Sweet Revenge

(This is the second  post in a series about places I've visited in NYC in the past week).

On Sunday afternoon, after leaving Becky and Drew off near Penn Station for the Megabus and then picking Amy up from a different Megabus, hunger started to set in.  Me, Erik and Amy headed towards the West Village in search of espresso beans (at Porto Rico) and then sandwiches (at Murray's Cheese shop).  While at Murray's Cheese shop, my friend Jon joined us, and then the four of us headed to his apartment to eat.  Jon was moving out of Manhattan that day for greener pastures (Williamsburg, Brooklyn) and waiting for his friend Frank to arrive to help him with the move.  After discussing New Years Eve at length, and realizing that Frank was going to be late, we all decided to head down the street for another treat.

Sweet Revenge is one of those New York City places that make you think "I can't believe I haven't found this place yet." In fact, Jon commented on the irony of visiting Sweet Revenge only an hour before moving out of the West Village.  Each time I visit, I think to myself "why didn't I come up with this idea for a business?" and then start to think of all the other cities that would stand to benefit from a restaurant like this one.

The idea for this cupcake shop is ingenious.  In a city inundated with cupcakes to the point that many people claim that cupcakes are going out of fashion (TREND ALERT: the next small treat trend is pies and tarts, apparently) Sweet Revenge remains as a trend-setter. It stand out for one small reason:  It pairs its cupcakes with alcoholic beverages.

 I first visited Sweet Revenge in May for my friend Melissa's birthday, and have gone back several times since then. It is the perfect place for out-of-towners, birthday parties or other celebrations, or for single-readers: it's a great date spot.  Neither Amy nor Jon had ever been, so the decision of what to do next was very clear on Sunday afternoon.

There are only six flavors of cupcakes served on a daily basis (four Signature cupcakes served everyday, and two Artisan cupcakes that rotate daily).  Each cupcake is individually paired with a wine and a beer. 

 

(Amy Enjoying her Crimson and Creme with Raspberry Bellini)

 The four of us squeezed into the tiny restaurant and enjoyed. Jon had the densely peanut butter flavored Sweet Revenge paired with a Malbec,  Erik had a Cafe Mocha Cupcake with a Guinness, and Amy had the Red Velvet Crimson and Creme paired with a Raspberry Bellini.   Needless to say, I regretted my decision to not get a cupcake after about 10 minutes of watching their ecstatic expressions.  Unfortunately, I was still full from my sandwich at Murray's...