big party you will most likely be seated with people you do not know. There were six of us, yet two other people were still seated with us.

The cart pushers try to get you to sample everything and that's also part of the fun, trying stuff that you have no idea what it is until it's in your mouth and even then you can still be left questioning. It may be intimidating but it's exciting to make random selections and eventually you'll remember the items you liked and didn't like. Luckily my friend Andrew was there this time and he knew some Cantonese and could be more selective, I was also with some other dim sum pros so I just got to sit back and eat trustingly.

Dim sum generally consists of a wide spectrum of choices, from sweet to salty or as Andrew said, savory. The steamed or fried choices have combinations of meat, vegetables and seafood in buns, sticky rice, dumplings and noodles. Generally none of the items are very spicy and there is usually a desert cart with custards, egg tarts and donuts as well.

For each plate or basket that is put on your table your table's card is then stamped with a smiley face, which are later counted up to calculate your bill. Despite having eyes bigger than my stomach, so far I've never paid more than $12 a person and that's with tip and tea included.

A dim sum custom: It is customary to pour tea for others during dim sum before filling one's own cup. I just read that a custom unique to the Cantonese is to thank the person pouring the tea by tapping the bent index and middle fingers together on the table. This is said to resemble the ritual of bowing to someone. It also curbs guests from saying thank you while food is in their mouths.

So for those who haven't had the real dim sum experience, be sure and try it with friends soon and especially keep Jing Fong on your to-do list.

Link: Pictures of common dim sum dishes