My Cupcake Obsession: Crumb's Bake Shop

Cupcakes are good, but I never truly understood the hype surrounding it. To me, it was just a fancified miniature cake. Nothing special, but then everything changed the moment I took my first bite into a Crumb's cupcake in New York City. The chocolate cake part was soft and moist, and the buttercream frosting melted in my mouth while this smooth lava cake-esqe center oozed onto my palate. Let's not forget about the crunchy walnuts and caramel that was delicately laced on top. It was pure bliss. Here's a picture of THE cupcake that started it all:


It tastes better than it looks!

To further try to convince you how exquisite it was, let me continue to describe what a bite of heaven probably tastes like. Make no mistake, it was not your typical cupcake. It was as if the chocolate cake made sweet sweet love to the creamy buttery frosting and created gooey chocolate babies in the center that erupted into your mouth with such vigor. Oh, and the nuts! The crunchy walnuts that speckle the cupcake with such delicate grace, all the while cavorting with the velvety caramel that shimmies across the buttercream frosting with such finesse. This pairing was surely a match made in heaven. It was best said when Marshall from How I Met You Mother declared, "This is God, speaking to us through food".

Here are some pictures taken at Crumbs:


Cupcake galore! How can anyone resist? There isn't a single flavor I wouldn't try.


More cupcakes. I'm salivating in front of the computer while looking at these pictures.


I want to try this. Usually pistachio tastes good in most desserts (i.e. macarons, gelato, etc).


Worth every 450 calorie.


Cakes. To me it's basically a supersized version of their cupcakes.


I regret not buying this to bring back to Toronto =(

I'm on a mission to find the best cupcake money can buy in Toronto. I know I'm being dramatic. I also know I dramatized the whole experience, but it really was the best damn cupcake I've ever had.

This post is somewhat of a segue into future entries on my new food obsession. So stay tuned as I embark on a mission to find the best cupcakes Toronto has to offer. It may or may not be successful since I can be incredibly lazy, but here are a few places I intend on trying:

1) The Cupcake Shoppe
2) Miss Cora's Kitchen
3) Lollicakes
4) Dufflets
5) Sweet Tooth Pastry Shop
6) Life is Sweet

Any suggestions?

Pizzeria Libretto

221 Ossington Ave
416-532-8000

Pizzeria Libretto is located in Little Italy/Little Portugal, near the intersection of Dundas and Ossington. They cook their pizzas in a Naples built wood burning oven for 90 seconds at extremely high temperatures of 900 degrees. Pizzeria Libretto prides itself in creating real authentic Neapolitan pizza. They adhere to the set guidelines dictated by Veracé Pizza Napoletana Association. Italians are very serious and particular about their pizza. In fact, pizza making is such a serious and pressing issue that even a branch of the Italian Government is dedicated to preserving the authenticity of Neapolitan pizzas. Pizza and politics, what a strange combination. I guess I don't blame them, I'm huge fan of pizza. I could eat pizza every day if all of that cheese and grease didn't do a number on my health.

The guidelines set forth by Veracé Pizza Napoletana Association include specifications such as creating genuine Neapolitan pizza dough by using of Italian wheat flour, natural Neapolitan yeast or brewer's yeast, salt and water. The dough also can't be more than 3mm. It also can't be formed with the help of a rolling pin, hands must be used instead. There are more rules but I'm not going to bore you with all the technicality.

When I arrived at the restaurant on Friday night at 6:00pm, I was told the wait would be 30 minutes. They make the whole waiting process more bearable by taking down your number and calling you when your table is ready. This beats waiting around in the cramped restaurant because you get to roam around Little Portugal. The downside is that unless it's a food establishment, most of the shops close early in this area. We ended up walking aimlessly and back into the restaurant within 15 minutes.





Duck Confit ($16). This pizza consists of duck confit, bosc pears and Ontario Fiore Di Latte Mozzarella. I knew this pizza was going to be one of those hit or miss dishes. I was a bit skeptical at first because the thought of having pear in a pizza sounded very odd. The pear balanced out the duck perfectly. With every bite, I could taste the duck fat that percolated into the crust. The sweetness of the bosc pear helped balance out the heaviness of the sliced Duck Confit. Who would have known pear and duck would go so well together?




Quattro Stagione ($16). It's divided into four segments and has Cacciatore, Mushrooms, Artichoke, Bella Olives, Tomato and Ontario Fiore Di Latte Mozzarella. I bullied my friend into getting it because I felt it was an interesting concept since you get to try 4 variations in one pizza. After taking the first bite, I felt responsible since I swayed their decision. I didn't like it partly because I ate it after the Duck Confit, and it felt a bit bland in comparison. I'm also not a fan of olives. 1/4 of the pizza was dedicated to olives. On a positive note, the ingredients tasted very fresh.

Overall, the Duck Confit pizza was amazing and I'll definitely be coming back in the future. Next time, I think I'll try their Margherita or Grilled Eggplant pizza (the server told me it was his favorite).

Led Zeppelin

Led Zeppelin - Since I've Been Loving You

This is by far my favorite Led Zeppelin song. I can listen to it anytime regardless of what mood I'm in. It's one of the most seductive songs I've heard. There's just something about the way Robert Plant sings with such despair and conviction, and let's not forget Jimmy Page's amazing bluesy guitar solo.



Interesting facts:
- Jimmy Page played this guitar solo in one take.
- Apparently if you listen carefully, you can hear the squeak of John Bonham's drum pedal.

The Fish House

7501 Woodbine Avenue
Markham, ON
905-948-1982

For a recent UTSC gathering, we went to The Fish House on Woobine, just north of John Street. From Monday to Wednesdays, they have an early week special that includes an entree and one dessert, salad or soup for $15.99 or $18.99. After you select your fish, you can choose how it's prepared. It can either be blackened, broiled, poached, cedar planked, lemon peppered, grilled, pan fried, or simply jerked. They also have live music on select nights. The performer had scratchy vocals and sang a variety of covers ranging from Johnny Cash's Walk the Line to Rolling Stones' Angie.



Blackened Rainbow Trout. The fish was moist and not overcooked. The seasoning on this blackened rainbow trout was tasty, but I felt it overpowered the taste of the fish. It came with a choice of baked potato, garlic mash, rice, roast potatoes or fries. I got the baked potato and used the whole bar of butter plus all of the sour cream. I wallowed in my guilt after.


Jerked Costa Rican Tilapia. I didn't try this, but she said she liked her dish!


Clam Chowder. The here soup was decent, nothing spectacular. All this talk about clam chowder is making me crave for one from The Soup Nutsy at TD Center. Those of you who have worked in buildings connected by the PATH will know exactly what I'm talking about. The line ups for the Soup Nutsy are crazy during lunch.


Coconut Raspberry Cheesecake. The cheesecake was a bit on the sweet side. Anything with coconut is good (with the exception of coconut hand creams, I hate that scent with a passion).


A list of fresh fishes it offers.



Overall, I think The Fish House offers pretty good specials. Usually $15.99 can only get you an entree at chains such as Moxies. At The Fish House, you get more value for your money and it's an okay place if you're a fan of fish.

Jersey Shore

Dear Jersey Shore,

I initially thought your show was dumb, incredibly superficial, and one of the most ridiculous shows created in television history. I thought you exploited these poor kids, dramatized the whole "guido/guidette" scene, and brought trashiness to a whole new level. I mean who has nicknames like "The Situation", "Snooki", or "JWWWOOOOWW"? After being constantly told how great this show is, I finally caved and watched an episode. It was love at first watch. I liked it so much I stayed up into the wee hours to catch up on 6 episodes in one night. Your show is sheer brilliance. It's not something that can be written or scripted. If it is scripted, the writers are literary geniuses. I fell in love instantly when I watched Vinny talk about his "fist pumping" and when The Situation, Ronnie and Pauly D went about their daily GTL routine (gym, tan and laundry baby!). It was also very endearing when Vinny freaked out over his pink eye from "particles that fell from dancing under that fat chick". This show is my guilty pleasure and I am thoroughly embarrassed that I'm so enamored to it, but I can't deny my love for Jersey Shore anymore. I misjudged you. I retract my hostile statements about this show. Vinny is my favorite, Mike comes up with brilliant phrases (i.e. committed a robbery, grenade, GTL), Snooki is like a cute/innocent yappy small dog, and I want a friend like JWoooww. The girl will throw down for you if someone calls you fat. I hope MTV brings you guys back for another season. You have provided me with hours of entertainment and laughter. Goodbye Jersey Shore. You will be missed.

Fist pumping!

My favorite. Vinny with his expressive eyebrows. I wonder if he plucks them, they look groomed.