August 10, 2005
Warren Joins Alton on Food Network
Today's Post reports that Warren Brown, owner and founder of U St. bakery Cakelove, will be the first D.C. area chef to have his own show on the Food Network. The show will be entitled "Sugar Rush" and is slated to take the 9:30 p.m. slot on Wednesdays starting in October.
Brown, a former lawyer who has been called one of America's most fascinating entrepreneurs, will also be profiled on the Food Network's "Recipe for Success" program, and Cakelove is opening a second, larger location later this year in Silver Spring.
This DCist isn't much of a fan of Cakelove, but then again, neither does he have much of a sweet tooth. In polling friends and contacts, however, we noticed that the attention lavished on Mr. Brown's bakery is also surprising to others in the local community. Sure, having a thriving independent local business is something to be admired, but after much fanfare three years on, we wonder if Cakelove is resting on its laurels. Frequent complaints we've heard from friends range from cake that is far too dry, icing that is the equivalent of a slab of butter with a consistency that's far too thick, generally overpriced products, and reports of gastrointestinal distress from even the smallest amounts of confection.
How do DCist readers feel about Cakelove? Are you looking forward to their coming Silver Spring location, or do you think the expansion just stretch the bakery even thinner?
>> DonRockwell.com on Cakelove
>> DCist tries to recreate Cakelove's cupcakes
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Congratulations to Mr. Brown. Not only is he an inspiring entrepreneur whose creations sweeten the world, he also has been generous with his time and resources. He has given back to his community. I'm sure he will be a welcome addition to the Food Network.
What?? Dry cake with slabs of butter? Who are these people and why haven't they realized that Duncan Hines has killed their palates for real cake made from scratch? My friend ordered five cakes from Cakelove for her wedding and there wasn't a slice to be seen at the end of the evening. She actually had to hide a few pieces just to be sure she got some. Put down the Ho-Ho and go and try the German chocolate cake. Now.
I think in general the feelings about the dryness/icing have been directed towards the cupcakes/carry out products, while the cakes have been criticized for price. I think the former is valid, while the latter -- well, quality product and execution is expensive.
But as said, I cannot criticize adequately when it comes to sweets.
It's not about the cake! It's about Warren! He's HOTTTT!!! That's the only reason CL gets so much attention.
Much better than CL in my opinion is Fuhrins in G-town!
I like the products, and I am happy for all the publicity and accolades Warren Brown and his shops are getting - BUT - the service in the cafe is consistently sloooooooow. Too slow for a morning cup of coffee on the go....
Isn't that the truth? Not that love cafe was meant to be a morning coffee stop, but none of these independant stores can get it as fast and as consitent as Starbucks.....it's a shame
I have to say that I live a block away from cake love and the love cafe. The love cafe is a nice little place to go for a post meal snack. I have one of the "sweetest tooths" that I know of, but I can honestly say that I don't like many of the frostings that they use besides the ones with fruit in them, no pun intended. I feel that maybe people that are really old who like rich, bland, buttery frosting would approve, but not me.
I don't know what all the hype is.
The complaints about the products are well founded. The cakes I have had from Cake Love have been mediocre at best, and certainly not worth the prices. I have never had a cake from there that has not been dry. The frosting is just too heavy and butter-like to enjoy.
And I can say that Duncan Hines has not ruined my taste for cake from scratch. I have had it from many places. One of my favorites is Heller's Bakery. The cakes cost a quarter of what they are at cake love and are world's above.
I live nearby and wanted to like Cakelove, but I've given up. The icing is OK, but the cupcakes are invariably dry and heavy. The lava cakes are not all they're cracked up to be, and other baked goods I've had there have been tasteless or tasted "off." And if you want real food -- try a 45 minute wait on a Sunday morning for something as simple as a grilled-cheese sandwich.
So last night I was getting gas at the Mobil diagonally across from Love Cafe and couldn't resist the temptation of something sweet. I actually had a hankering for a salty oat cookie and had never tried the baking from Cake Love/Love Cafe. So I called to ask if they happened to have any salty oat cookies...the cashier said they did so I went there right away. Of course, when I got there, it turned out that they did not have salty oat cookies. I'd been told what I wanted to hear in order to get me there. But I couldn't let the trip go to waste, so I tried a cupcake. They recommended German Chocolate. Moist, chilled, not too sweet...very good. But it was no more of a thrill than the surprise of being charged $3.30 for such a small snack. Call me cheap, but it's just that amazing cookies only cost about 1.80 at Teaism, another of DC's more unique stops.
So all-in-all, I'd say if you like sweets (but especially ones that are rich and have lots of flavors and textures going on and not just a ton of sugar), and you have a job or a decent friend, you really would never be let down by the cakes at Love Cafe...except that it's built up such a buzz that we all go in expecting a religious experience.
Congratulations to Warren! That's wonderful news. For fellow cupcakes lovers, we (Gothamist ladies) run a cupcake blog called Cupcakes Take the Cake and we interviewed Warren Brown in March. Also, we're always looking for folks to take our cupcake interview and you can email us at cupcakestakethecake@yahoo.com or just send in your own cupcake sightings or reports, because we are based in New York so would love more DC cupcake info.
I adore Furin's in Georgetown. The people who work there are great, the food is nicely prepared, and great ambiance. I've been wanting to try Cakelove, but these negative reviews are making me wonder.
It's the price that is ridiculous. And probably because they are the only thing like it in town. Go up to New York to Flour Girl or The Magnolia Bakery and taste the same thing for a 1/4 of the price. Or check out Citizen Cake in San Francisco. DC (like in many areas) equates quality with price. Other foodie towns like New York and SF have great quality at prices that won't (always) kill you. Made by people that want to see their food eaten by the largest amount of people, not just a select few that can afford the price of admission.
"none of these independant stores can get it as fast and as consitent as Starbucks"
funny, none of the starbucks i've ever been to can make coffee as GOOD as the indie coffee shops around town. also. learn how to spell.
while i send my congratulations to warren and commend him on his success, i do believe that the attention surrounding cakelove is largely based on hype. warren is generally charismatic, pretty to look at, and has a nice story to tell about being a lawyer turned baker blah blah blah.
BUT, as most of the commenters have indicated above, the goods at cakelove are woefully overpriced, unless you have intense cravings for often dry and over-refrigerated cupcakes with the equivalent of brick-hard slabs of butter on them.
as one of the other commenters pointed out, you can get just as good (and much better) cupcakes at similar boutique-y type bakeries in nyc (where the rent is much, much higher) for much less, which is ridiculous when you think about it.
and one final quip-- while heller's is infinitely cheaper, it's not really the same kind of bakery and not worth comparing. for starters, they could learn to start using butter instead of margarine.
I like CakeLove cupcakes, but I grew up on buttercream frosting, so that could just be how my tastes run. I don't stop too often, though, because the price puts them squarely in the once-in-a-blue-moon range. I've heard rumors, though, that Wednesdays offer some discounts.
sb-
Go back to NYC!
The cheesecake at Love Cafe was pretty good; thankfully, because I had to pay a gold boullion for it. But as a cupcake lover and overall fan of baked goods, I was really holding out for Cakelove's famous. THey were horrible. I couldn't finish mine. Dry dry dry and the buttercream frosting was like caulk, but a little sweeter.
people.
let the frosting warm up. five minutes and you're oh-so-much-happier.
JT-
i am.
(and the frosting takes closer to 20 to warm up)
First: comments like "go back to New York" and "learn how to spell" are really rude. The former is incredibly mean spirited and perpetuates this false idea of parity/inferiority complex between NYC and DC. We're two very different cities with two different personalities -- an interurban pissing contest is ultimately absurd. As for the latter, well, comments are comments, from the peanut gallery. If you notice spelling mistakes in posts, please feel free to politely let us know. As for your fellow commenters, chill back criticizing their spelling, please. Some of us can spell, some can't. There's no spell check in the commenting interface people.
Second, on the topic of good DC bakeries (and again from someone sans sweet tooth) I really enjoy the pastries at Palena, where Ann Amernick continues to bake despite the closing of her eponymous bakery in Cleveland Park. I don't know what their policy is on ordering dessert alone, but I bet it's okay in the cafe, especially if it is late enough. She also sells cakes by special order, but they are really expensive from what I hear -- but also, really really good.
I agree with the lousy quality at Cake Love. Thanks for validating me. The place sucks, but what happens in gentrifying neigborhoods is we're so desperate to have something special, that we patronize it even when the quality sucks and the prices are high. Since Cake Love doesn't have any competition in that area, it gets much more attention than it deserves. This place would never survive in G-town.
I think it's interesting that what is certainly big news for the D.C. culinary scene (like his work or not, Brown is a rising star, and even our most beloved and talented local chefs can't claim to be regulars on Food Netork) has been masked by the writer's opinion and our subsequent posts.
What the news is: Local guy makes good.
What the news is not: "This DCist's" opinion of his work.
By glossing over the real "meat" of this news and instead posting up his own opinion as if it were more important that sharing real information, Kanishka is doing the same "sin" he finds in Brown's baking: all hype and no substance.
Yes, exactly, and they'll probably do well in Silver Spring too because there's no competition over there either. Cake Love is certainly not a destination dessert joint. I don't know anyone who would go out of their way to have one of their over priced crappy cupcakes. Kind of like the garbage opening up on H Street. That neighborhood is so desperate over there a lot of marginal places will open up in the next couple years and be wildly popular with the locals...then competition comes along and the bar is raised and the food gets better. It's all part of the gentrification process.
I think there's another issue here... Warren Brown is African American, and U Street is increasingly white. Everyone wants to hear about a self-made black success story. But the fact is, if Warren were white, nobody would be paying much attention to Cakelove.
Cake Love's cupcakes aren't great. True. Their cakes are good, but expensive, true. Who cares if the cupcakes aren't great? Mr. Brown is young, he's a person of color, he's been very sucessful, and most importantly he's bringing a lot of positive attention to the DC food scene. Why the need to hate? I'm happy Cakelove exists.
RE Rayna's comments, which I'm sure echo others.
I'm sorry for downplaying the "local boy does good" story, but I felt the Post did that angle well. I was trying to highlight something else -- that though it's nice a local DC light got a Food Network show, it's surprising who it actually was. I could list a number of people I think who'd be more deserving of such an honor -- though many I name would probably not take it. Take honor here with a grain of salt; as a long time viewer, I'm of the camp that sees the Food Network as a pale shadow of what it once was, and what it could be.
If I wanted to regurgitate the Post or write puffy pablum, I would have. But I've heard from so many voices -- this before the current news -- that Cakelove is not all it's cracked up to be that I felt some perspective was in order.
Resting on laurels is one thing, staying in business is another. If enough people, like myself, just love Cake Love's cupcakes, then we spend enough to keep him in business. As a Shaw resident, I love Cake Love because I can go to it, another bakery in nyc or georgetown does me no good. It's not where I am. I'm not going to get on my bike and go 30 some odd blocks for a cupcake, 10 maybe, 30 no.
Also I have had good experiences with the Cake Love cupcakes. I like the frosting, particularly after the cup cake has been sitting for 20 minutes or has traveled (by bike) in the summer heat for about 10. I'm usally drinking a nice tall glass of cold milk with my cupcake and it is just heaven.
Just to add that I agree that Cakelove is just a Magnolia wannabe with half the quality despite twice the cost (3.30!? v. 1.75) despite half the rent. Cakelove is only famous because it looks cute in a gentrifyiing neighborhood and some people just want a succesful black story.
If you wanted to write beyond the "pablum" and disscuss issues such as what other local chefs are perhaps more deserving of their own show or how Food Network is somehow declining, then do that. You didn't. You stated a few facts, then segued into how YOU don't like Cakelove (or sweets) and opened up the boards to "hey...do you guys like Cakelove?" Which is fine, but then in the comments thread you said the purpose of your story was to "highlight something else"--better local chefs and the decline of the network--which you...didn't do in your original story. Those are fine topics: but you didn't bring that up in the original story. And now when someone questions what you DID bring up and why, you defend it with still more stuff that you didn't write the first time around.
DuMaurier --
Actually, only the first line in the final paragraph was my personal thoughts. I took an impromptu poll of other contacts and read comments on Cakelove online to come up with a list of other's thoughts. I wanted to highlight how many people dislike Cakelove.
You do, however, make a good point in that I should have mentioned other locals that I think would have been better choices for a Food Network show. Ann Amernick (mentioned above), Mark Furstenberg of Breadline, Johnny Monis of Komi, Tom Power, and the inimitable Jose Andres immediately come to mind.
I've had three or four cakes from Cake Love for friend's birthdays or special occasions.
They've been solid gold - the hit of the party. I've found them all wonderful. And now, I'm sitting here confused. Where would y'all *recommend* besides Cake Love if I were looking for a fantastic cake in the city?
I also wasn't impressed with Cake Love's cupcakes. They were very ho hum. I don't get it.
i had a really good cake recently from firehook bakery. it was my first time eating their stuff, so i don't know if it was the norm or not. but it was a chocolate-raspberry cake, and it was AWESOME. much better than any cakelove stuff i've had.
I know the DCist staff was cranky at times, but I never figured they DISLIKED the very city they write about...until now.
Whether you like the damn cupckaes or not, a local personality who scores his own show for something other than politics is, shockingly enough, a good thing! Don't like the cupcakes? Can't afford them? Don't go! But you can at least give the man some credit for making a national name for himself.
And, Kanishka, can we get a POSITIVE post from you one day? All we hear about is what you DON'T like or what you can't afford.
AMEN, Celena. If you don't like Cakelove or respect its founder, Kanishka, post that on your personal blog.
Your personal preferences aren't "news" unless you are writing a review--this was not supposed to be a review (at least, you didn't set up the original post that way).
It was so obvious you just threw up some basic info to get it "out of the way" before going on the attack.
Brown had a dream, made it a reality, and has become a success story. Jealous much?
Let's get one thing straight: I love this city and always will. This has nothing to do with that. Are criticism and civic pride mutually exclusive?
As for positive posts, umm, going through my entries it's interesting to note that I enjoyed Zola and wrote about other's criticisms, and profiled their bar, which is very good; loved a quality rosé that I purchased from an esteemed local business; covered a woefully ignored bar in Adams Morgan; sent a shout out to the Kimpton Group; and gave DCBlogs props. I did write a negative post on Galileo, true. But I really take umbrage the accusation of being consistently negative, which clearly I'm not. Granted, I am picky. But is that a bad thing?
Oh and for those citing Magnolia's cupcakes (which are widely panned by NYC foodies), you've obviously watched one too many Sex and the City episodes!!!
Like DCist, I realllly want to like Cakelove but can't. It could be lousy and cheap and I could sing its praises. Or overpriced but goooood. But lousy and overpriced? Can't dig it.
I lived around the corner from 15th and U or years and was VERY excited when it openned. The bakery was just OK and not at all worth the price I thought. So I stopped going. Then the cafe openned and I thought, OK at least the marginal product and high prices can be justified by providing good service and a nice scene. I've yet to experience either.
i knew the commenters were cranky at times, but sheesh....:) what, is DCist not allowed to criticize anything at any time? i think debate about the merits of local establishments is worth writing about, and as you can see from the comments, lots of people agree about cakelove. and for the record, kanishka has plenty of positive posts. every week in the coalition of the swilling he highlights a bar he thinks is great, and in the weekly feed he writes about interesting developments in the food world that some people may not be aware of otherwise. nobody's jealous of anything. so chill out, especially the commenter who constantly posts extremely negative comments under different names to give the impression that more than one crazy person disagrees with everything.
In the past 4 years, I've only had TWO cupcakes from Cake Love. Nothing too special. But I must say, I question his business integrity--in order to open Love Cafe, he filed Chapter 11 on Cake Love. Now that's not a good way to do business..how in the world can he maintain business relationships this way?
I love cake love. it's so exciting that he's got a show! hooray!
I love the idea behind CakeLove, and I try to support local business when I can. But I have long said that the problem with CakeLove is that the cupcakes should be "iced to order" -- by refrigerating the cupcakes in order to keep the icing fresh, the cupcakes get dried out and/or are too hard. Just my $0.02.
This entire post and all of its comments (including, no ESPECIALLY, the author's) just prove to me that DCist is not nearly as good as its brother sites in NYC and Chicago.
Not a fan of Cake Love. Have tried about six things, and am always let down. The usual complaints: the dryness, far too buttery. Two other things that I don't think anyone has mentioned: the coffee is always lukewarm, at best; many of the servers are often rude to white customers. I'll keep giving it another try every three or so months (maybe this makes me a sucker?), but my hope runs low...
Some DCist writers have never been able to take even the most constructive criticism well (not saying all this has been constructive, but still.)
No one EVER said you can't write about anything in a negative light at all...but what are we supposed to make of this piece? Is it a news brief. (Well...no.) Is it a review? (Well...not really.) Is it an op-ed? (Um...not quite.)
What IS it? Why is Kanishka trying to make points in the COMMENT SECTION that weren't in the original story, then getting upset with readers who are confused/critical of the original story and "backpedaling" comments?
Cakelove is the new Borf.
"many of the servers are often rude to white customers."
that's complete bullshit.
Maybe Warren Brown can do a special with Anthony Bourdain and whip up some Butterstickcream icing.
Cake Love's products are horrible. And terribly overpriced - why pay all that money for a homey looking cake? I guess you're paying extra to get a cake that looks like it was slapped together in home-ec class. It's like a bad joke. Amernick's products were head & shoulders above in terms of quality and execution, costed less, and yet that bakery couldn't survive. Cake Love is all marketing & hype.
I actually rode metro into DC today specifically for the purpose of picking up some cupcakes from LoveCafe. After trouncing around by foot and by metro to several other parts of the city, the icing was nice and gooey. . .and the cakes were moist. I'll agree that it's a little steep for a cupcake. But it's my birthday. And I'm worth it ;).
(by the way, this was my first time having any cakelove product)
Happy Birthday dharmabumx!!!!......and God Bless Starbux!
I love an old school homemade cake.... however i prefer Ko Gi Bow to Cake Love.
Send me cupcakes from Magnolia in NYC any day