A Vanilla Vanilla Cupcake from Glitz

These sweet little cakes have finally made it to our side of the city. Having heard of many cupcakeries located in Ottawa, especially in the Glebe along Bank Street, I was delighted to notice two that have recently opened around the corner from where we live in the Byward Market!

We first noticed The Cupcake Lounge while it was under construction. It’s located next to the Blue Cactus at 6 Byward Market Square, between York Street and Clarence. We ended up walking by during their early grand opening and Alex and I were lucky to be able to purchase and preview their delicacies. They only had a limited menu, and the majority were all sold out! Alex left with a Chocolate Chocolate and I with a Vanilla Vanilla.

Alex’s cupcake was “Belgian dark chocolate cake with bittersweet chocolate frosting” and covered in little chocolate piece sprinkles; mine was “Classic Madagascar bourbon vanilla cake with vanilla bean frosting” and covered in vanilla pearls. They’re quite big in size and not overly sweet, as some cupcakes (especially vanilla) can be! They go for $3.25 a cupcake, or 12 for $36.

We enjoyed the cakes so much we brought two of our visiting friends to The Cupcake Lounge to try out a few other flavours. This time around I ordered the Key Lime which is described as “Pure lime infused cake with lime zest and cream cheese frosting”. This cake was equally as delicious as my previous Vanilla Vanilla cupcake. Our other friend tried the Chocolate Coconut which is described as “Belgian dark chocolate cake with toasted coconut cream cheese frosting” to which he had nothing but good things to say.

The other cupcake shop we discovered in the market is Glitz Cupcakes and Company. Located at 11 Murray Street, we discovered this little place while sitting out on the patio for lunch at The Earl of Sussex Pub. We stopped in to try their cupcakes and the décor is really quite cool. Black furniture and dark wood, with light purple accents and mirrors, very similar to the décor of the Anna Sui make-up counters! We popped in right at the end of the day so again, our menu choices were limited.

This time Alex and I both opted for their Vanilla Vanilla cupcakes, although they had a few mini vanilla and Chocolate Chocolate left. They were adorned with purple sugar sprinkles and a purple star sprinkle atop a swirl of pretty ivory vanilla frosting. Although they were a bit smaller than the cupcakes offered at The Cupcake Lounge they were a little cheaper. I found these cupcakes to have the same savoury flavour (read: not too sweet!) as the Vanilla Vanilla at the Cupcake Lounge.

When I first discovered these two cupcake shops I thought for sure I was going to review how one was better than the other, but to my delight and surprise, they were both excellent! Both places offer quality cupcakes at reasonable prices in very chic little shops. The only difference between the two is that Glitz offers you larger lounge-style seating, while the Cupcake Lounge (ironically) only offers a few seats. However there is a bench located in the front of the store to enjoy a little people-watching in the market.

The only downside I have to state is that Glitz Cupcakes and Company have not developed a proper website other than a main page with the address and their hours. I would have loved to look at their daily offerings and descriptions of the cupcakes.

Our Review:

The Cupcake Lounge – 4.75/5

Glitz Cupcakes and Company – 4.25/5

Urbanspoon’s Opinion:

and
Glitz Cupcakes and Company isn’t on Urbanspoon yet!

(As I’ve only been to Glitz once, I will update this score upon my second trip and/or upon their implementation of a proper website)

1 Pecan Salad $15.00
1 Chicken Fajita $23.00
2x 20 oz Beer $13.00

Total for two $57.00 (aprox)

We recently went out to the Blue Cactus to grab some food at night. I decided to go with a big salad but Victoria was quite hungry so she went for a Fajita.

My salad was fine but Victoria’s fajita came cold and was practically frozen by the end of the meal. She didn’t finish it but we did take it home.

I ate it the following day despite it being pretty terrible. All I really got was an overpriced salad and a beer that I could get anywhere.

The last time we were at this place a piece of glass was dropped on the second floor and landed in our food. I have nothing good to say.

Reviewed by Alex Massaad

This review might seem a little strange by the title so let me clarify. The service at Cornerstone is terrible and the ambiance is slightly worse. The place doesn’t look bad, or dirty or anything, it just lacks something. After a very brief wait at the bar (our bar drinks hadn’t even been made yet) we were seated at a table in the middle of a very noisy restaurant.

I’m not one to usually pick apart tiny details, but the tables here are horrible. This is the second time I’ve visited Cornerstone and this is the second time I’ve had to jam my feet under the table in order to sit comfortably. Did the owners not sit in these chairs before ordering them for the restaurant? Maybe they did and I’m just built differently than they are. I also became well acquainted with the furniture while our waitress took about 5 minutes too long to take our orders.

Noise aside. Tables aside. Slow servers aside. The food was pretty good. We started with the Thai Guacamole Dip which is “A fusion of Thai spices and guacamole served with lime salted corn tortilla chips.” A very good Guacamole but not quite enough. There were too many chips left at the end, which seemed a little disappointing. It definitely beats some of the other Guacamole’s in the market though. I would probably order it again if I were there for drinks.

For an entree I had the Roasted Chicken with Pear Chutney which is described in the menu as a “Roasted breast of chicken topped with a vanilla infused pear chutney. Served with seasonal vegetables and roasted potatoes.” This might be worth coming back for on a quiet night . . . if that ever happens at Cornerstone; most night’s its pretty full.

54 York Street (In the Cellar)

Total Bill: $60.08

Reviewed by: Alex Massaad

Home of the “$12 French Fries (with a magnificent side order of sirloin steak and Caesar salad)” and a beer menu that requires a second visit just to get to the end of the list!

Situated on the same corner as two other restaurants, Vineyards has the feeling of being a bit hidden away in the city.

Victoria ordered a Hoegaarden beer along with the Cajun Creole Belgian Style Mussels which comes with their (amazing) french fries and mayonnaise.

I ordered a Stella Artois beer along with the Vineyards Belgian Style Mussels and we both got the deep fried Calamari with sour cream dill sauce.

One special note about this place is that you have to walk up to the bar to order your drink, water is also available there when your thirsty for a refill. This is due to the tremendous selection and expertise that the bar staff have regarding pairings and beer choices. A server came for our food orders.

In the evenings a Jazz band plays in the corner, its a very nice touch. I give this 4 out of 5 stars and would definitely go back as its close, central in the ByWard Market and relatively cheap.