New York & DC Cupcake/Bakery tour part 2....

Me out front of Carlo's Bake Shop

Our next cupcake adventure didn't actually involve cupcakes... It started with a very short but expensive drive out to Hoboken New Jersey to visit somewhere I've only dreamed about, Carlo's Bake Shop.

I think if you watch the show as religiously as I do, you will recognise a few of these cakes!

 

I very nearly purchased one of these!

I love a bake shop with an ATM machine in the middle of it! ;)

Cannoli

It was a very surreal feeling, the shop was not as big as I imagined inside and the line up was minimal. When it came time to order - there was a generous assortment of cupcakes on offer, however I thought "I'm at Carlo's Bake Shop. I can have a cupcake anywhere!" So I ordered cannolli, tiramisu, cream puffs and biscotti.  

Biscotti from Carlo's Bake Shop

 

Inside the cream puff

Tiramisu.... can you see why i was disappointed?

 The cannoli was nice, not what I expected but still very nice. The tiramisu disappointed me along with the cream puff and biscotti. Overall it definitely wasn't up to the hype I had put myself through. I still however loved going there and was worth every penny being there! We went for a wonder around the Hoboken streets afterwards doing a spot of shopping and found a lovely place for brunch. We loved Hoboken!!

Beautiful flowers in a Hoboken store. If I lived there, all of those flowers would have come home with me!

From Hoboken we got the subway to Manhattan and then a Ferry to Dumbo. We were over there to visit a few stores - but mainly one in particular, One Girl Cookies. We were referred by a couple of friends to go and visit One Girl Cookies and I'm so glad we did.

Inside the cabinet at One Girl Cookies

The famous "Brooklyn's Original Whoopie Pies" - you can see they are popular!

When we walked into the store it looked like a gutted warehouse with a couple of benches installed around the room and in the centre of the room was the counter. The place had a very rustic feel to it, a little too rustic for some things. Cakes sat on the bench with slices missing and no covers on them. This to me promotes the cakes to dry out and attract unwanted pests like flies. Their cupcakes looked beautiful, but again not in a closed cabinet - just sitting out along side the whoopie pies. I think the worst thing about it all up though, was the service. I knew immediately what I was purchasing, so walked straight in to order. I was ignored by a clerk standing right in front of me for a few minutes until finally she served me. Then I asked her for a business card and was flat out ignored. I had to ask someone else for a business card. I felt like I was an inconvenience in their store.This is definitely something they should work on.

Cupcakes in One Girl Cookies - I loved the finish on them! Cute.

After making these observations however, we had been recommended to try out the pumpkin whoopie pies. As they were labelled "Brooklyn's Original Whoopies" I had high expectations, and oh my were they met plus some more! It was so good that I wanted to go back and buy more! Lucky enough for me, I will be purchasing the book and will bake my own pumpkin whoopie pies! Do not in any means take my criticism as a warning not to visit. If I was in Brooklyn tomorrow, I wouldn't have a second thought about going back to One Girl Cookies. I can only assume they were having a bad day.

Pumpkin Whoopie Pie - spicy, soft, moist, luscious, moreish!

Overall we loved both Hoboken & Dumbo equally for their bakeries and the uniqueness of the cities. Dumbo felt like we had gone back in time, to paved roads and carousels. Hoboken felt like the trendy streets of Melbourne, not as busy but a very welcoming and friendly city that made us feel like we were home.