Cupcake Testing

So, this weekend I have had my first visitors to NYC. My mom, Beth, and Ryder are here and they seem pretty intent on trying every cupcake in the city! Cupcakes are the big thing in NYC and you see cupcake bakeries EVERYwhere! Here are the results of our tests so far:

• Cupcake Cafe-- we happened upon this one, but Beth said she'd heard of it. They get the prize for prettiest cupcakes. There's are the most decorated and are gorgeous. But, I didn't think they tasted well. My mom and Beth would give them the prize to best cake, but thought they had the worst icing. They also were most expensive at $3.25 and were MINI cupcakes.
• Billy's Bakery-- yum, yum. Cheap at $1.25 and great cupcakes- loved the icing!
• Magnolia-- we had all been to Magnolia before, but it was nice to go back and compare when we had tried the others so recently. Their cupcakes were my favorite this weekend, however, I think they were a lot better than when I had them a year ago. If I had compared Billy's to when I had Magnolia's a year ago, Billy's would win. But, today, Magnolia reigned. Beth/Mom would give Magnolia prize for best icing. And Magnolia and Billy's are priced exactly the same.

So, tomorrow we still have Buttercup Bakery to try and I have been told that their cupcakes are better than Magnolia's.

We've had a great time this weekend....and we haven't just eaten the whole time!! Other things we've done:

• saw "Three Days of Rain"-- Julia Roberts' play. The play was a little slow, but it was really neat to see Julia so close! Her acting actually didn't seem that great-- or maybe it was just the part she was playing was kind of dull and emotionless. But, the other two guys Paul Rudd (Phoebe's husband on Friends) and Bradley Cooper (Wedding Crashers, Alias) were really great. After the play, they let ticket holders stand where the actors come out to get in their cars. My mom and I were on the front row and I got pictures and my mom got all their autographs. It was so fun!! I stood very, very close to them with just a bar between us. Julia is darling...she is super tiny, very friendly, and so cute. The 2 guys are so cute, too!! They were all really nice and spent a lot of time signing autographs. Paul Rudd spoke to me!! People behind me were shoving their posters and papers over my head and he said to me "You're getting crushed in there"! It was so fun!!
• shopped and walked, walked and shopped. Lots of it! Down Bleecker (so nice), to some flea markets (because that's what Beth really likes to do), to one of our favorite stores "Cath Kidston", a little in ChinaTown (but it was too crowded!).
• Ate dinner in Littly Italy at Angelo's-- one of my favorites!
• Had a nice Saturday brunch with our family friend who was here. The food at this place was excellent, but I don't know the name!! I'll have to find that out.
• Got to take my fam. to church so they could see what it's like and meet some of my co-workers

That's about it so far, but they'll be here until Tuesday. We don't have a whole lot else planned, but they want to explore the Upper West side some. I'm sure I'll write more later this week!