Pinkberry

A recent addition to Garden City is Pink Berry. I had always had Red Mango prior (the Burger King to their McDonalds) so this competitive establishment piqued my curiosity. I knew of their existence from prior national ads and mentions in popular culture. To know that finally Rhode Island received the exalted franchise made this an irresistible visit.

The design of the parlor is very modern. Bright colors and lighting made the interior alluring. One downside was the exceptionally long line, though that's always good for the owner. Tables were small and chairs were few and far between, but to me frozen yogurt is a walking food.

Upon ordering, you get the choice of either a single or 'twist' flavor selection from 6 available flavors. Only 3 pairs are truly twisted (like original and Blood orange, who's spouts were next to each other), with other 'twists' being simply the flavors extruded next to each other.

The first flavor my wife and I tried was Pomegranate. We are massive fans of Red Mango's pomegranate flavor (officially supported by Juice maker Pom Wonderful). Pink Berry's disappointed, tasting like just sweet red yogurt rather than pomegranate.

Thankfully, the flavors improved. We next tried Original and Blood Orange. Both were amazing; the original tasted similar to the Pomegranate but lacked the overwhelming sweetness that dominated the prior. The Blood Orange was also amazing, though one down side was the blood orange toppings, which tasted more like segments of grapefruit. After tasting both seperately, we noticed that the pair could be truly twisted, and the result blew away any creamsicle found at a summer ice cream truck.

Next we tried Chocolate and Peppermint. The chocolate was rich and dark and complimented brownie bites well. The peppermint fit the Christmas Season motif perfectly and was just minty enough to leave a wonderful aftertaste without leaving a 'just-brushed-my-teeth' feeling.

Pink Berry is a great yogurt spot, though the volume and some issues with the flavors and toppings kept me from feeling that this is the superior color+fruit themed yogurt parlor. The greatest benefit of Pink Berry is the friendly staff that will let you try anything. I wholey suggest trying each flavor before ordering, even if the rest of the long line disagrees.

Rating: B+

The Cupcakerie

A staple of the Pawtucket Farmer's market, the Cupcakerie has debuted their own storefront in Cranston, Rhode Island. Since Cupcakes have become the big desert draw of 2010, it seems proper that Rhode Island has healthy competition between two big cupcake bakeries. Since the Cupcakerie is the first I have tried, it will be the first that I have reviewed.

First off, I am not a cupcake man. I much prefer slices of cake (like those served at Pastiche on Federal Hill, hmmmmmm), BUT I will remain open to this new culinary trend.

The first cupcake reviewed will actually be one me and my wife bought at the Cupcakerie's Farmer Market stall, which was the Cinco de Mayo. Combining chocolate with chilies is also a recent trend which both I and she welcome, so we were eager to try it out. The chili-infused chocolate cake tasted wonderful and the cinnamon-vanilla butter cream on top complimented the deep flavors. It tasted original and delicious, two things cupcake bakers focus on when producing in this medium.

The next two cupcakes we tried were sampled at their Cranston location. My wife ordered the Chocolate Diva. She was disappointed that it came with pink butter cream rather than a nice dollop of ganache (she dislikes butter cream), but she thoroughly enjoyed the deep flavor and moist texture of the chocolate cake. I disliked the gritty texture of the pink butter cream, which came from the sugar added rather than the largers pieces of 'glitter' added atop to make it 'fabulous'.

The Peanut Butter Cup-cake was my choice. The idea of peanut butter cake tantalized me, given the wonderful peanut butter cookies at Wright's Dairy Farm and peanut butter ice cream at the Ice Cream Machine. Unfortunately, the cake did not deliver. While nicely baked, it tasted too generic without the rich peanut flavor. The chocolate butter cream did taste much better than the pink one and was on par with the cinnamon-vanilla variety offered on the Cinco de Mayo. Still, I would have preferred ganache.

The flavors are solid and feature classic and modern varieties. I definitely look forward to trying other flavors from this bakery. The Cupcakerie has a full website describing the various flavors and toppings offered at the little cafe. They also feature seasonal flavors and new flavors all the time, so be on the look out to try a new dessert if even for a quick snack.

Rating: A-

Athena's

Nestled in downtown Cranston, Athena's stands out with the egg as part of the logo. Sometimes patrons are afraid of breakfast joints located in stripmalls. This should not be one of those times. When looking for a good breakfast, those places produce the best food. Athena's continued that tradition.

Farm fresh eggs, savory and crispy hashbrowns, and delicious bacon made the meal. Crispy Italian bread toast complimented the big three with a meal that was fit for a goddess. The food came out quick and everything was perfect. Me and my wife wanted to order a delicious looking fruit cup (spotted at another table), but our stomachs would not allow it. The best part? The bacon. I normally hate bacon, yet Athena's serves the best bacon I have ever tasted.

The interior was clean, though it looked a bit rough. The service was excellent with easy parking. Everything fit perfectly and created a memorable breakfast. We will return to try some other dishes, including a tasty looking pancake dish served with nutella spread and chopped, roasted hazel nuts. We also still want that fruit salad.



Rating: A+