Mexican Newcomer Buena Vida Debuts Unlimited Weekend Brunch Service June 2

Heirloom Carrot Tacos at Buena Vida

From our friends at Buena Vida...

Ivan Iricanin, founder and CEO of Street Guys Hospitality, is pleased to announce the introduction of unlimited weekend brunch service at his newest venture, Buena Vida, located at 8407 Ramsey Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20910. The Buena Vida Brunch Experience will debut Saturday, June 2 and will be available Saturday and Sunday, from 10 AM to 3 PM. Priced at $35 per person (excluding tax and gratuity) guests can enjoy an endless selection of Mexican fare prepared by Chef de Cuisine Graham Bartlett. Dishes showcase traditional flavors from all the corners of Mexico, and incorporate cage-free eggs and meats primarily sourced from Amish farmers along with local seafood from the Chesapeake. The Buena Vida Brunch Experience must be ordered by the entire table. Dishes will also be available a la carte with prices ranging from $2.50 to $12 each.

Park Hyatt Washington, DC Celebrates 30th Anniversary

From our friends at Park Hyatt Washington, DC...

Park Hyatt Washington, DC Celebrates Its 30th Anniversary with A Six-Foot Cake and Complimentary Sweets on 24th & M Streets, NW

On Monday, August 15, 1986 Park Hyatt Washington, DC first opened its doors to Washingtonians and visitors to the nation’s capital. In celebration of its 30th anniversary, the iconic luxury hotel, located at 1201 24th Street, NW, will display an eye-catching six-foot tall birthday cake, prepared by Pastry Chef David Collier, on the corner of 24 & M Streets, NW, next to the hotel’s landmark fountain. As an added bonus, guests will have the pleasure of enjoying complimentary cupcakes from 12 noon to 1 PM. Passersby can partake in over 300 cupcakes (while supplies last) with two tempting flavors, Vanilla Citrus Sponge with cherry blossom buttercream and Chocolate Cake with caramelized milk and chocolate buttercream.

Georgetown Cupcake Celebrates “Madam Secretary” with Free Cupcakes, Sept. 20th

From our friends at Georgetown Cupcake...

Georgetown Cupcake Celebrates CBS’s New Drama Series “Madam Secretary” with Free Cupcakes!

WHAT: Georgetown Cupcake is celebrating CBS’s new drama series “Madam Secretary” by giving away FREE Madam Secretary Red Velvet cupcakes on Saturday, September 20th! Drop by Georgetown Cupcake in Georgetown, Los Angeles, Boston or SoHo for a free cupcake. Each cupcake will feature a special fondant topper adorned with a custom “Madam Secretary” logo. One free cupcake per person, no purchase necessary (while supplies last.)

Anatomy of a Cupcake at Sticky Fingers Sweets & Eats

Pistachio Orange Cream Cupcake

Is it any wonder the cupcake craze is dying a slow, painful death? After forking over $4 for a small, bland cupcake at Sticky Fingers Sweets & Eats, I'm ready to call it quits forever. As in... no more cupcake reviews. Not that today's Pistachio Orange Cream cupcake was the worst I've ever had (although it was painfully average) but rather the fact that no single cupcake (with the possible exception of Buzz Bakery & Lounge, which still only charges $2.75 and $3.25 for theirs) is worth four bucks.

Sugar Daddy's Bakery Cupcake Review

Sugar Daddy's Bakery - Carrot

There's a new player in the "DC Cupcake Wars," and it comes by way of Jordan. That's a long way to travel, to showcase your sweet goodies; but Sugar Daddy's Bakery proves worth the effort. Adams Morgan joins two franchises in Beirut, HQ in Amman, and a future space in Dubai as home to founder Fadi Adnan Jaber's uniquely sized but tasty cupcakes.

DC Outlook's Dirty Dozen... The Top 12 Bites in DC

Leave it to me to name the 12 best bites in DC after a 1967 war film; but I like to get "down and dirty" with good food, and what do you expect from a film critic anyhow? The following delectable dozen earned their way onto this list with exceptional tastiness, value and zest. I bow at their collective awesomeness, and you should too. May I humbly present the first-ever DC Outlook Dirty Dozen...

Store-Bought Cupcakes... Below Par?

Good as Fresh?

Riddle me this: What's a cupcake lover supposed to do after hours? Even the best cupcakeries have to close eventually, don't they? Fear not, fellow cupcakeaholics: DC Outlook is here to set you straight on store-bought alternatives; and surprise, surprise... they're not all duds.

Ruby Tuesday Food Review

Buffalo Chicken Burger with Fries

You'll be hard pressed to find a bigger, more satisfying lunch than the one I had at Rockville's Ruby Tuesday earlier today. Two apps, a burger & fries and two cupcakes for dessert... for under $20? Pinch me, I must be dreaming.

Anatomy of a Cupcake at Sweet Themez

Lemon Coconut Cupcake

If you're not careful, you might walk right past Sweet Themez Cake and Cupcake in the heart of Adams Morgan. It's a basement location, meaning you have to climb down a few stairs to get inside; but some places are worth the extra effort. Great customer service, a wealth of choices (regular and vegan) and an affordable price point ($2.75 each, $28 for a dozen) make Sweet Themez the top destination for all things sweet in Adams Morgan.

Anatomy of a Cupcake at Sweet Sam's

Vanilla Buttercream cupcake

Somewhere in between Buzz Bakery & Lounge and Tastykake exists a gray area for cupcakes... not daily fresh, but not necessarily boxed either. Sweet Sam's Baking Company delivers enormous 6 oz. cupcakes from its 80,000 square foot bakery in the Bronx, New York up and down the East coast. I happened upon them while shopping for pita bread at the Brookville Super Market in Cleveland Park.

Anatomy of a Cupcake at Best Buns Bread Company

Chocolate with Toffee Frosting cupcake

Who says you have to visit a cupcakery for great cupcakes? Best Buns Bread Company in Arlington, Virginia gives any fancy boutique a run for their sweet money. Better known for their scrumptious breads (Big City Sour... yum!) Best Buns makes a killer cupcake too. I settled on just one (frown) before heading to lunch... a chocolate cake with toffee frosting for a mere three bucks (plus tax.) Delicious.

CakeLove - Part II

Neapolitan cupcake at CakeLove

Everyone deserves a second chance, especially the area's first cupcakery. I returned to CakeLove in Silver Spring, Maryland to see if they could improve upon the Toffee Crunch I tried last November. Although I was happy to see that all cupcakes are now served at room temperature, a dry cake spelled doom once again.

Anatomy of a Cupcake at The Sweet Lobby

Green Tea and Boston Cream (r) at The Sweet Lobby

Cupcakes were an admitted afterthought while visiting Eastern Market yesterday. I was a man on a mission: I came for doughnuts (Migue's) and hot dogs (DC-3) but couldn't walk past The Sweet Lobby at 404 8th Street, SE in good conscience. I had visited once before (after their win on Food Channel's Cupcake Wars) and walked away satisfied but hardly impressed. Yesterday's visit was decidedly different.

Anatomy of an Alexandria Cupcake

Almond cupcake at Alexandria Cupcake

Olde Towne Alexandria is a haven for restaurants, so it stands to reason that one could find a good cupcake place, nestled between all the various antique shops and eateries. The newest, Alexandria Cupcake opened a little over three years ago at 1022 King Street (about where Olde Towne really starts to get interesting.)

Anatomy of Lavender Moon Cupcakery

Lavender Moon Cupcakery puts the old in Olde Towne: It's the oldest cupcake speciality shop in town (September 2008.) They still don't have a website, and their space feels as dated as the street it's on (116 S. Royal Street) but outward appearances aside, service is friendly and the icing to die for... What more could you ask for?

Anatomy of a Cupcake at Baked & Wired

Baked & Wired's Carrot Cake cakecup

My brother Brian has often sang the praises of Georgetown's Baked & Wired. Until yesterday, I had never even tried it. Perhaps I was turned off by the long lines that stretched outside their front door on the weekends; but after devouring a Carrot Cake cakecup, all I can say is... Shame on me, for arriving late to the party.

Not So Fancy Cakes by Leslie

Best known for beautiful wedding cakes, Fancy Cakes by Leslie offers an attractive selection of cupcakes for customers and passersby alike. Since I'm not getting married anytime soon, I decided to pop in and try one of their single cupcakes. The verdict? Let's just say, I'm glad to be single.

Anatomy of a Cupcake at Cascade Café

Chocolate Eclair cupcake

My favorite art gallery (in town) is the National Gallery of Art... It's free, and includes some of the greatest paintings of all-time (including North America's only work by Leonardo da Vinci.) It also houses the beautiful Cascade Café in between the East and West Buildings. Although the food there is suspect at best, you can always count on a small selection of delectable cupcakes... if chicken tenders and pizza aren't your thing. Arriving just before their 3:00 closing time, a cupcake seemed my best and safest option.

Anatomy of Curbside Cupcakes

Curbside Cupcakes' Egg Nog cupcake

Curbside Cupcakes takes a mobile approach to cupcakery... making their mark in and around the nation's capital, via its fleet of familiar pink trucks. I suppose it's fun to check their website to see if they're coming to a corner near you; but I prefer a sure thing. I headed over to CC's kiosk at Pentagon City for a more grounded version of one of the area's most popular cakes.

Anatomy of a Safeway Cupcake

Safeway's Raspberry Rhapsody

Safeway? Isn't that a grocery store? It is, but not all cupcakes are born in fancy boutiques. We decided to try out a few cakes from local grocers, and see if they were... up to scratch. Here's what we found.