Daily Loaf

Tampa has seen a couple of cupcake bakeries pop up in the last couple of years, so I set out to compare their products; specifically, the simplest of all these sweets: a vanilla cupcake.

In Westchase, there are now two places that offer cupcakes. When Swirls on Race Track Road first opened, they had multiple cupcake flavors as well as several other baked goods. Currently, they seem to be concentrating more on gelato, coffees and a few lunch items. Good thing, because the cupcakes were awful. The cake was dry and oddly solid, as if previously frozen, and the frosting was greasy and flavorless. Thankfully, their gourmet gelato, including unique flavors like Guinness and avocado, are worth the visit.

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Obama was inagurated on Tuesday, and in the frenzy of media coverage you may have missed what’s really important — sustenance. No worries, we have the entire week distilled down to a mere few links. Just for you:

• Listen to the inaugural episode of Nosh Pit, CL’s new food and wine podcast.
• Brush up on Girl Scout Cookie gossip.
• Bourdain calls Alice Waters “very Khmer Rouge”.
• I call Alice Waters out for $500 dinners.
• Three new Tampa restaurants (and Cupcake Spot) are scheduled to open this weekend. Taylor already ate at one of them.
• Three words: waffle fry butts.
• Obama orders a medium-well cheeseburger. For. Shame.
• Chocolate and bacon cupcakes with peanut butter icing.
• Argentina kills our last bets hope for quality beef.
• USDA releases ineffectual, voluntary rules for the term “naturally raised”.
• Ingredient Basics: Garlic

People must be eatin’ cake to get over their recession depression. The obviously successful Tampa location just celebrated their one year anniversary and owners Nicole and Doug Longo are opening their second Cupcake Spot location this Thursday.  Read Brian Ries’ review from last year.

Tampa
2401 S. Dale Mabry Ave.
813-258-3111

St. Pete
Snell Arcade Building
405 Central Ave.
727-825-0572
www.thecupcakespotinc.com