Fort Mill’s Cupcrazed Returns to the Food Network

May 13, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Cupcrazed, a cupcake and dessert bar, is quickly becoming one of Fort Mill’s biggest attractions. Open for not even 2 years, owner Heather McDonnell along with her sister-in-law Debbie, have already made two appearances on the Food Network. In September of 2011, they were the winners of “Cupcake Wars”  and the cupcakes they made for the show, Shrimp creole and Sweet Tea, generated a great deal of interest. Read about that episode here including a dramatic kitchen fire started by Debbie while frying okra.

Just tonight the first episode of “Cupcake Champions” aired with Heather and Debbie competing against 3 other winners of “Cupcake Wars”. The format for this show is the same as for “Cupcake Wars” with 3 elimination rounds. Winner of the show gets to bake cupcakes for The VIP Party for the Broadway Show Spiderman. In the first round, the bakers had to produce a cupcake using the ingredients apricot, pumpkin, molasses, currants, kale, and oats. The Cupcrazed Girls decided on an Apricot Cupcake with a Molasses pecan pie filling containing currants and a kale oat struesel, all topped by a pumpkin cream cheese frosting.

I would never be able to go on a show like this as I get nervous just watching other people do it. The first round started out rough with Heather accidentally using powdered sugar instead of flour. With just 20 minutes left on the clock, they had to start a second batter from scratch. The finished cupcake didn’t look like it turned out very well and the judges gave it harsh reviews, but somehow they squeaked through to round 2 with Heather in disbelief stating, “I couldn’t have done anything else wrong”.

For the second elimination round, the three remaining bakers were asked to create 3 cupcakes representing the enemies of Spiderman. One Cupcake had to personify The Green Goblin, but the remaining two Spiderman enemies were up to the bakers. Heather and Debbie decided on 1) A Matcha Green Cupcake with raspberries topped by a tiny piano for The Green Goblin, 2) A Brown Sugar Honey Cupcake with Chai Tea Buttercream Frosting and Honey Bee Pollen for Swarm, and 3) A Red Velvet Pomegranate Cupcake with Blood Orange Pomegranate Frosting topped with Chocolate Bloody Red Swirls for Carnage.

I had high hopes for these cupcakes but unfortunately in Heather’s words “They looked like a disaster” and Heather didn’t make it through to Round 3. But for those of us that have had the fortune of frequenting Cupcrazed, we know that Heather is always a winner. She created a thriving business in one of the worst economies ever. She has succeeded at what 99.9% of people would have failed doing. Day after day Cupcrazed bakes up cupcakes that are not only delicious, but completely unique  just like Heather and Debbie.

For more on Cupcrazed visit Cupcrazed.com

 

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Cash Mob Charlotte

April 28, 2012 By 2 Comments

Cash Mob Charlotte is a new group that formed last month with the goal of supporting and promoting small, local business. Once a month a local business is chosen- but the business isn’t revealed to the mobbers until the time of the mob, just the general location is known. There are 3 rules to the mob: spend $20 in cash, meet 3 people you didn’t know before, and have fun! It’s as easy as that!

For the April Cash Mob, mobbers were told to meet in the parking lot of Petra’s Piano Bar in the Plaza Midwood Neighborhood. Plaza Midwood, located one mile to the northeast of Uptown Charlotte, is probably the most diverse and eclectic neighborhood in Charlotte and it has experienced a fantastic amount of revitalization in recent years.

Once everyone had gathered outside of Petra’s, we were informed by Cash Mob Organizer Amanda Breeden that the targeted business for the Cash Mob would be Eco-licious located on Commonwealth just across from Petra’s and The Penguin Restaurant. Eco-licious is a cute little store that sells cruelty-free and eco-friendly products for you and your home (and your pet!) We were greeted at the door by the most adorable dog, I believe his name is Henry. Even though it is a small store, it took us a while to give everything a look. They have everything from hand-crafted jewelry to vegan and gluten-free snacks. There’s a small clothing section, a health and beauty section, baby stuff, pottery. Really there’s a little bit of everything.

We picked out 2 neat bottle openers and some Strawberry Balsamic Vinegar. Our first Cash Mob went really well until I put my foot in my mouth while checking out. I had to go and tell the owners of a Vegan Store that the vinegar would taste really good drizzled on a salad with some GOAT CHEESE!. Ugh! A millisecond after the words goat cheese had escaped my lip, I realized what a goof I had made.

On May 12, 2012 Eco-locious will be hosting their first Veg Fest from 10am-4pm. Drop by and enjoy food from local vegetarian and vegan restaurants, live music, retail vendors, and a judges vegan bake-off. This event benefits The North Mecklenburg Animal Rescue.

For more info on Eco-licious visit ecoliciouscharlotte.com.

After shopping at Eco-licious, we walked across the street to eat at The Diamond. I’ll have to write that recap in another post. It’s definitely not appropriate to include in a post about a Vegan Store.

For information on upcoming Cash Mobs, join Cash Mob Charlotte on Facebook.

 

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NoDa Brewing Company

March 13, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Noda Brewing Company, which just opened October 29 of last year, is already experiencing huge success. After being in business for just 4 1/2 months, they are already outgrowing their space and looking to expand. Located on North Davidson St in Charlotte, they are a 15-barrel microbrewery specializing in the production of small-batch premium beers. They primarily brew American Pale Ales, India Pale Ales, and Porters. Noda’s beers are rapidly popping up in more and more bars and restaurants around town.

Noda Brewery

Nothing beats having a nicely chilled fresh beer right at the location where it was produced. Get used to drinking really fresh beer and you probably won’t be drinking beer out of a can again. Noda’s tap room gets crowded on a Saturday afternoon. We were lucky to get a seat while we were there. There is a large garage door on one side of the tap room that can open up when the weather is conducive. A long bar runs along the back wall with windows looking through to the brewery.

Noda Brewing Company

I think the best thing about tap rooms are the beer flights. They allow you to sample 4 beers- great for those of us who are indecisive. Then you can get a pint of the one you liked the best. Beers on tap at NoDa Brewing Company include CoCo LoCo, NoDaRyeZ’d, Midnight Madness, 10 Blocks South, and Ramble on Red. My favorite is NoDaRyeZ’d, a double rye Indian Pale Ale (ABV 8.65%), but CoCo LoCo is probably the most interesting and a must try. It is a Robust Porter with chocolate and brown malts and toasted organic coconut. You will probably either love it or hate it, and chances are you’ve never tasted anything like it before.

NODA Brewing Company

NoDa Brewing Company

NoDa Brewing Company loves getting creative with their brews and Tuesdays they have a small batch of experimental beer available. Check their  page to find out what type of beer they are brewing up. NoDa doesn’t offer any food, but they usually hook up with 1 or 2 of Charlotte’s food trucks. The day we were there, Roaming Fork was in the parking lot. You are free to purchase food from the truck and bring it inside to eat.

The only slightly negative thing about NoDa Brewing Company is the parking area – it could use some improvements.

Noda Brewing Company Tour

Next time you find yourself headed to a bar, why not check out NoDa Brewing Company instead. Hang out in the tap room, take a tour, and experience part of Charlotte’s rapidly growing beer scene.

The tap room is closed Mondays; open from 4-8pm Tues, Wed, Thurs; 4-9pm Fridays; 3-9pm Saturday; 12-5pm Sunday.

NoDa Brewing Company

2229 North Davidson St

Charlotte, NC 28205

704-451-1394

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Visit to Olde Mecklenburg Brewery

February 16, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Last weekend Ted and I made the trip up to Olde Mecklenburg Brewery. It’s not far from Fort Mill, just about a 15 minute drive. The brewery is located in an industrial area between South Blvd and S. Tryon in Charlotte. You have to really be looking for it to find it as it is in a very nondescript warehouse building. If you go on a Saturday it’s easy to find because it’s the only building with cars in the parking lot.

Olde Mecklenburg Brewery specializes in German-style beers and their tap-room is modeled after one in Germany, complete with German Flags hanging from the rafters. Through large windows located at the rear of the tap-room, you can see the inner workings of the brewery. There was quite a crowd during our visit. Even though OMB has quite a bit of seating, it was all taken. Luckily we arrived just in time for a free tour so we each purchased a pint and gathered by the back door for the tour.

Olde Mecklenburg Brewery Tap Room

The tour turned out to be informative and entertaining and lasted just under an hour. We learned that they only use 4 ingredients in their beer (water, yeast, malt, and hops) – no preservatives or filler. They also import all ingredients from Germany (I’m thinking this must be a little on the expensive side). Their goal is to produce the highest quality beer available locally and deliver it ultra-fresh to the immediate region. North Carolina law allows them to distribute their product themselves. In South Carolina, a middle-man is required. By-products of the brewing process are donated to a local farmer to be used as feed for cattle.

Olde Mecklenburg Brewery Tour

Olde Mecklenburg Brewery Tour

The only downside to Olde Mecklenburg Brewery is the lack of variety. They only had 3 or 4 beers on tap. Copper, an authentic German-style Altbier at 4.8% ABV, is their signature beer. They also have seasonal brews. Dunkel (a dark lager) is their winter brew.

Since they opened in 2009, a small kitchen has been added and they currently offer soft pretzels and grilled bratwurst.

Don’t feel like driving up to Charlotte? The Grapevine in Baxter currently has OMB’s Copper on tap.

Olde Mecklenburg Brewery offers free tours Saturdays at 2,3 and 4pm.

For tap room hours visit OldeMeckBrew.com

Olde Mecklenburg Brewery

215 Southside Dr

Charlotte, NC 28217

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Grapevine in Baxter

February 10, 2012 By 1 Comment

Grapevine, located on Market St in Baxter Village, is a must visit for anyone who enjoys a glass of wine or a craft beer. Part retail store, part wine bar, Grapevine has over 30 wines by the taste and by the glass and over 400 wines and specialty beers by the bottle. Appetizers and desserts are also available. The customer service is friendly and knowledgable and there’s no need to be intimidated about choosing a wine at Grapevine. Prices are good for a boutique wine bar  and if beer is your thing, they carry a number of hard to find craft beers plus they have a Growler filling station. Grapevine frequently changes the beers they have on tap so there’s always something new to try.

Pardon the boxes – it was early in the day and they were restocking.

 

Relaxing with a glass of wine and watching the people pass on Market St.

Grapevine is the perfect place to pick out a gift for the wine lover in your family or to kick-start your weekend. Enjoy a glass or two of wine and then walk down the street to one of Baxter’s many restaurant options.

Grapevine is very active in the community and hosts/participates in many events throughout the year.

Upcoming Events include-

Crawllywood Bar CRawl - Saturday Feb 25 from 5-11pm; Pretend Market St is Hollywood Blvd and you’re a star. Costumes not required, but encouraged. Drink and food specials. Beef O’Brady’s, Cloud Nine Martini and Tapas Bar, and Fish Market Bar and Grill also participating.

Beertopia Beer Festival - Sat March 10 from 2-6pm. Limited tickets available due to space constriction. This is a very popular event and sold out last year. Between 120-150 beers will be available to sample representing at least 40 different breweries. Tickets are $30 and cover all sampling. One dollar from each ticket sold will be donated to Pints for Prostates.

Wine Mega Tasting -Spring Thing – March 31st from 2-7pm. Tasting fee $25; 60 wines to sample; Live music from Donnie Honeycutt.

Saturday Beer Samplers from 2-5pm. Enjoy 6 6-ounce pours, $12 per person. Drop in- no reservations required.

Grapevine is located 5 miles south of Charlotte in Baxter Village, Fort Mill just off I-77 exit 85.

1012 Market St Suite 105, Fort Mill, SC

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The Blushing Bakeshop in Ballantyne

February 4, 2012 By Leave a Comment

We are fortunate to have a number of cupcake shops in our area. Each one of them has their own personality and style of cupcake. My favorite is Cupcrazed Cakery in Baxter Village, winner of The Food Network’s Cupcake Wars. Their cupcakes are creative, fun, and delicious. However,  if you find yourself over in the Ballantyne area of Charlotte, The Blushing Bakeshop is worth a try. The Blushing Bakeshop has a more grown-up and refined personality. It’s obvious from looking around the shop that they cater more to the wedding crowd. Their cupcakes are a little smaller and less sweet than some of the other bakeries. I think they are sized just right, not too large or too small. The cake part is moist and the icing is light and fluffy, not too sweet. They use a Swiss Buttercream made with butter, egg whites, and sugar. Cupcakes are $3 each or $15 for a half-dozen. On Tuesdays all cupcakes are $2.

Blushing Bakeshop has a weekly menu of cupcake flavors which can be viewed on their website. Flavors that are available every day are Vanilla and Chocolate Birthday Cake, Duracelle (carrot and walnut cake topped with cream cheese frosting), Lola (chocolate cake with light chocolate buttercream), and Savannah (red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting).

 

 

Among the rotating flavors are Charlotte (pecan pie cupcake topped with caramel buttercream) and Cara (chocolate chip cookie dough cupcake topped with vanilla buttercream and mini chocolate chips). Thursdays are Thirsty Thursdays with flavors such as Whisky Sour- whiskey cake with stripped orange and lemon buttercream topped with a cherry.

Cookie Dough Cupcake with gooey cookie dough filling in the middle.

Vegan options are available on Thursday and Saturday, Gluten-free on Wednesday and Friday, and Sugar-free are available by special order.

In addition to cupcakes, Blushing Bakeshop also offers Whoopie Pies, Cake Pops, and custom Cakes. They also make gorgeous cupcake bouquets which come in a planters pot and are embellished with silk leaves – makes a wonderful Valentine’s Day gift.

Blushing Bakeshop is located in Ballantyne Village

14825 Ballantyne Village Way

Charlotte, NC 28277

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Best Place to Get a Valentine in Fort Mill – Chocolat Boutique

January 28, 2012 By 2 Comments

The Chocolat Boutique, located in Baxter Village, is now taking Valentine’s Day orders for custom chocolate selections and chocolate covered strawberries. Open since 2007 and owned by Gail van Welsen, Chocolat Boutique offers both hand-crafted truffles made on-site and imported European chocolates from Belgium, Switzerland, and France. Truffles are made using only the freshest ingredients and are only made in small batches to ensure freshness. They are individually hand-dipped and hand-decorated.

 

 

 

The assortment of truffles can be overwhelming. When I go, I usually just pick a 1/2 dozen and I agonize greatly over which ones to get. A few of the choices are Raspberry Rhapsody, Cappuccino, Kahlua, Dark Cayenne, Key Lime, Strawberry Black Pepper, and Passion Fruit (their newest edition – all natural passion fruit puree surrounded by dark chocolate ganache. Special Seasonal truffles are also introduced throughout the year. Very popular for Valentine’s Day are the chocolate covered strawberries.

In addition to their retail store, Chocolat Boutique has online ordering available on their website.

Chocolat Boutique

1012 Market St (next to the Grapevine)

Fort Mill, SC 29708

Business Hours

Mon-Thurs 10am-7pm

Fri and Sat 10am-9pm

Sun 12-4pm

Filed Under: All Things Baxter, Local Business Tagged With: , ,

Bosky Acres

December 14, 2011 By 1 Comment

Hands down one of my favorite local products is Bosky Acres Goat Cheese. Words can not express how good this goat cheese is. It is infinitely superior to the packaged stuff at the grocery store. It has a smooth, creamy taste with just the right amount of tang. In addition to plain goat cheese, they also sell a honey walnut flavored goat cheese as well as a lemon pepper one. I haven’t tried the lemon pepper, but the honey walnut is fantastic slathered on some fresh french bread from Breadsmith. I’m dreading the day when my kids have both left the nest, but it will be kind of nice to pour a glass of wine, put  some goat cheese and crackers on a plate and call it a meal.

Bosky Acres is a small family run business out of Waxhaw, NC. They started their business selling goat’s milk soap and expanded into cheese in 2007. One look at their website and it’s evident that they really love their goats. Bosky Acres Goat Cheese is a fresh unripened goat cheese produced from hormone-free goats that are exceedingly well cared for.

Bosky Acres can be found at the Matthews Farmers Market, The Waxhaw Farmers Market, and The Charlotte Regional Farmers Market. It can also be purchased right here in Fort Mill at the Peach Stand, as well as local Earthfares, and Dean and Deluca Phillips Place. Bosky Acre’s goat cheese is also used by Fort Mill’s Passion 8 Bistro, recently named one of the top 25 restaurants in Charlotte by Charlotte Magazine.

Goat cheese is one of the most versatile cheeses. I especially love it in salads and on sandwiches. It can even be used to make ice cream and I hear Bosky Acres makes a Chocolate Goat Cheese Truffle that they occasionally have available at the Farmers Markets they frequent.

Recently I made a nice goat cheese stuffed endive recipe that serves well as an appetizer and is simple to make. Just mix a little minced shallot, fresh rosemary, and black pepper into the goat cheese. Spoon it inside an endive leaf and top with a candied pecan or walnut.

Endive stuffed with Bosky Acres Goat Cheese

 

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MJ Donuts

December 13, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Donuts are nowhere near the top of my list of to die for foods – unless we’re talking Krispy Kremes hot out of the oil. But since the Krispy Kreme place closed on Woodlawn in Charlotte, it’s been a long time since I’ve had one of those. I don’t even know where the closest Krispy Kreme is to Fort Mill. The only one I can think of is the one in Gastonia. If you know a closer one to Fort Mill, just keep it to yourself. Some information is better not known.

My father-in-law, however, is the donut man. (By the way, when did doughnut start being spelled donut? I missed that one.) It was my father-in-law who discovered MJ Donuts in Pineville for us. He seems to always have a box of donuts. MJ donuts is located next to Goodyear on S. Polk St. This place must survive on word of mouth alone and it must be working because they have been open for a number of years now. I’ve never seen any advertising and they don’t appear to have a website – unheard of in 2011.

 

You won’t find a huge selection of donuts, but what they do have is fresh. MJ Donuts is a small Mom and Pop operation and what sets them apart is their service. The owner will usually put a handful of free donut holes in your bag. Prices are similar to the big chains like Dunkin Donuts. Hours are limited. They are only open Mon-Sat until noon.

cinnamon twist

Next time you need a donut fix, keep it local and check out MJ Donuts.

MJ Donuts

325 South Polk St

Pineville, NC 28134

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Yes, the Neighborhood Milkman Does Still Exist

November 27, 2011 By 1 Comment

The Fort Mill Area is fortunate to still have milk hone delivery as an option. Lakeview Farms, operated out of Fort Mill by Jim Price, delivers weekly to Fort Mill as well as Tega Cay, areas of Charlotte, and Waxhaw. Lakeview Farms milk comes from All Natural Dairy in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Their dairy cattle receive no growth or production hormones and are fed an all-natural diet. They roam free-range in the pastures. The milk is pasteurized using low-heat pasteurization which results in milk with a higher viscosity. Skim milk produced this way resembles 2% milk and 2% milk resembles whole milk. The milk comes in recyclable glass bottles. Just put the empty bottles in your insulated cooler and they will take them when they bring your delivery.

Lakeview Farms also offers many other food products for home delivery including eggs, cheese, beef, orange and apple juice, and a variety of Alexia frozen foods. A selection of Breadsmith Breads are also available for delivery through Lakeview Farms. No minimum order is required, only a $2.50 delivery charge.

Lakeview Farms Home Delivery is a great service to take advantage of, especially during the winter months when the cold and dreary weather is often a deterrence to grocery shopping. For me, it’s a comfort to know that I at least have some of the basics in the refrigerator and pantry.

Not only will you enjoy the convenience of Lakeview Farms, but their milk tastes much better too.

For more info, visit the Lakeview Farms website.

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