Having My Cake, and Eating It, too

The Love Cafe

1501 U Street, NW
Washington, DC 20009
202.265.9800

Monday—Thursday 9am-10pm
Friday 9am-11pm
Saturday 9am-Midnight
Sunday 10am-10pm

You know a bakery is good when the menu begins with "Nothing is fat free." Cake Love uses real butter to bake and isn't afraid to tell you. In fact, that's what makes it so good; the art of baking demands no substitutes. The bakery gave birth to the Love Cafe, and the cafe quickly became a hot spot for locals to gather casually while sipping Lavazza and eating cake. Warren, the owner, has expanded his business to Silver Spring, Maryland, and Shirlington, Virginia.

The Love Cafe recently introduced the Cupcake Bar. You choose a cupcake, choose your frosting, choose your toppings and voilà ! You have an instant custom cupcake. Personally, I can't resist the layered cakes, so I called up my friend Atul and asked if he wanted to meet me at the café.

Atul and I stood in line behind four customers. It was 8:30+ pm and more people were queuing up after us. Waiting in line gave us the opportunity to salivate over the desserts and decide what to order.

"I'm in the mood for something with citrus," said Atul while mentally selecting the lemon tart.

As refreshing the thought a berry tart might be, I was drawn to the chocolate. I was debating between chocolate cake with vanilla butter cream frosting or its counterpart, white cake with chocolate butter cream, but Atul convinced me to inquire about a mysterious looking cake covered in dark chocolate.

"What's in Cynthia's Sin?" I asked the lady taking our order.

"It's a chocolate cake with peanut filling and chocolate ganache." Enough! I was sold.

I expected a thick peanut butter filling, like the inside of a Reese’s peanut butter cup, since I've had other desserts with a similar description ( e.g. the Cheesecake Factory's peanut butter cup cheesecake). The first bite into the creamy interlayer was a surprising delight. It was light and fluffy with an understated flavor; rather than assault your taste buds, the taste of peanuts gradually grew in intensity. Smalls chunks of peanuts in the cream added crunch and texture to counterpose the soft cake.

I tried a bite of the lemon tart. It was reminiscent of a lemon meringue pie without the meringue. The flavor was intense, a bit too intense for me. Perhaps Atul’s tea helped to clear the palate in between bites.

Favorite Building

Washington National Cathedral
(Cathedral Church of St. Peter and St. Paul)
Massachusetts & Wisconsin Avenues, NW

1906-1907 Goerge Frederick Bodley
1907-1917 Henry Vaughan; Arthur B. Heaton, superintending architect
1920-1942 E. Donald Robb
1920-1944 Harry B. Little
1971-1973 James E. Godwin, superintending architect
1973-1981 Howard B. Trevillian, Jr., superintending architect
1981-1990 Anthony L. Segreti, superintending architect
1981-1993 Robert Calhoun Smith, superintending architect
1989 EDAW Inc., landscape architects, west front

I'm often asked, "What is your favorite building in DC?" Honestly, I don't know. Do I have to have a favorite? Many think that as an architect I would, and perhaps I should have something handy to say when others inquire.

It's not the subject matter. I simply don't have a lot of favorites. Period. I appreciate many things based on their own merit, not as a comparison. The Library of Congress is beautiful and worthy of a tour. The columns and space of the National Building Museum leave no doubt why this is a favorite Washingtonian space, fit for inaugural balls. I love the history behind this former pension building: the stairs were designed to allow wounded war veterans to ascend them while riding a horse! I have yet to pass the threshold of the Finnish Embassy, but it's green architecture has an aesthetic appeal that even the most rednecked appreciate. These are all relatively grand, public spaces. There are many more humble buildings that could go on my list of laudable structures.

Though I struggle to answer the all too frequent question, I do have a few non-architect friends who immediately respond with, "The National Cathedral."

As the sixth largest cathedral in the world, it is certainly impressive. I love singing in its cavernous space. Your voice reverberates 6-7 seconds long after you've stopped, which makes for muddy but rather enveloping acoustics.

This building is also worthy of a tour. Besides amazing stone- and woodwork, here are some other fun facts:

-Helen Keller's ashes have been interred here
-A stained glass window incorporates a moon stone
-One if the grotesques is formed in the likeness of Darth Vader

I pass this edifice at least twice a day, to and from work. I'm grateful to live near it. I'm grateful to sing in it on a regular basis. You be the judge for yourself; you might discover it's your favorite.

Frolic & Detour

I feel I have to make a formal apology. While I know any blog worth its salt is not only a product of content but also consistency, I've recently been out of town and overextended with peripheral responsibilities that have kept me from blogging. I'm hoping to recoup within the week and break the silence.

Until then...

I was recently in Toronto and have something of an oddity to share. It appears there is a fashion trend growing in the city, something more appropriately identified as an epidemic faux pas. Whoever thought that gathering a curtain and tying it at its center is an acceptable window treatment? A (poor) college student unleashing a burst of creativity while struggling to stay focused on his studies? If you're not sure what I'm talking about, here's a visual:


If you've ever used this budget stratagem to spruce up the old pad, pat yourself on the back for having abandoned it. If you are currently in the throws of this decorating gaffe, please mend your ways. Please. The logical reasoning is this: 1) When you draw your curtain to the center of the window, you block precious daylight; 2) With the curtain in the center of your window, you look at the curtain, not the view - the drapes dominate and become the focal point, and they certainly aren't worth it; and 3) It's hideous.

Look at any condominium or apartment high rise in Toronto and you'll see this phenomenon if not once, then multiple times. Just when I thought it couldn't get worse, I spotted this:

The same meticulously crafted hour-glass shape but with vertical blinds and a binder clip! Classy. Surprisingly, the clip seems to be the most stylish, if not innovative, part of this ensemble.