Some people may prefer other bakeries, but from the looks of the crowd at the Magnolia Bakery's new Upper West Side location, people are hungering for some heavily frosted cupcakes. If the treats are available, that is.
We stopped by the bakery yesterday, a day after its Saturday opening, and the shop was packed. And many of the customers were victim to the opening frenzy, because Magnolia ran out of cupcakes for a spell (there were red velvet cupcakes on hand, just no traditional buttercream ones). An employee was posted at the door, making sure potential customers realized this as soon as they entered.
The new store has high ceilings, making it feel ten times bigger than the tiny Bleecker Street location. But the scene inside was as teeming as it gets downtown (sans the line around the corner) and even more chaotic. There wasn't any clear indication of a line for customers - equal parts UWS families, Magnolia devotees, and sugar fiends - to request the available items. When we saw people who came in after us being helped before us, we just looked at one employee (we had wanted to ask where we should even stand) who wearily snapped, "I can't help you!" Okay, sorry!
Luckily, another employee was very helpful and helped us with our order of banana pudding (creamy and comforting) and cherry jamboree (a confection of whipped cream and cream cheese, topped with cherries on a pecan crust). We imagine after the opening kinks and demand that Magnolia will be a big hit with the neighborhood.
