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14 | BOROMAG.COM | AUGUST 2013 FOOD is that a vegetable in my cupcake? Astoria almost missed out on one of the most delicious new cupcake shops in town. Cousins Christine Mendoza and Charisse Balines had initially considered the Barclay Center in Brooklyn for their first bakery outpost. Thanks in part to their fiancé and husband regularly playing basketball near the corner of 35th Ave and 35th Street, the two cousins (along with Mendoza’s sister, Sandy Nuguid) fell head-overfeet for Astoria, and the rest is history. Embracing the neighborhood, Sweets First Bakeshoppe’s menu is scribed on a chalkboard as a nod to nearby Frank Sinatra High School, and the rather quirky cupcake varieties are each named after popular T.V. shows and movies, in homage to nearby Kaufman Astoria Studios and the Museum of the Moving Image. Popular flavors include ‘The Breakfast Club’ (a French toast cupcake with maple-infused buttercream frosting and candied bacon), ‘The Family Guy’ (PB&J cupcake), ‘Twilight’ (an Oreo cupcake drizzled with red chocolate), and the ‘Terminator’ (vanilla and chocolate batter topped with hazelnut butter cream and crushed bits of Ferrero Rocher). As much as the menu reads as a tribute to the neighborhood, it also tells a family history. The three women were born in the Philippines, which inspired a dulce de leche cupcake, as well as Brazo de Mercedes cupcake filled with creamy custard and drizzled with sweet milk. They also serve several versions of bubble tea, a favorite drink from their birthplace. They cook the tapioca pearls at least twice, then soak them in simple syrup, ensuring they are plenty tender and sweet. Delicious flavors include taro root, honeydew melon and even flan. But the cupcake that somehow keeps bringing people back again and again is a rather unlikely suspect. The ‘Seinfeld’ is a vanilla cupcake blended with actual bits of broccoli and cheddar, with a cream cheese frosting. “I was pregnant and craving anything broccoli and cheese,” explains Balines, “and I am always with Christine… and she had a dream about broccoli and cheese cupcakes…” “Because she had been requesting something sweet,” interjects Mendoza (the two regularly finish each other’s sentences before giggling in unison). “So the next morning I whipped up a batter with broccoli and cheese and the cream cheese frosting, and…” “It’s the exact recipe we use today,” finishes Balines. “It’s actually why we finally decided to open up a store.” ‘The Seinfeld’ is surprisingly delicious, a unique harmony of sweet and savory. All of their cupcakes seem expertly balanced, and this is just the beginning. Another Filipino-inspired version is presently being tested—the Lilo & Stitch will have both pineapple and Spam. “We don’t know if everyone is ready for it. It’s almost like a dare,” explains Balines, “ but once you have it, it’s not intimidating at all.” Part of the reason they chose Astoria, after all, is because of its population of curious diners with open-minded palates. Cupcakes go for $2.75 a piece, and they even occasionally take requests. Sweets First | 35-04 35th Ave, Astoria (347) 701-4488 | www.sweetsfirstnyc.com


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