baby, let's talk cupcakes.

the time has come.
more than a foodie, i consider myself a completely official cupcake conniseur. today we're going to talk about my latest cupcake experience--my first time at yellow leaf .
nestled in belltown, dangerously close to dahlia lounge, yellow leaf is the lesser known of the seattle cupcake titans. however, i predict that they will soon go the way of the trophy or the cupcake royale. they flavors are innovative and well executed, the ambiance is small and homey, and they seem to really love what they are doing.
my partner in cupcakes and i tried the two signature flavors of the house. i had the tomato soup (whaaaaa?!?!?) and g had the pancakes and bacon. don't be led astray by the name tomato soup, as it is really just a semi-savory spice cake with a chocolate ganache and frosting. it was really unique in taste, and i was happy to try something i'd never had before. the pancakes and bacon, which i was granted exactly one bite of, was a weird experience. much like willy wonka's three-course meal gum, this pancake cupcake tasted exactly like when you take a piece of buttered pancake, pick up a little piece of bacon on the fork and then swirl it all around in the excess plate syrup. the little flecks of bacon in the maple cake base will please any bacon addict.
the flavor rotation at yellow leaf is a little different, as they have over 90 flavors on a constant rotation. on any given day you can find a new flavor to try, which makes each visit a suprise. some that were not offered on my visit, but i hope to sample in the future include: rainbow sherbert, earl grey, spumoni, and sweet licorice. i believe that the normal flavors [chocolate, vanilla, red velvet] are there everyday for you classic types, but it's this idea of suprise flavor that really puts yellow leaf in a special place for me.
however, it'll take a lot to convert this cupcake royale girl, to any other seattle cupcake shop.
ps. pictures are of me and g enjoying our cupcakes on the go:)

tom douglas lunch date.

for some reason, when people talk about seattle dining you hear dahlia lounge consistently peppered through conversation. this is why, today, my bestie g and i checked it out for a quick lunch. i did see that the dinner menu was more extensive and showed a bit more variety, but i was happy with the opportunity to check out the place i've heard so much about.
really, what dahlia boils down to is flavor. it's simple food, served on simple plates, and with simple garnishes. the flavor, however, is anything but simple. tom douglas, isn't a famous seattle restaurateur by accident. the complexity in even the simplest dishes is what keeps dahlia lounge, and douglas's other seattle restaurants on the tips of everyone's tongues.
now, dahlia is currently participating in the month-long march event dine around seattle, which showcases 30-something restaurants offering 3 course prix fixe dinner menus for $30, with many others serving a similar $15 lunch. g and i could not resist partaking in the great deal and enjoying a 3-course lunch!
the special lunch menu offered a spring greens salad, tomato soup with croutons, or albacore poke for appetizers, a beecher's grilled cheese, pork hum bao, or pan-seared chilled albacore for entrees, and lychee sorbet, coconut cream pie, or a vanilla bean eclair for dessert. i am a big sucker for grilled cheese and tomato soup, and this definitely put what i craft to at home to shame! the tomato soup was fresh, textured, and perfectly seasoned, and the beecher's cheese oozed from the rustic potato bread like some sort of cheese-lover's art form. g had the salad to start which was large, deliciously dressed, but pretty plain overall. for entree she tried the pork hum bao. it was served with steamed gai lan [chinese kale] and sticky rice.
for dessert, we couldn't try two different things because we were both already in love with the lychee sorbet before we even tasted it. and we were not disappointed when it arrived with an amazing sesame ginger sauce on top. the lychee flavor was true to life, and the not-too-sweet dessert left us feeling light, refreshed, and fully satisfied with our dahlia lounge experience.

i scream. you scream.

today is the day that i share internet elaboration on my favorite seattle spot of all MOLLY MOONS!!! with two locations [capitol hill and wallingford] this ice cream boutique is absolutely irresistible, intriguingly delicious, and eco-friendly to boot. i love it so much, i even own a molly moon's t-shirt! if you want one for your very own, you can't purchase online just yet...but mine and many more are on sale at either location.
now, my molly moon's knowledge might be borderline embarrassing to most, but i take great pride in having at least sampled nearly every flavor in the repertoire. molly moon is an actual person, and shares her actual given name with the shop. this woman is an ice cream genius. on any given day in the shop you will find such flavors as salted caramel, [girl]scout mint, balsamic strawberry, or theo chocolate [straight from the fremont chocolate shop, which will be blogged as soon as it's visited by yours truly!] toppings include fresh fruit compote, cajeta, lemon curd, and a completely perfect hot fudge. the flavors and toppings rotate, and a new flavor is always popping up to challenge your taste-buds' threshold.
whenever i have visitors to the seattle area, i always take them to molly's and we are never disappointed. beware of going on a warm friday or saturday night, as there can be a line wrapping around the block and on a heavily visited day the shop may run out of (gasp) waffle cones! and trust me, you want to have the option...as they are AMAZING.
and just one more tip to the inexperienced ice cream patron--don't fret if you can't decide between two flavors and know your tummy won't allow a double scoop. you always have the option of asking for a "split scoop" and getting a half scoop of each of two delicious flavors. try salted caramel with maple walnut or theo chocolate, mix one of the featured vegan sorbet flavor with a bit of the scrumptious vanilla bean, or go OFF and try a sample of them all. you won't be sorry and you'll always come back for more!