March 19, 2011

crushcakes & cafe


Santa Barbara is a quaint city. Specifically, Downtown SB emits an interesting vibe that translates to beach bum culture meets Spanish Colonial revival style. And occasionally, a dose of artsy warmth, particularly in the form of a cupcakery, shines from a street corner.

crushcakes is a cupcake shop with a cafe attached in the back. Instead of being tempted by the tantalizing array of cupcakes upon entering, we walked straight to the cafe part for more substantial food. Straight up willpower, my friends.

They carry Intelligentsia coffee!
 
Our little tempters and temptresses.


What to order, what to order...

"Can't Commit" cold sandwich (turkey, brie, apple on wheat) + daily soup combo (curry carrot) - $7.95
Not too dense, not too watery, the curry carrot soup was surprisingly refreshing.


Year Round Farmers' Market Salad - $9.95
What does this salad not have? Piled with roasted chicken, fresh strawberries, grapes, Granny Smith apples, dried cranberries, maple roasted walnuts, and goat cheese on a bed of arugula mix. Not too shabby.

After spending 10 minutes too many studying the menu, I finally decided on an item that wasn't even on it. Always check the daily specials on their little chalkboard behind the register. Otherwise, I would've missed this Spicy Crush Cakes Wrap entirely.

Spicy Crushcakes Wrap w/ a side of house salad - $9.95


Voila a pressed wrap stuffed with grilled chicken, red and green peppers, red onion, avocado, greens, and a tangy aioli. Everything melded really well, although it would've been better if there was more spicy heat.

Not sure when you'll be in SB next, but if you're in the area and in search of a great bfast/lunch spot, give crushcakes a try! If anything, you should check out their delectable array of cupcakes! Because we all ought to:


Chocolate cupcake w/ Baileys frosting (L) and Cookie & Cream cupcake (R)



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cuisine: American
location: Santa Barbara, CA
hours:  M-Sat: 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM; Sun: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
website: { CC | yelp }
attire: Casual
parking: street
notes: Not good for big groups, but if you can, try to snag a few tables in the back patio. crushcakes was featured on the Food Network Rachel Ray's top 5 cupcake places in the nation! { pdf }