And I just have to add...

I still get so excited when I am in the vicinity of Cupcake Royale and can have a Verite cappuccino. Beautiful foam. Strong espresso. It's a lovely thing.

Last weekend I had not one, but two, chances to visit Cupcake Royale. Friday night after Delancey we headed over to Cupcake Royale for dessert (the cookie was, uh, just a second course, kinda like the cheese plate that comes before dessert in some countries, ahem). Unlike the last time I was in on Labor Day, this time they actually had...drumroll...Blue Mountain Huckleberry (September's flavor of the month). Oh, yeah.

Then Sunday afternoon I went to Golden Gardens with two friends for one last chance to soak up the warm sun and fresh air. After walking the beach, and being in Ballard, naturally you have to go get a cupcake. Next up: Salted Caramel. Yep, also delicious!

On a side note: I was able to burn off at least one cupcake (I hope) by getting in one last hike on Saturday. Got up early and drove over Snoqualmie Pass with a friend to hike in the Teanaway area to Ingalls Lake.  The sky was an incredible deep blue. It was somewhat windy and up at the lake the chill in the air meant pulling out the fleece, but the weather was otherwise perfect. We were hoping to see the larches turning yellow but unfortunately not much was happening yet. However, the blueberry bushes are crimson and there are a few flowers here and there still blooming. The hike climbs steadily through forest and then down into meadows with lots of good campsites. The last bit is some scrambling and then you crest the rocks and suddenly you're at the lake. We ate lunch there while enjoying the views of the craggy peaks across the lake. A man who was taking a break by the lake pointed out two mountain goats way up on top of one of the peaks to the west. Their climbing skills are amazing!

That Coffee Shop & Their Latest Attempt

Stopped in this morning at That Coffee Shop (sometimes referred to as Starbucks) for a tall morning pick and the first pumpkin scone of the season (probably the last of the season as well if I want to maintain, or should I say attain, a fit and trim figure). Today's marketing plan apparently was to give out as many sample of the new Via instant coffee as possible.

My grimace at the mere mention of "instant coffee" was enough to launch the barista on a persuasion pitch to get me to try Via. Yeah, I thought it was a bad idea too...instant? gross!...but you'll be surprised...try it...really...etc...etc. So I walked out this morning with a sample of Via in hand.

Then this afternoon I'm thinking it's time for a hot drink so back to the breakroom I go to boil water in the electric tea kettle and give the Via a test run. I was expecting the large grounds that you get in a jar of other brands' instant coffee and was surprised to pour finely ground coffee out of the packet. Nice.

I.actually.liked.it. Gulp. Not good enough to replace a real brewed or French-pressed cup, but if you're desperate and not near a coffeemaker or French press it's definitely a good thing to have on hand. I'm thinking that Via would be perfect for camping and backpacking. No more dragging along the old metal percolator or French press. No more dumping coffee grounds in the forest (oh, uh, who me?).

For those of you who don't like strong coffee, a.k.a. Starbucks' bitter dark-roasted beans, you'll probably be able to get two cups of coffee out of one packet of Via.

Delancey

For those of you who know, the title is perfectly clear...I finally got to eat here! So they're still working on a sign and it's nearly impossible to realize that tucked away along NW 70th Street in Ballard is this sweet little spot. Unless, of course, you've gone to the website and dutifully Google-mapped the location.

For those of you who don't know, Delancey is the creation of blogger Orangette's husband. We did, in fact, see Molly, but since I had neglected to bring my book we didn't bother meeting her.

The idea behind Delancey is to offer New York-style pizzas with a thin crust. The pizzas are fired, not baked, at a very high temperature in a brick oven, producing yummy charred, blackened bits amid an otherwise soft and chewy crust. The four of us shared 3 pizzas: A margherita, prosciutto, and foraged mushroom. The margherita was pretty much your standard pizza with tomato sauce (but really, really, really...good tomato sauce), mozzarella, and basil. I found it interesting and point-winning that the tomato sauce on the margherita tasted different from the one on the prosciutto and both complimented their accompanying ingredients well. The mushroom pizza was a whole different animal: No tomato sauce, just the mushrooms and cheese. It was delightful, actually.

Dessert: Grey salt covered chocolate chip cookies. 'Nuf said. Well, maybe not: Gooey, oozing chocolate on a warm cookie with a crispy edge and chewy center, topped with a smattering of salt crystals to create that just right blend of salty and sweet.

We had been told the wait would be about an hour, but the party before us were no-shows, so within 10 minutes we were seated at the table by the window (in the blog Molly mentions that she wants to sit at this table someday). Otherwise, they don't take reservations unless you have a party of 6 or more, for which one table is reserved.

My take? I'm not a New Yorker, but having grown up on the East Coast I feel like this pizza is more Italian than New York style, especially with the Europe-dominated wine list. However, it's tasty and the place is homey. I'd like to go back for my autograph, of course, and another cookie. I'd definitely take friends here who read Orangette and have followed the restaurant's saga.