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Dessert Wed Jul 28 2010
Cupcakes on the Move
I've sampled quite a few cupcakes in Chicago -- Sweet Mandy B's, Molly's, Flirty Cupcakes, More. I can't say I've ever had a bad cupcake but More is, without a doubt, my favorite. The fun, creative ingredients and recipes they use make each cupcake unique and delicious. And the hard work and love put into each recipe comes through in every cupcake.
When I learned that More is going to make their cupcakes mobile next month, I was ecstatic. I don't find myself in its Gold Coast neighborhood very often, which means I don't get to eat nearly as many of their cupcakes as I'd like. I've had Flirty Cupcakes when I'm in need of a sweet fix to get me through the afternoon. But the cupcakes, in my opinion, are mediocre - too much frosting and not enough flavor. More, on the other hand, has me hooked. Some of my favorite flavors: BLT, Salted Caramel and Strawberry. They also have Basil and Goat Cheese and Truffle Popcorn cupcakes that I've been dying to try.
So, about this cupcake truck: It has been in the making for a year or so and is scheduled to set out in mid-August. For the first week of operation the truck will travel to Chicago landmark sites and hand out free cupcakes. After that, cupcakes will be priced as they are in the store ($3.50) and the truck will operate during store hours - this, however, will be driven by demand.
I asked Patty Rothman, owner of More, what this means in terms of staffing and resources and she told me that they will begin working on a 24 hour schedule and will be baking around the clock.
More's state-of-the-art, environmentally friendly truck is a retooled Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van, emblazoned with the store logo and company information and equipped to carry 1,500 cupcakes. In an effort to be eco-friendly, the truck will use refrigerators that run on re-purposed hospital generators which will keep the cupcakes cool while the truck is turned off. "I couldn't, in good conscience, keep a truck running all day," said Patty. For those of you who have been to More, the truck may look familiar - it was created by the same architects who developed the award-winning design of the store - expect to see similar shelving and lighting.
When the More Mobile launches, the cupcake shop will announce its location via Twitter from @themoremobile and hit the streets armed with a dozen flavor varieties. Ten flavors will be more classics and constants on the truck, like Red Velvet, Salted Caramel, Cookies and Cream, a daily featured meringue cupcake and the signature More. In addition, two special cupcakes will join the roster each day.
In the future, the truck will take suggestions from the public via Twitter as to where they should park. You can bet that I'll be not only following @themoremobile, but also requesting it to frequent the River North neighborhood on a daily basis.
