Red Velvet Cupcake from Sweet Jill's

Whisps of sweet cinnamon and sugar tempted my senses long before ever seeing Sweet Jill's storefront as I walked down the sidewalk one sunday afternoon. The comforting scent of freshly baked goods frolic outside of the second street location, easily coaxing passersby inside like a pied piper of baked goodness. Stepping into Sweet Jill's is what I imagine stepping into an actual cinnamon roll might be like: an instant engulfment of warm cinnamon, buttery sweetness and spice and everything nice.

cupcake from Sweet Jill's 
photo by Nikki DeMartini

I didn't know what to expect my first time at Sweet Jill's because I wasn't expecting to be lured into a bakery as I explored the Belmont Shores area in Long Beach. From the abundance of indulgent aromas coating the already warm air, the cozy vibe of something fresh from the oven upon stepping inside and the exceptional proportions each mouth watering serving offers, Sweet Jill's brings the phrase "eyes bigger than your stomach" to life. The pastry cases are filled with all of the baked goods you could think of. All sorts of cookies: biscotti, macaroons, chocolate chip/oatmeal/sugar, cookie dough topped brownies, nut topped brownies, plain brownies, cakes: frosted cakes, coffee cakes, cupcakes, upside down pineapple, cheese cake bars, cakes you'd never heard of like upside down German cakes plus an assortment of morning pastries not limited to muffins, apple pull-a-parts and cinnamon rolls. 

It was that first visit when I got my first cinnamon roll from Sweet Jill's and it turned out to be the best cinnamon roll I've eaten to date. Gooey, not soggy, and served warm, you can get your cinnamon roll with or with out frosting and or nuts. I knew as soon as I walked into Sweet Jill's for the first time that I would be back because some of the biggest cupcakes I've ever seen are there. 

On my second visit to Sweet Jill's there were four cupcake flavors to choose from:
1) Carrot Cake
2) chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting

3) Red Velvet 

4) Double Chocolate 

Red Velvet cupcake from Sweet Jill's 
photo by Nikki DeMartini

Like everything else at Sweet Jill's these cucakes are BIG. I'd say they're about three times the standard cupcake size and they all looked so good.  Three of the flavors were decked out in a healthy layer of 

off-white frosting while the the double chocolate cupcakes yielded a rich, dark chocolate frosting that looked like fudge. I was very close to choosing the chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting (the tuxedo cupcake if you will)  but my hesitations around chocolate cake swayed me to choose Red Velvet instead. It came in a plastic clamshell fit for one of their cupcakes, perfect for squish free traveling and I was on my way. 

With the dash of  rainbow confetti sprinkles on top, it's classic, homemade frosting asthetic and bright red shade of red velvet cake, this was this was a fun cupcake photoshoot. While this is a huge cupcake, it does tapper down from the dome to the cup like a pair of good fitting joggers. Unwrapping it yeilded one of the most vibrant red velvet cakes I've encountered. 

Red Velvet cupcake from Sweet Jill's 
photo by Nikki DeMartini

This reddest red velevet cake isn't densely decadent nor is it moistly rich. All of the pastries and bakes goods at Sweet Jill's are baked fresh daily making the cake buoyant yet it was still buttery. Red Velvet is a tricky flavor, it's more of an essenese in my opinion. In most cases, it's a cake mix with coco powder, red food coloring and sour cream or a mixture of buttermilk and vinegar to give the cake that velvety texture. Sweet Jill's Red Velvet cake hits the bullseye. 

I appreciate the appearence of the frosting on these cupcakes. As stated above it's a classic, homemade assthethic rather than from an icing tube or rounded smooth like a cupcake helmet. 

Red Velvet cake is often paired with cream cheese frosting, probably becausethey're both subtle flavors but together they give a full flavor. 

Cream cheese frosting tends to be a little thicker than than standard frosting and not and creamy as buttercream frosting. There's also a tinge of tanginess found within it's sweetness due to the cream cheese. This cream cheese frosting is as creamy as buttercream frosting and it's definitely more sweet than it is tangy. The ratio of frosting to cake was spot on despite the size of the cupcake. Some might think, big cupcake, more frosting. Well yes, more cupcake more frosting but Sweet Jill's doesn't over do it. 

There's a first time for everything and this was the first time I have eaten a cupcake with a fork. I sat down with my cup of coffee, unwrapped the cupcake on a plate and dove into an indulgent breakfast not to mention quite a sugar and caffine rush to jumpstart the day. 

Red Velvet cupcake from Sweet Jill's 
photo by Nikki DeMartini

Eating this cupcake with a fork was great because it allows you to tailor each bite. More frosting? Sure. Less? You got it. Cupcake sandwhich bite (cake, frosting, cake)? Help yourself. 

Red Velvet cupcake from Sweet Jill's 
photo by Nikki DeMartini

When I sat down I didn't expect to eat the whole thing in one sitting but it was too good! Plus it wouldn't be or taste as fresh if I saved some for later. 

Make sure you have cash on you when you go to get all of the treats because Sweet Jill's is cash only. 

Goose at The Greek Theatre in LA 8/21/2022

Back in May, new-ish kids on the jam band block, Goose, hit the road in support of their then upcoming new album.Dripfield, dropped on June 24th and nearly two months later Goose graced the stage at The Greek Theatre in LA to play us some of those new tunes. 

Goose at The Greek Theatre in LA 8/21/2022
photo by Nikki DeMartini

The show started at 7:00pm with openers Lawrence and by 8:30pm, Goose's headlining set was already underway. Since it was my first time at The Greek Theatre in LA I decided to peruse the scene before finding my seat.
In some ways The Greek in LA is similar to The Greek in Berkeley: it's an outdoor theater, with stadium seating but unlike The Greek in Berkeley, The Greek in LA doesn't have a GA pit and instead of a lawn area up top there's bleachers. 

Goose at The Greek Theatre in LA 8/21/2022
photo by Nikki DeMartini

Fans were up on their feet for every song that Sunday night yet there was a lot less noodling than expected. People sang and swayed as Goose jammed but not too much of the signature jam band dance move was happening.

Maybe because the Goose fanbase is a bit younger and are too cool to nood? Or maybe people don't really noodle in LA?
 Whatever the case might have been, people were enjoying the show in their own way. 

Swirling, color changing lights featuring every color of the rainbow, enhanced the already trip inducing, psychedelic rock show as Goose jammed on. 

Singer/guitarist Peter Mitarotonda and bassist Trevor Weekz wore shades through out the set, further permeating their chill vibe from the stage into the crowd. 

I was a little worried that I missed the beginning of the set since I arrived a little late but it turns out I couldn't have had better timing. It's hard to tell exactly how much  of Goose's set I had missed out on due to their time warp jamming but after about one song in (give or take)  Goose brought a surprise special guest out with them. That surprise special guest was Lucius and together they are Goosucis as told by the headlining band. Cloaked in matching black and white, ying-yang style cape like coats Jess Wolf and Holly Laessig were welcomed to the stage by a warm round of applause from the crowd. The ladies' lovely vocals accompanied two songs including a cover of Peter Frampton's "In Your Eyes" before the final song of the first set. That's right, there was a healthy 30 minute intermission followed by more face melting moments when Goose took the stage again. 

Goose and Lucius at The Greek Theatre in LA 8/21/2022
photo by Nikki DeMartini

Nearly two hours after I got there around 10:30pm, as I walked around the venue taking it all in, the familiar sound of my favorite track off their new album danced through the warm night air, tickling my ear drums.  The serene song which I interpret to be about setting personal boundaries for self discovery, "Borne" stopped me in my tracks. I stopped to fully take in the moment and noticed that Goose had given me goosebumps. The song sounds as good live as it does when listening to the album. 

Goose and Lucius at The Greek Theatre in LA 8/21/2022
photo by Nikki DeMartini

Title track "Dripfield" came a little later in the set followed by another surprise special guest, The String Cheese Incident's Jason Hann for the final song of the night, "Hot Tea". 

Goose at The Greek Theatre in LA 8/21/2022
photo by Nikki DeMartini

Goose is moving on up since their first performance in LA in 2020 opening for Pigeons Playing Ping Pong at The Troubadour. 

The Dripfield tour is littered with arena shows stretching all the way until December 17th. 
No wild goose chase needed to catch Goose live this year!

Goose at The Greek Theatre in LA 8/21/2022
photo by Nikki DeMartini

set-list 8/21/2022

set one

1. California Magic

2. Echo of a Rose

3. Rockdale

4. Western Sun

5. Pancakes

6. In Your Eyes

7. Slow Ready

- intermission - 

set two 

1. Madhuvan 

2. Borne 

3. Hungersite

4. Dripfield 

5. Hot Tea