Weekend Photo Mash

As I said, Weston came in for the weekend and lots of tasty meals were eaten. The first night he came in we went to one of our favorite restaurants: Sensi. I ordered the New York Strip instead of the Ribeye by mistake (I was just too excited) and found that I actually prefer the Strip - it's a much leaner cut of meat so I didn't have to waste a bit. I ordered mine on the lamp chop dressing - meaning they use the same spices as they do on the lamb dish. Typically, good restaurants will let you do this since you're just switching combinations, not the main dish itself. I was really happy with the result. Weston got the fish special which was also quite divine. I have to say, the service was the best it's ever been. Although that might have been because Weston had a glass of prosecco waiting for me at the table when we got there...

The next morning I took my leftover meat, sliced it up, and made some quick scrambled eggs for a "steak and eggs" brunch.

We also went back to Frostings to sample a few more cupcakes.

Red Velvet, German chocolate, French Toast (with sugared bacon), Mexican Hot Chocolate, and Strawberry. All were incredibly good and I was impressed with the fact that each flavor actually tasted different - something I found lacking at Georgetown Cupcake

The Strawberry and Red Velvet were my favorites - especially since the strawberry cupcake was filled with some yummy concoction of rhubarb (I think). I'm a sucker for rhubarb and a sucker for filled cupcakes.

We also went to Maggiano's for a birthday dinner for my friend, Lauren which was a blast because I got to spend some time with classmates outside of the lab - and I was finally able to introduce Weston to everybody :)

Frostings Cupcake Bakery

Cupcakes are pretty important in the dessert world. Back home, I know exactly where to go when I want my fix, but I haven't found a place here in Richmond. (see last post for a recap of some Georgetown cupcakes). The shops in Carytown have not impressed me: their cupcakes have looked dry and puny. But upon venturing out a little ways (to Short Pump), I think I found the answer to my cupcake prayers.

I've driven by Frostings a dozen times and never gone in. The other day, thanks to a spurt of spontaneity, I decided to stop by before grocery shopping at Trader Joe's. I initially intended to go in, scope the place out, and leave. But I was the only customer, the place is small, and the lady at the front counter was so friendly that I felt leaving without a treat would be just plain wrong.

The lady was sweet and engaging - she told me Red Velvet was the cupcake they hang their hat on, so I decided to get one of the those. What's interesting is you can get it with a cream cheese or a buttercream frosting. Since I know cream cheese is the traditional way, I decided to go for that. One look at the cake told me I was in for something good: it had that sheen that only the most tender and moist cakes have.

THEN the lady tells me Frostings has been on Cupcake Wars: and was a semifinalist! I look up and am embarrassed by my own idiocy...right above my head is a banner that says "Cupcake Warriors." I am so, so proud to be living here, I must say.

I got home and tried my best not to devour the whole thing in one fell swoop. This required some restraint, I must say. The cake was absolutely delicious - not overly sweet and not dry at all. The frosting was dense and creamy - and there was a lot of it. I'm not a huge frosting person, but I appreciated them not being skimpy.

The red in this picture is a little exaggerated because of the lighting; I didn't taste anything artificial in the cake at all. And I feel awful that my picture isn't representing the cuteness of the cupcake because it a) took a little tumble in the box and b) I got halfway through eating it before I thought to take another picture.

I know I'll be back and I'm so happy I finally found a cupcake place in Richmond that makes me smile.