Andelman

Here are some of my picks for cheap eats: 2 Saltenas from El Pike in 7 Corners ($2.50/ea.) 2 Banh Mi from Song Que in Eden Center ($2.50/ea.) Regular #12, Pho 75 (Rosslyn) ($5.50 or so) Anything from Ravi Kabab on Glebe Rd. just south of Ballston, cheap food, good size portions ($7.50 or so) 1/4 Chicken w/ fries and cole slaw, El Pollo Rico (Ballston) ($3.50) Taco El Pastor or a fish Taco from Taqueria el Poblano Nice fat Cheesesteak from Al's Steaks in Del Ray, the best around...

Shuman' Bakery had been there forever. It is now a Firehook. Which I might add is pretty mediocre in my opinion. The bread there always seems underbaked to me, very pale crust with alot of sourdough flavor, not my personal preference. On the subject of bread, I still think Breadline makes the best bread in DC, hands down. There is also a bread company out of Baltimore called Bonaparte which makes some nice stuff. They used to carry their baguettes at Dean and Deluca, not sure if they do anymore. They had a real nice, almost burnt, crust...quite tasty. They have a retail bakery in Fells Point if you are ever in that neck of the woods....

It is time to turn the talk to the positive. Since there has been much Cakehate going own I would like to add my top spots for pastry/baked goods in the area. Please feel free to chime in. The Swiss Bakery- (Burke)..It is run my Laurie Alleman (former PC at Galileo) and her husband who I think used to do something at Albert Uster. Everything I have had there has been quite good. Nice Swiss/German style cookies, danish, etc...I had a palmier there this morning that was near perfect. (I still need to clean the crumbs out of my car...) Best Buns- (Shirlington).Don't knock it because it is part of a "chain". Their breakfast items are good, as well as their bread. They have a real nice petite olive loaf. The muffins are tasty as well. Patisserie Poupon-(Georgetown) I havent been there in some time, but the croissant I had was memorable, best I have had in the DC area. Any other thoughts, hidden gems, etc...I am always looking for something....

Sorry, youve got me going now.....I also meant to comment on the "look" of the Cakelove cakes as well...I'm sorry, but if I am paying $40.00 for a 6" cake i want it to look like a $40.00 cake. It seems to me that the rustic look is merely an excuse for poor craftsmanship (i.e. skill) My wife made a funny comment the other night as we were watching Sugar Rush on the Food Network. It is almost as if the show is a vehicle for giving Mr. Brown baking lessons. He goes to all of these different pastry shops, bakeries, restaurants and gets some free tips....Unbelieveable....

I have been lurking on this board for some time now, and thought this whole Cakelove issue would be a good starting post. To answer the question "Is a small commercial bakery that much different thana home kitchen", well yes it is. Believe me, it is much easier to bake 2 dozen cupcakes for your kids birthday party than it is to produce hundreds of those same cupcakes on a daily basis. But this does not excuse Mr Brown from serving an inferior product. I think the problem with Cakelove is that the owner has very little experience in the pastry industry, thus once he came across a recipe for "real" butter cake and "real" buttercream he decided to use it on ALL of his products and seems to be unwilling to change. I think he feels that if he uses oil, shortening, invert sugars, or other ingredients to improve the texture/moistness of his cake, he will have somehow given up on the "made from scratch" philosophy of his bakery. I will admit I have only had Cakelove a few times and I was very unimpressed, especially when you factor in the cost. I have no problem paying top dollar for high quality baked goods, but his product falls way short. Will he change things?Most likely the answer is no, he has a successful business, a show on the Food Network, book deal (what a joke..). Why would he change things... Basically, what it comes down to is that Warren Brown and Cakelove is a product of media hype and an interesting story. He has marketed himself extremely well and I think the quality of his product has become secondary in his business paln. The sad thing is is that for every Warren Brown, there are at least 10 quality pastry chefs with the technical skills to produce unbelieveable products. Unfortunately, these chefs do not either have the business sense, finances, or cojones to have a go at it on their own. To this I give props to Mr Brown...Anyway, that is enough ranting for now. I probably didnt say to much that has not already been said, but I had to add my 2 cents. Basically