Magnolia: Not Your Average New York City Bakery
Visiting Magnolia Bakery is not just about shopping for a cake; it's truly an event.
People from around the world - including groups of patient New Yorkers - line up every day to purchase one of the bakery's signature cupcakes, made fresh by intense bakers who rarely crack a smile. 
In fact, there's even a sign in the window discouraging customers from interacting with them. Now those are some serious cupcakes.
At Magnolia Bakery, the turn-out is so huge, there's even a guy working the door. For a second, you might think you're entering a trendy nightspot. The only thing missing is a velvet rope. No wonder why "Sex and the City" filmed an episode here.
While there are no velvet ropes (yet), there are velvet cakes - red velvet ones to be exact. But the main draw here are undoubtedly the cupcakes. They're moist, colorful and at $1.75 each, entirely reasonable by New York City standards. Customers are instructed to box their own cupcakes, but remember - if you touch 'em, you have to buy 'em.
According to the gentleman working the door on the evening of my last visit, there really isn't a difference between cupcakes - only the color of the icing. I opted for a lavender-colored cupcake and I must say, I've had better. While it was generally fresh, the frosting was rather flavorless. For a safer bet, stick with the chocolate.
To me, the real standout is Magnolia's peanut putter pie - an absolute delight for anyone who grew up on Reese's peanut butter cups.
The pie even contains fragments of the famous candy bar, as well as a creamy mousse and crunchy crust. It's truly a splurge, but well worth-it every once in a while. We New Yorkers can't always live on tofu and egg whites.
(Magnolia Bakery is located at 401 Bleecker St, Phone # (212) 462-2572).
