All Set in Massachusetts

Napa Night in Ny

Cupcake Comfort on the Lower East Side

When our friend, Jen Goldfinch, found out that we were staying on Rivington Street in Manhattan's Lower East Side, she said we had to try the cupcakes at Sugar Sweet Sunshine. And try we did! Over two days, we sampled four different types of cupcakes (the shop's menu boasts 10 creatively named varieties). The four we tried were: Sunshine (vanilla cupcake with vanilla buttercream), Bob (yellow cupcake with chocolate almond buttercream), Sexy Red Velvet (red velvet cake with white, whipped cream-like frosting), and Lemon Yummy (lemon cupcake with lemon buttercream). The shop is busy and product turnover high, so the cupcakes are always fresh, moist, and delicious. We really enjoyed all four types that we tried, but thought the frosting was best on the the Sunshine and the Lemon Yummy. Thadd liked the Red Velvet cupcake the best. For those of you who don't know (we didn't until we looked it up), Red Velvet cakeis typically a chocolate cake (made using cocoa) with either beets or red food dye to give it its color. While cupcakes are certainly a specialty at Sugar Sweet Sunshine, the bakery also makes cakes and an assortment of muffins and other baked goods. If you're on the Lower East Side, don't miss the opportunity to brighten your day by treating yourself to a visit!

View from 18th floor Hotel on Rivington

Cape Cod Summer '08 Wrap-up

This summer, we spent quite a bit of time on the Cape and have lots of great recommendations. We mostly stayed in the Eastham/Orleans area but also ventured to Wellfleet and Chatham. Here are some of our favorite spots:

Best Restaurant (Dinner) - Mac's Shack in Wellfleet. This restaurant has an amazing and extensive menu that features lots of local fish and produce. We've been there three times and still feel like we've barely scratched the surface in terms of what this restaurant has to offer. If you go there in the summer or early fall, definitely request outdoor seating. The atmosphere is great, and there are heat lamps for chilly nights. Plus, you can enjoy a glass of wine and some Wellfleet oysters at the outside bar/raw bar while you wait for your table. For appetizers, the tuna tatare featured with big chunks of tasty tuna and avocado. The heirloom tomato salad is also fresh and delicious - and big enough to share. For entrees, we enjoyed both the scallops and striped bass, and our friend also praised the flounder. Most of the entrees are served with some interesting vegetable combination. We've yet to dig into the restaurant's sushi menu, but bet that's good, too! Bottom line, it's hard to go wrong at Mac's Shack.

Best Lobster Roll - Finbars in Orleans. We'll caveat this recommendation by saying that we've tried only a handful of the thousands of lobster rolls that are served at various dining establishments on the Cape. However, this unassuming roadside stand offers what we consider a top-notch lobster roll - lots of fresh lobster meat, just the right amount of mayonnaise, and a toasted bun. We're not sure you can ask for much more from a lobster roll!

Best Beach Food - Liam's at Nauset Beach. If you're not up for packing a picnic and in the mood to indulge in some great fried seafood, check out Liam's at Nauset Beach. The fried oysters, clams and scallops are all fabulous. We also really liked the world-famous onion rings - even Alice who typically does not like onion rings. Maybe it's something about the salt air that makes this food taste so good! Word-of-caution: the lines at Liam's can be very, very long so be prepared to wait.

Best Bar - Beachcomber in Wellfleet. The Beachcomber is one of the few "beach bars" that we've discovered on the Cape. There are beautiful views of the beach from the parking lot, and the outdoor area of the bar has a lively atmosphere. The Goombay Smashes were the best we've had outside of the Straight Wharf in Nantucket. We did not try the food, and therefore can't comment on it. Our only beef with this hot spot is that you can't see the beach from the bar. We think they should build a roof deck!

Best Beach (Daytime) - Nauset Beach in Orleans. Nauset is a majestic beach with nice sand and decent waves - although the water is very cold (typical for the ocean side of the Cape). The beach can sometimes be very crowded near the main entrance, but if you face the water and walk to the left, you can find parts of the beach that almost seem untouched. Nauset is a great walking beach! There's plenty of parking right next to the beach (as opposed to Coast Guard where you have to take a shuttle), and bathrooms and refreshments are readily accessible. Parking is $15 and also gives you day-access to Skaket Beach on the bay side.

Best Sunset Beach - Skaket Beach in Orleans. If you want to see a great sunset, we higly recommend the bay side of the Cape. We saw a spectacular sunset at Skaket Beach over Labor Day weekend. As an added bonus, the tide was low, and you could walk at least half a mile through out to various sandbars (and the water was almost bathwater warm). It's a great place to take some family photos or enjoy an evening cocktail on the down low. The picture speaks for itself.