The cupcake business is exploding in Austin! The newest spot, Polkadots Cupcake Factory (2826 Rio Grande, 476-3687, www.polkadotscupcakefactory.com), opened in the campus area in June and is steadily building a clientele. Proprietor and pastry chef Olga Lee topped off her UT chemical engineering degree with a degree from culinary school and launched the new Austin business after a great deal of recipe development. The result is an elegant line of dainty and delicious individual cakes in interesting flavors, topped with luxuriously rich Swiss buttercream. Olga also creates distinctive decorated sugar cookies and special-occasion cakes. Campus-area construction makes getting to her shop somewhat of a challenge, but it is definitely worth the trip… In another neighborhood, passionate home baker Olivia O’Neill is a few weeks away from the debut of Sugar Mama’s Bakeshop (1905 S. First Ste. A, 590-1002). O’Neill’s neighbors in the Bouldin Creek area have been taste-testing her old-fashioned cupcakes, miniature Bundt cakes, cookies, and bars for a couple of years, and they have assured her she is ready for retail. Look for Sugar Mama’s to open in late July or early August… Happy-hour bargains are a great way to escape the summer heat after work. To that end, the Roaring Fork (701 Congress, 583-0000) is offering the All Night All Summer Saloon happy hour starting at 4pm daily, with discounted drinks, special prices on appetizers, and the return of one of our all-time favorite local burgers, the remarkable $6 Big Ass Burger – 12 ounces of grilled beef, peppered bacon, grilled onions, poblano chiles, melted cheddar cheese, and seasoned fries. What a deal! Not to be outdone, Opal Divine’s (three locations, www.opaldivines.com) new happy hour offers their exemplary, 100% agave tequila margaritas for only $3, plus half-priced bar appetizers weekdays from 4 to 7pm… Fans of the soul-satisfying comfort food at the Woodland (1716 S. Congress, 441-6800, www.woodlandaustin.com) will be pleased to note that the SoCo neighborhood eatery is now open for lunch, by popular demand. Recently promoted chef Joe Hanus is dishing out meatloaf sandwiches ($9), shrimp po’boys ($10), great beer-battered onion rings ($5), plus soups, salads, and entrees to pair up with pastry chef Mercedes Reed‘s mouthwatering line of homemade pies… You may not be able to ride like a professional bicycle racer, but for the next 10 days, you can certainly eat like one. To honor the professional cyclists on their Garmin-Chipotle racing team during the Tour de France competition, Chipotle Mexican Grill (multiple locations) is serving “Le Burrito” – “a hearty burrito stuffed with naturally raised chicken, lime-cilantro rice, black beans, tomato salsa, and guacamole – designed to provide the energy-boosting ratio of 65% carbohydrates, 25% fat, and 15% protein that allows cyclists to perform at their best while racing.” The special burritos are on sale through July 27.
This article appears in July 18 • 2008.