Many moons ago, I actually went to Georgetown Cupcake with a friend who insisted we go. It was before they were crazy popular -- and before I started blogging -- so I thought a revisit would be nice.
Georgetown Cupcake, a designer cupcake shop, always has a line wrapping around the corner due to their popularity.
During winter and spring of 2010, TLC filmed a reality series at Georgetown Cupcake, shadowing the sisters, telling their story, and aspects of running a small business. The six-part series, titled DC Cupcakes, aired on Fridays in July 2010.[9] The second season began on Friday, February 25, 2011 (Wikipedia)
Fortunately, I didn't have to wait too long before getting inside (in the AC!) to peruse all the tasty treats. They have regular items, daily items, and seasonal items.
I ended up choosing six cupcakes for $19. Steep, but when in Rome, right?
They got a little melty since it was a warm day, but mostly in tact once I got back to West Virginia.
Salted Caramel - Caramel cupcake with a salted caramel-infused buttercream frosting topped with a caramel drizzle
Rainbow - Classic Madagascar vanilla cupcake infused with rainbow nonpareils and topped with a baby blue-tinted Madagascar vanilla buttercream frosting, and a sour candy rainbow
Lavender Earl Grey Teacake - A Madagascar vanilla cupcake infused with lavender sugar and Earl Grey tea, topped with an Earl Grey tea–infused buttercream frosting, a sprinkling of lavender sugar, and a pink fondant flower
Cherry Blossom - Classic Madagascar vanilla cupcake baked with cherries and topped with a cherry infused cream cheese frosting and a fondant cherry blossom
Unicorn - Georgetown Cupcake's classic Madagascar vanilla cupcake infused with nonpareils and topped with purple-tinted Madagascar vanilla buttercream frosting, rainbow jimmies, and a whimsical fondant unicorn
Hummingbird - Georgetown Cupcake's version of a Southern classic — fresh banana, pineapple, and pecan cupcake topped with a vanilla cream cheese frosting, chopped pecans, and a blue fondant hummingbird
That cherry blossom was amazing, as was the salted caramel. Which is your favorite?
The pepperoni roll has made its way past the borders of West Virginia and into Washington, D.C.
Pepperoni Chic, a Washington DC pop-up restaurant, features the West Virginia pepperoni roll in a number of original and "chic" versions.
It's the brainchild of Karen Shannon, a Fairmont native who left for Washington DC after college to find a career in journalism. Along the way, she began working in the food industry and it grabbed hold of her. Since then, she's worked to develop recipes from her Calabrian heritage.
The pepperoni roll, what we dub the “Appalachia’s Secret,” has been an integral part of daily life in my hometown of Fairmont, WestVirginia since Giuseppe (Joseph) Argiro began baking them in the 1920s or 30s. Argiro was inspired by the coal miners, who often took large sticks of pepperoni and chunks of Italian bread down into the depths of the mines. Argiro’s delectable result was a self-contained pepperoni bun the size of a hot dog where the oils of the pepperoni permeated into the dough while baking – a “handy subterranean snack for miners."
Each piece of her restaurant has been thoughtfully crafted. She makes her pepper sauce from only the traditional type of peppers, her onions from a particular region in Italy and hand-made mozzarella daily.
The restaurant features a small market, where you can get some of the homemade goodies found topping the pepperoni rolls.
Having owned an Italian restaurant for years and working alongside many Italian chefs and owners, I am well aware that what Americans recognize as pepperoni does not exist in Italy. Even though I am second generation Italian, I have always strived to be authentic and true to the classic cuisine of my Mediterranean ancestors.
However, in the case of Pepperoni Chic, my loyalty lies with my Italian-American predecessors. Pepperoni is the lynchpin of Pepperoni Chic and the history of Italian immigrants in northern West Virginia.
The complement of Calabrian cuisine to the pepperoni roll is logical. Even though pepperoni is actually an Italian-American invention, its similarity to the classic spicy salame of Calabria is undeniable.
Its exact origin is cloudy, but food experts believe pepperoni came on the food scene in the early 1900’s, created by Italian butchers in American cities. The dates also coincide with the inception of the pepperoni roll in Fairmont by Calabrian immigrants.
Some visual shots help illustrate the pepperoni roll for the uninitiated.
The pop-up shop offers seating for a few folks, but takeout is popular.
The more traditional pepperoni rolls are ones you can find with "the works" in West Virginia - peppers, chili, cheese. And, they're all named after members of her family.
The "chic" pepperoni rolls are modern-day takes inspired with Calabrian ingredients.
The menu features some backstory on the pepperoni roll, connecting it to West Virginia and its place in our food culture.
And, there are some goodies on the menu beyond the pepperoni roll: salads, pastas, and desserts.
These onions are from a particular region in Italy and give off a delicious, sweet flavor.
The "Tre" comes with sauteed, wild Calabrian-style mushrooms and mozzarella.
The pepperoni rolls are baked with stick pepperoni, then split open and toppings are added - much like Colasessano's.
The "Due" comes with Tropea sweet red onions and gorgonzola.
Wow, this one was so good I couldn't stop myself from eating the. entire. thing. The creamy, funky gorgonzola, the spicy pepperoni and the sweet onions were at home in the freshly baked roll.
And pasta! Rigatoni alla Calabrisella : Rigatoni, eggplant, tomatoes, black olives, onions, peppers and capers, tossed with provolone. Perfectly al dente with lots of delicious bites mixed inbetween.
Fileija alle Cipolle Rosse - Classic pasta from Calabria with “Tropea-style” red onions cooked slowly and tossed with parmesan cheese. The chew from this pasta, the sweetness of the onions - unreal.
And, of course, while there, I had to check out the gorgeous cherry blossoms!
How beautiful??
Have you ever been? Be on the lookout for this shop to expand in the future!
Ramp season is special for a number of reasons, but especially one: RAMPARONI ROLLS.
That's right: pepperoni rolls with ramps. There are a few spots around the state that add ramps to this bakery special, and I've been slowly making my way to all of them.
The Donut Shop in Buckhannon, known for pioneering the ground pepperoni movement, simply signals the beginning of the season with a sign on their board that says "ramparoni rolls."
They serve four different kinds of ramparoni rolls: a regular pepperoni roll with ramps, a hot pepper cheese pepperoni roll with ramps, a mozzarella cheese pepperoni roll with ramps, and an American cheese pepperoni roll with ramps. Above is a regular with ramps baked right in.
For the rolls with cheese, the side is split open and hunks of cheese are added in. Above and below are the hot pepper cheese ramparoni roll.
Something about the spice of the pepperoni and the garlicky onion is a beautiful combo.
Here's a pepperoni roll split with mozzarella cheese added.
And, finally, here's the one split open with slices of thick American cheese.
Which is your fav?
I read a story recently about why it's so difficult to build the Chipotle of pasta. Fast-casual restaurants are popping up all over, and new styles of food are built into this concept (even if pasta is tough). And, considering Asian is one of my favorites, I was excited to learn about Oryza.
Oryza Asian Grill is a fast-casual concept where you order at the counter, they make it right in front of you, and it's all fresh. It's a healthy, on-the-go option that you customize yourself!
This restaurant, which is located in the newer plaza across from Suncrest Kroger, is very clean, modern and simple.
The menu is easy, just pick the following:
1) Format: Bowl, Salad or Wrap
2) Protein: Chicken, Spicy Chicken, Steak, Chicken & Pork Meatballs, or Organic Tofu
3) Veggies (pick 3): Black Beans, Sauteed Vegetables, Asian Green Beans, Charred Corn, Kale, or Egg
4) Sauce: Garlic Yum, Ginger Yum, Spicy Yum, Sambal Salsa, Thai Curry, or Sweet Sriracha Red
5) Toppings: Herb Salad, Carrot, White Raddish, Cucumber, or Cheese
6) Finish: Sesame Seed, Crispy Garlic, Crushed Peanut or Thai Chili
Oryza chips & sambal salsa
Bowl with noodles and red rice, meatballs, corn, green beans, sauteed vegetables and garlic yum
Lisa's bowl with noodles, chicken, green beans, black beans, egg, and sambal salsa
Have you been? What's your favorite combo?
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