Apparently, the juggernaut from Mountain View is getting in on the local lifestyle blogging game. Google Places, the search giant's product that allows users to leave notes about various businesses, tourist destinations and other locations on Google Maps, is branching out into original editorial content. more ›

After Melody Records and Penn Camera announced they were closing their doors, now it's Love Cafe's turn. Owner Warren Brown tweeted yesterday that the baked good pioneer that has occupied the prime corner location at 15th and U Streets NW since 2003 would close on January 29. more ›

No, really. The New York Times reported yesterday that in December, AT&T delivered thousands of cupcakes from the Georgetown bakery to members of the FCC, journalists and others throughout the city as part of an annual lobbying blitz. more ›

Even though we've fully committed to hopping off the cupcake bandwagon, there's no reason we can't let you know where to get a free one on a rainy day. Beginning at 10 a.m. this morning, Georgetown Cupcake will be handing out free cupcakes to celebrate tonight's second-season premier of "DC Cupcakes," the reality show which strains itself to painstakingly document the day-to-day of a cupcake shop as dramatically as humanly possible. Customers at both the Georgetown (3301 M Street NW) and Bethesda (4834 Bethesda Avenue) outposts can claim their free treat until 9 p.m. today. more ›

Speaking of cupcakes, Crumbs Bake Shop, the famed New York cupcake purveyor who just opened a location in Arlington, has now opened a new store in Union Station and is celebrating by giving out 1,000 free cupcakes today. Get there soon, the news is out and the line has already formed. more ›

Talk about crossing the aisle. This photograph, captured last August during the Columbia Heights Day festival at Harriet Tubman Elementary School, features recently announced At-Large Council candidates Patrick Mara, a Republican, and Bryan Weaver, a Democrat, posing after competing in the event's cupcake eating contest. more ›

In case you hadn't noticed: this weekend has been a bit of bedlam for traveling on the Metro. Lumping together the severing of the Orange/Blue lines at the Foggy Bottom station, several track disruptions and a body found on the Farragut North tracks, a relaxing three-day weekend is not the first notion to come to mind. Unfortunately, those of us already looking forward to the next federal holiday in February, there will be no respite as Metro plans to close the Federal Triangle and Smithsonian stations for similar maintenance -- all part of an "aggressive maintenance" schedule for 2011. Metro's anger management issues aside, sounds like we should plan to spend a good chuck of our extra days off riding the rails. more ›

I know we may have declared the cupcake trend dead, but who is to argue with free food? Crumbs Bake Shop, the New York bakery that is opening a bunch of locations throughout the D.C. area, is celebrating its Arlington store opening with 1,000 free cupcakes. The new location, in Clarendon, opened December 30th. And they're giving away their large size cupcakes, which is approximately the size of your head. The store opened at 9 a.m. so head over fast if you want to enjoy a free treat. If you're too late, don't worry - buy a cupcake and you'll get a free cup of coffee. more ›

Last week, we declared what we thought was the end of cupcakes. But in the same way that you can't keep people with no shame down, you can't keep companies from profiting from hordes of silly tourists who love their cupcakes. more ›

According to assorted internet sources and lots of people on Twitter, today, December 15, 2010, is National Cupcake Day. So where are our free cupcakes? more ›

Hello Cupcake will be giving away a free cupcake to those who come into their Dupont shop in costume, today from 4-7 pm. Sounds like a good stop on your way home from the rally, where you'll likely be exhausted and in need of sugar. more ›

When it comes to culinary trends, cupcakes may have jumped the shark a long time ago. Free cupcakes, on the other hand, never go out of style. Hello Cupcake in Dupont Circle is celebrating its second birthday tomorrow and will be handing out a free cupcake to anyone who stops by after their doors open at 10 a.m. The shop, which is located at 1361 Connecticut Avenue NW, will be passing out complimentary treats until they run out -- based on our previous experience with such giveaways, you may want to plan on getting there as close to 10 as possible. more ›

The number of food trucks roaming the District of Columbia is growing at a ridiculous rate -- and it seems that unlike other trends, food trucks might just have staying power. Today, we found out about two new trucks which will soon be making the rounds, TaKorean and Sidewalk SweetSations. more ›

Cupcakes: we all like them. So how could one resist linking to the tasty images from a decorative cupcake competition held by the friendly folks at Hello Cupcake -- especially when it was all about D.C.? Some very impressive entries were on display: a pastry tribute to Ben's, a panda, a Metro map (with accurate transfer locations, no less) some statehood activism, in icing form. But let's be honest, while it's hardly the most Washingtonian entry, this Chinatown entry with ridiculous lo mein detail really takes the cake. The real question: who gets to eat these things? more ›

Local entrepreneurs are scrambling to get in on the ground floor of the District's impending same-sex marriage nuptials, whether it's wedding planners, photographers, caterers, you name it. There's real money to be made here, not to mention the additional potential of endearing yourself to the LGBT community on the whole. Gay marriage is just good business at this point. more ›

You know the feeling, dessert lovers. It’s mid-afternoon, or after dinner, or the middle of the night, and your sweet tooth is throbbing, begging you to indulge as your mind wanders into that delicious dreamland of rich chocolate, creamy peanut butter and ... crunchy bacon? Well lucky for you, pastry chef Josh Short’s mind is just as twisted as yours. He designed this month’s special cupcake at Buzz Bakery in Alexandria, a chocolate cake topped with peanut butter mousse sprinkled with crisped pieces of thick-cut applewood smoked bacon. Short, the bakery’s executive pastry chef, thought it up mostly out of boredom. “I have the attention span of a three year old,” he said. “I get bored easily.” more ›

It's been a little slower than normal in the free food department this summer. Perhaps the tight economy is to blame? Luckily, the folks at Tangysweet are opening up another Red Velvet Cupcakery at their DuPont Circle location. To celebrate, they will be giving out free red velvet mini-cupcakes starting at noon on Friday until closing, which is 1 a.m. on Fridays. The cupcake recipes were developed by pastry chef David Guas, known for his work at the Passion Food group of restaurants. more ›

Those of us looking to support this weekend's Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure that are less running-inclined—a relatively small number in D.C., apparently—are in luck. Georgetown Cupcake is serving up a much sweeter and more sedentary way to contribute. The Potomac St. NW bakery has designed an honorary pink ribbon cupcake to raise money for the team it is sponsoring in the race, and will be selling the cupcake until June 6, the day of the race. Pick up a few of the scrumptious Madagascar Bourbon vanilla cupcakes with vanilla butter cream frosting if you want to help the bakery reach its fund-raising goal of $10,000. 100 percent of the proceeds from the sale of the treats go toward the breast cancer charity, and rumor has it that little bit of love makes the 'cakes taste even better. more ›

Whilst enjoying a few beers and the weather with friends yesterday, the conversation wiggled its way towards drinking establishments in Bethesda, D.C.'s friendly borough/township/indefinable blob of offices and residences to the north. Personally -- and, of course, this is opinion at best -- I've got nothing against Bethesda on the whole, but there's certainly no gravitational pull marching me closer to the inner Montgomery County suburban area. Sure, there's a couple of bars, a restaurant here or there, and it's certainly Metro-accessible, but really, it's just kind of...there. more ›

'Presidential Cupcakes,' on display Saturday at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, was both a celebration of Barack Obama's recent Inauguration and a tribute to our 16th President's recent 200th Birthday. It also happened to be President's Day Weekend and, um, Valentine's Day. And who wouldn't want cupcakes on Valentine's Day? more ›

Red Velvet Cupcakery in Penn Quarter will be giving away free cupcakes to the first 500 customers tomorrow. We know that some of you are ready to be done with the $3 cupcake trend, but who doesn't like free cake? Red Velvet offers eight different flavors; we recommend you check out the Vanilla Bean, Morning Call (chocolate with coffee frosting), or Birthday (yellow cake with chocolate frosting). Red Velvet opens at 11 a.m. and is located at 675 E Street NW. more ›

Written by DCist contributor Whitney Satin more ›

Anyone who's ever ridden Metro at any point in their lives has been frustrated at some point. The trains take forever to show up, people won't move towards the middle, there are delays, track work, etc., etc., etc. It's the new death and taxes. Sometimes the frustration causes a reaction, like emails or phone calls to Metro, being rude to other passengers, or the usual grumbling. Sometimes you need to appeal to a higher power. Maybe they can put in a good word for us. more ›

Though Georgetown Cupcake was holding off opening until Valentine's Day, their debut yesterday seemed to be missing something — cupcakes. Last night, potential customers were turned away by an apologetic sign, "We are so sorry! We have completely run out again." This was one of many times the tiny boutique bakery off M Street (right across from Quick Pita, a Hoya mainstay) had to temporarily shut down to keep up with orders. It was two years ago we were assessing the cupcake phenomenon, and apparently, the trend isn't over yet. more ›