Bubba Sweets serves up their unique spin on cupcakes in Huntington Beach, CA

Erieka Pimentel (aka Bubba) has been making her family’s 1967 blue ribbon cake recipe for family and friends for years. In September 2011, Erieka and her husband, James, opened up Bubba Sweets to show off her unique spin on cupcakes and other sweets. Her sultry red hair, spunky style, and big smile invite you in. The walls are adorned with a yummy pink color, reminding you of cake frosting. All of their flavors of the day are displayed on silver cake stands and made fresh daily.

Salted Caramel (formerly PMS Cure) is Hershey’s chocolate cake, caramel buttercream, filled and topped with sea salt caramel. The chocolate cake was moist and the scent of chocolate will fill your senses. The caramel buttercream was creamy with a subtle caramel flavor. The star of the cupcake was the homemade caramel. It’s gooey like it just came out of the vat and just before it hits the candy stage. It was velvety and sensual. Don’t forget the middle. Inside you’ll find salted caramel for that sweet and salty balance. Thumbs up, way up!

Nutty Professor is Peanut butter cake, peanut butter filling, peanut butter Swiss buttercream, and topped with mini peanut buttercup. The cupcake was moist and had a slight peanut butter flavor.  The frosting is out of this world! It’s creamy and light as a cloud and infused with the essence of peanut butter. The chopped peanuts and sugar crystals added a crunchy texture you don’t expect in a cupcake. The mini peanut butter cup on the top seals the deal! Thumbs up, way up!

Willy Wonka is Hershey’s chocolate chip cake, chocolate cream cheese frosting, and topped with chocolate chips. This is a chocoholic’s dream cupcake. The chocolate chips are everywhere – evenly dispersed inside the cupcake as well as on top of the frosting. The chocolate cream cheese frosting is very different than what you’re probably used to. It’s a little heavier than the buttercream and almost tastes like a dollop of chocolate cheesecake on top of the cupcake. Thumbs up, way up!

Banana Split is banana cake, strawberry puree filling, chocolate-vanilla cream cheese swirled frosting, and a cherry on top. This tastes just like a banana split in cupcake form. You have the banana flavor from the cupcake, the creamy flavor from the chocolate and vanilla frosting, the strawberry flavor from the puree, and top it all off with a cherry. The only thing you’re missing is the cold feeling, but this is a good option if you’re feeling like a banana split and it’s cold outside. Eat it with a hot cup of café au lait and you’re good to go! Thumbs up!

Red Velvet is red velvet cake and vanilla cream cheese frosting. The red velvet cake was good, but not as moist as the chocolate cake. What makes this cupcake is the cream cheese frosting – creamy and decadent just like you would imagine with red velvet cake. Thumbs up!

Strawberry Lemonade is lemon cake, strawberry filling, strawberry Swiss buttercream, and a strawberry on top. The lemon cake was not as moist as the chocolate cake, but had a nice lemon, vanilla flavor. The strawberry filling combined with the lemon flavor, just like strawberry lemonade should. The strawberry buttercream was just to die for – like a fluffy strawberry cloud. It added a rich creaminess like a strawberry lemonade float. Thumbs up!

Oreo is Oreo chocolate cake, Oreo buttercream, and topped with Oreos. This is exactly like an Oreo cookie in cupcake form. If you can’t tell already, I love their chocolate cake! What could be better than mixing Oreos in the batter? The Oreo buttercream frosting had the taste of Oreo cream, but light and fluffy instead of thick and pasty. Thumbs up!

Strawberry Cheesecake is graham cracker crust, vanilla cake, cheesecake filling, strawberry Swiss buttercream, and topped with a strawberry. The vanilla cake was moist, but used more like a vehicle to showcase the other flavors in this cupcake. The strawberry buttercream was heavenly like the Strawberry Lemonade. The cheesecake filling just jumped out at you with that cheesecake flavor you know and love. Combined with the buttercream, it was fantastic dairy delight. Thumbs up, way up!

Some More is the Hershey’s chocolate cake, topped with marshmallow buttercream, dipped in chocolate, and topped with graham cracker crumbs. OMG – this is deliciously orgasmic! One of my favorite combinations is chocolate and marshmallow. I love that it looks like a chocolate dipped ice cream cone. It all works together and reminds you of s’mores but in a fluffy cupcake form. Thumbs up, way up!

Katy Perry is chocolate strawberry cake, strawberry filling, Swiss strawberry buttercream, and topped with a chocolate covered strawberry. “I ate a cupcake and I liked it, the taste of strawberry fantasy…” You get my drift. The cupcake was even decorated in colors you could totally see Katy Perry wearing. If you like strawberries and chocolate, this is the cupcake for you. Thumbs up, way up!

German Chocolate  is chocolate cake, chocolate cream cheese frosting, German coconut-walnut filling and topping. It’s a miniature German Chocolate Cake. The cake was so moist and I just love the chocolate and coconut flavor. Thumbs up!

Bubba Sweets is more than just cupcakes. They also do custom cakes and birthday parties (learn how to frost a cupcake and make cake pops). Stop in and get your “sweets” on!

Atmosphere: 5 out of 5 stars
Service: 5 out of 5 stars
Décor: 5 out of 5 stars
Food: 5 out of 5 stars

For more information:
Bubba Sweets
16479 Bolsa Chica St

Huntington Beach, CA 92649
714.840.8200
Hours: Sunday through Thursday from 11:00am to 6:00pm, Friday and Saturday from 10:00am-7:00pm

Celebrate Halloween with Ketel One Oranje Vodka

Picking out the perfect pumpkin can be a challenge. However, mixing up the perfect pumpkin cocktail is easy thanks to this simple recipe from Ketel One. This Halloween, treat your guests to this tasty pumpkin-inspired cocktail that will get them into the spirit of the scary season.

Ketel One Oranje (debuted in 2010) is their Ketel One Vodka infused with the essence of orange for a crisp, refreshing vodka taste. The essence is a result of the careful selection of the best Valencia oranges from around the world. It is refined and blended at a flavor house in Grasse, France. When it is delivered to the Nolet Distillery in Schiedam, Holland, the orange essence is blended with the Ketel One Vodka and allowed to marry for 24 hours. The final result is Ketel One Oranje, a super-premium vodka with a fresh, bright orange zest with hints of warm spice. Each run of Ketel One Oranje is personally approved by a Nolet family member before bottling. It’s the personal dedication to the final product that amazes me about Ketel One, founded in 1691  - over 300 years ago.

To see the recipe, please visit: http://www.examiner.com/review/celebrate-halloween-with-ketel-one-oranje-vodka

Mahalo and Happy Halloween!

OC Food Diva

My N.Y. Pizza serves family-style Italian cuisine in Fontana, CA

Betty and Jose Torres had a dream of opening a restaurant they could call their own. In 2010, their dream became a reality with My N.Y. Pizza. Everything is made fresh daily from the pizza dough to the sauces with no preservatives. They have a fabulous pasta selection and I watched as the Alfredo sauce was made before my eyes. The scent of fresh garlic and fresh baked pizzas allures you as you open the door. With an open kitchen, you can watch as your order is made. They have nothing to hide. The Torres family also cares about their communities and schools and will donate 30% of sales back to your non-profit organization when you hold a fundraiser with them. 

Antipasto Salad is turkey, salami, ham, lettuce, tomato, onions, olives, cheese, red onions, pepperocinis and your choice of dressing. The medium size is enough for 4 people to share. The vegetables were fresh, sweet, and crisp. The mozzarella was cool and creamy. The meats were chopped into perfect bite size pieces and contained the perfect mix of deli meats. The salami was hearty, yet just melted in the mouth like any good Italian cured meat should. The flavors were balanced and their ranch dressing matched perfectly. Thumbs up, way up!

Fettuccine Alfredo with Chicken is made fresh when you order it from boiling the pasta to making the Alfredo sauce in a sauté pan. The aroma of garlic, cheese, and oregano fill the air. The vibrant scent of oregano make you feel like you’re in an Italian home. The Alfredo sauce had a creamy, velvety base with an oregano punch. The sauce needed a little bit more salt but as Emeril Lagasse says, “You can always add but you can’t take away.” Add a sprinkle of salt, parmesan, and pepper and you’re good to go. Chicken was tender and absorbed the flavor from the Alfredo. The garlic bread was toasted in the pizza oven making it perfectly crusty and browned on the edges. Thumbs up!

White Pizza is olive oil, fresh garlic, parmesan cheese, ricotta cheese, whole milk mozzarella cheese, and your choice of fresh basil or cilantro. The crust had a chewy interior and crispy exterior. The cheese combination maintained a wonderful balance from the creamy ricotta to the gooey mozzarella to the slightly salty parmesan. The basil was a refreshing and green flavor and wilted just enough to let the natural oils of the leaves come out. Perfectly executed! Thumbs up, way up!

The Pastrami Pizza is mustard, pickles, and pastrami on a cheese pizza. I’m not a big fan of mustard and pickles, but I love pastrami! The mustard scent is strong but the taste is just right. The pickles were also not too strong and matched well with the pastrami. The pastrami tasted like spiced bacon with gooey melted cheese. This pizza was a total surprise and I would definitely get this again. This would be a great picnic pizza or even as leftovers – a pastrami sandwich in pizza form. This was fabulous! Thumbs up, way up!

Head on over to My N.Y. Pizza and grab yourself a pie! If you have an army to feed, try their Giant 28” pizza! It’s HUGE!

Specials:

• $1 beer specials, everyday and anytime. Limit 2 per each pizza purchase.
• Check out their specials page from lunch specials to Football Party Specials to Family Specials: http://www.mynypizza.com/specials/

Atmosphere: 4 out of 5 stars
Service: 5 out of 5 stars
Décor: 3 out of 5 stars
Food: 5 out of 5 stars

For more information:
My N.Y. Pizza
15034 Foothill Blvd
Fontana, CA 92335
909.427.1869
Hours: Monday-Thursday from 11am-9pm, Friday-Saturday from 11am-10pm, Sunday from 12pm-9pm