The Mrs. and I are avowed sweet lovers. We love good (dark) chocolate, we love pastries, we love baked goods of all kinds. So when I heard that a new cupcake place was opening in Davis Square, I knew we had to check it out.
The place is called Kick Ass Cupcakes, which is cute, and it's located on Highland Avenue just outside the square proper. We headed over there on Friday night (they're open til 10 PM on Friday and Saturday nights), their first day open for business. Their web site promised about ten different varieties of cupcakes, including some unusual flavors, so we were anticipating some good stuff.
Unfortunately, the cupcakes were practically microscopic. Now, there's nothing wrong with mini cupcakes, but these were almost small enough to be considered mini-sized, yet they cost $2.75 each. By way of comparison, when we went to New York in June, we ate lunch in the basement cafeteria at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where we split a delicious, gigantic cupcake filled with raspberry goo that was $3.50.
We did end up buying some cupcakes, and they weren't even that good. The Mrs. said she felt like she wanted to go back to talk to the proprietor, to give her some friendly advice. I don't like to say bad things about someone trying to make it running their own business, because I know how difficult it can be, and I like to support local businesses whenever possible. But I fear that a lot of people are going to visit Kick Ass Cupcakes once, and not go back. I hope the people running the place rethink their pricing or their sizing, or both.
Saturday we stopped in Ball Square to get a snack at Lyndell's bakery. They make some pretty great pastries; I'm quite partial to their raspberry danish. And they also make cupcakes, which are generously sized and cost 90 cents each.
What do you think of the Danish Pastry House?
ReplyDeleteLyndells cupcakes are cheap because they are made with cheap ingredients- hydrogenated fats, oil, artificial flavors. They are not all natural. As they say...you get what you pay for.
ReplyDeleteI can kind of take or leave it. I've had some good stuff there, but I dislike marzipan, and they use a lot of it.
ReplyDeleteAn anonymous comment saying something negative isn't going to do much to sway me. Can you back up your statement?
ReplyDeleteI know by the taste and look. If you want proof, just go to Lyndell's and ask them. If they won't tell you or are evasive (as was my experience)...that is also your answer.
ReplyDeleteFair enough. What bakeries do you recommend?
ReplyDeleteHi. i found your blog entry via Universal Hub. Have you seen the discussion of Kickass at Davis Square LiveJournal?
ReplyDeleteI have to admit I do not frequent LiveJournal, but I will check it out.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous is none other than the owner of "kickass", who has apparently decided to go head to head with Lyndell's. As if?
ReplyDeleteI can almost see six months down the road.... An empty storefront on Highland Ave. Lyndell's, busy as always, sales brisk. A bitter ex-baker wondering why her overpriced cupcakes and lack of people skills failed to capture the hearts and minds of Somerville...
Our "Kickass" cupcakes tasted more like dry, tough, mini biscuits with frosting. After we tasted them, the four of us calculated the bakery's survival at about two months. It's not just the tiny size and the high price, it's poor texture and flavor. We're not going back. Why is it so darn hard to bake a good cupcake? I've tried plenty of places around town, but a sweet, fluffy cupcake with tasty frosting is hard to find. The ones at South End Buttery are the best so far. Any other suggestions?
ReplyDeleteI remember that cupcake in NY. *grin* I've also read the postings on Chowhound about Kickass, and they say much the same thing -- too small and too expensive. Of course, they also say "we want to like them" but too many strikes against.
ReplyDeleteWe tried Kickass cupcakes and also "wanted to like them"...We bought a half dozen, and had a hard time even selecting 6. The choices were pathetic and the cupcakes looked tiny and sad. So far we have tasted 2, and are contemplating throwing the rest away. They are small, dry and flavorless. Save your money, and wait for a better cupcake bakery to hit Boston.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I hopped the red line to check out this new cupcake joint in Davis Square. It was not impressive. The store itself looked small, cheap and embarrassing. It looked like a ghost town: 3 people (2 working) and hardly any cupcakes to choose from (it was mid-afternoon).
ReplyDeleteThe one person ahead of us got one of the "shooter" options. It came in a plastic cup. A plastic fucking cup. A ketchup/condiment cup. It was pathetic. As was the half-dozen (who can afford a dozen?!) cupcakes we got. The batter was mixed so poorly that there were clumps of flour in each of our cupcakes.
Kickass Cupcakes is all attitude, but has no pride. The store itself is sad, the offerings are small and overpriced, and the products need improvement. Actually everything needs improvement.
Having just come back i have to say i'm in full agreement. It sad, but this store doesn't stand a chance, the price point is crazy. Who in their right mind will spend 25dollars on 6 marginal cupcakes, and the workers were borderline rude. I think they are going to make alot of money the first month or so, disregard all the good internet advice here, on live journal and chowhound, only too see a big drop off in the future. I wanted to like them.
ReplyDeleteLast night tried Flour's cupcakes (wash st. south end) and they were very vanilla-y with a fluffy cocoa topping that threatened to disappear into the ether, it was so light. The crumb factor reminded me of corn muffins, which I wasn't expecting, but it wasn't disappointing, either. (and their Belgian brownies were luscious, rich and fudgy, and a generous portion. $2.50, like the cupcake of medium size.) All out of their famous poptarts, alas.
ReplyDeleteAlso had a cupcake at Lulus in the North End, but they were all out of vanilla, so had a Boston Creme version. It was tasty, but didn't like the cold topping plopped on top of the rest of the vanilla muffin. It was a good muffin, but not enough to write much about. I'm looking forward to more research here, tho.
Why don't you try Enchanted Bake Shoppe in downtown Haverhill. It's my shop and I've been open since Sept '07 with over 68 different flavors of cupcakes...... give us a go! Worth the trip!
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