Caracas & then some

Happy Wednesday!  Time for a little update on recent culinary adventures.  Sunday brought Cherry Cupcake and I to Caracas Arepa Bar, a favorite in the EV that popped up on my radar again recently because of their gluten-free options, thanks to one of my favorite blogs!

pinisi bakery

Pinisi Bakery has two locations, about three blocks away from one another. Cannelle and I had heard that their red velvet cupcakes were to die for, and it being Valentine's Day, we couldn't pass them up. I called ahead, worried that since it was V-Day they might be sold out, but I was assured that they had plenty of red velvets to go around. I went to the E. 4th St. location and found this cute storefront beckoning me in:

happy valentine's day!

A very happy Valentine's day to you and yours! 

Cannelle, Cherry Cupcake and I will be cooking up a storm soon enough, but I just stopped by Pinisi Bakery for our desserts and just had to post this photo:

 

Check back soon for a full review of Pinisi Bakery's red velvet cupcakes and chocolate cupcake with rosewater frosting (I HAD to try it...), as well as our Valentine's Day menu!

finally...yerba buena!

Let me just start by saying that we have been talking about going to Yerba Buena (Ave. A at E. 2nd St.) pretty much since we moved here 2 1/2 years ago. Last Sunday was the perfect occasion - we surprised Cherry Cupcake with a drunk birthday brunch! Her birthday is on Christmas Eve so she's usually at home with her family and not out getting rowdy with her friends, so Cannelle and TexMex Surprise planned a surprise brunch. They tricked Cherry Cupcake into thinking the brunch would only be the three of them, but they were super clever and invited all of Cherry Cupcake's friends in the city to a most excellent brunch. She was completely surprised and we all had a great time with the bottomless drinks!

Yerba Buena serves all sorts of delicious Latin food. From traditional huevos rancheros (which Cherry got), to arepas (skip these if you go to YB - go for the arepas at Caracas instead), to a Cuban sandwich, Yerba Buena will do you right by Latin cuisine. Cannelle and I opted for traditional brunch dishes with a Latin twist - Cannelle got the Steak "a Caballo"

and I got the Benedict Yerba Buena.
Cannelle loved her dish, but I didn't get a chance to taste it. I was a little too absorbed in my meal to bother trying anyone else's, and oh my GOD, it was SOOOO delicious. YUM! The potato crisps weren't anything to write home about (and yet I ate them ALL), but the dressing on the salad was tasty - a little citrusy - and the Benedict YB was AMAZING. The "hollandaise" is their own take on the sauce and has jalepeno. The meat on the benedict was so good...it all just went together perfectly.

Everyone was really happy with the bottomless drinks - they let you change, so if you pick sangria at first, you can get a mimosa next (which a lot of us did...). The sangria was soooo good!

Someone at a table nearby heard it was Cherry's birthday and sent her over a totally amazing and truly bizarre drink - something called a Poquito Picante. According to YB's menu, it's tanqueray gin, jalapeno, cilantro, cucumber, cointreau liqueur and fresh lemon juice. It managed to be spicy, sour, and soothing simultaneously - and I usually hate gin-based drinks! You should absolutely give it a try - unfortunately it's not a part of bottomless cocktails, but it's totally worth a try.

We ended the meal with some Funfetti cupcakes - Cherry's fave! As great as it is to make things from scratch, I just don't think it's easy to top Pillsbury's Funfetti mix.

All in all, a fantastic experience! On top of the amazing food, the waitstaff was very attentive as well. Two thumbs up!

xoxo
Miel