Ate My Way Through Philly

This has been a crazzzzy week! After the wedding cupcake/cake tower for my friends wedding, it was all about my project for my grad school class. Let's just say I got about an average 4hrs sleep for 3 nights straight! But it's turned in, the class is done...and now I wait for my grade. The boy and I decided to head up to Philadelphia for the night/day so I could relax (which I have not done in quite a few weeks now) and of course EAT :-)

Today's menu: Soft Pretzels for breakfast, cheesesteak taste test for dinner (Pat's vs. Tony Lukes and Pat's won) Can you get any more Philly than that?! Oh and of course cupcakes! Haha... And since I'm not baking, I'll review instead. I must first state I am in no way a food critic! I just feel like giving my 2 cents in this post today :)

Now on to the good stuff the...the cupcakes!! I tried 2 places today: Philly Cupcake and Grocery Inc. Both were good, but had their flaws and I'm basing my review on only 1 cupcake from each place. First was Philly Cupcake - relatively new, it was soooo cute when you walk in. I'm a sucker for ambiance and decor I will admit it (I wish I got a pic). I love love loved the way they keep the cupcakes on display in this vintage hutch kinda thing. I decided to get the white velvet raspberry cupcake. It was good, with smooth frosting, not too overly sweet. As for the negative things about it, I couldn't really taste the raspberry in the frosting, and the cake was a little grocery storish. Oh and it was $4 cash only :-/ Little steep in my opinion....
Second place was Grocery, around the corner. I had seen them while driving by - I noticed the cute cake plates first, then saw that they had actual real cupcakes on them. I decided on the Lolita - an ancho chili chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting and chili roasted peanuts. Sound's good huh?? As for the positives: cheap! $1.95 for a cupcake and if you get the little cupcake protector (which I have been wanting for awhile now) it's only $5 for the protector and it comes with the cupcake...So for only $1 more, I got a cupcake AND a reusable cupcake protector thingy. Overall tasted good but not great. Negatives: did not taste any ancho chili :( And you could tell it had been sitting out for awhile and what brought me in (seeing them in the window) was also the downfall because it was SO hot that day and the sun was shining in the windows right on them. Of course I did not think of that until after I purchased them, but as my BF says - I have a stomach of steal. I've eatin street food around the world and *knock on wood* have not gotten sick yet ;-)Though I didn't find THE cupcake place in Philly, I had fun trying them out. Why did I choose such an expensive hobby again?! lol. Lastly, in honor of cupcakes I changed the sheets on the bed before the boy could say anything lol.... and looks like our dog Rocco is enjoying :)

Thanks mom for the cupcake quilt!