Kansas City Cupcake

 Is there a dessert flavor more Summertime appropriate than Key Lime? 

Before Summer slips too far away being that today is techinally the first day of Autumn, here's a review of a Key Lime Cupcake I found in Kansas City. 

Key Lime Cupcake from Mildred's on Kansas City, Missouri 
photo by Nikki DeMartini

First of all, can we talk about how confusing it is that Kansas City is in the state of Missouri and not the state of Kansas? On second thought, there's not much more to say about that. 

Upon rolling into town I researched breakfast sandwich shops and Mildred's popped up. It wasn't too far so off I went. I spotted Key Lime Cupcakes in the display case while waiting and just couldn't help myself when it was my turn to order. In the midst of trying to cut back on sweets, this impomptu cupcake purchase was a fail yet a win at the same time because though I may want to lose some recently gained weight, I also don't want to restrict myself from living my best life. That means enjoying life and all it has to offer because we only have this one life to live. The cupcakes were wrapped in emerald green paper and I got my to-go in a box that perfectly fit one. 

Key Lime Cupcake from Mildred's on Kansas City, Missouri 
photo by Nikki DeMartini

I've been doing this thing where I save treats: cupcakes, cookies, what have you, until the following day or night. Not this time though. I had the Key Lime Cupcake from Mildred's the night I got it and I am so happy that I did. 

The first thing I noticed was how heavy this standard sized cupcake was. The next thing I noticed was the tiny lime rind shavings sprinkled on top of the white frosting. There was no tag describing this cupcake at Mildred's so I didn't know what kind of frosting it was. Vanilla? Vanilla with a hint of lime? Cream Cheese? Cream Cheese with a hint of lime? It was impossible to know and only one way to find out. 

Unwrapping it's green paper led to a gleeful surprise. The paper was soiled  through and through where it had clung to the base of the cupcake. That was a sure sign that not only was this cupcake moist but it was buttery and it's heaviness meant it was dense. Dense, buttery cake is usually a recipe for delicious. 

Key Lime Cupcake from Mildred's on Kansas City, Missouri 
photo by Nikki DeMartini

The first bite proved me right, delicious. The cake was so buttery and moist it was like eating a pound cake spritzed with lime. I could barely detect the lime in the cake and if it also flavored the frosting I couldn't tell. The frosting was a thick cream cheese frosting. Thick on the thickness, light on the cream cheesiness. It wasn't too sweet either. You'd think the thickness and heaviness of a cream cheese frosting on top of a heavy, butter pound cake would be too much but somehow it wasn't. It was delightfully delectable. It wouldn't have been as fresh, buttery, moist and delicious if I had waited to eat it until the next day. 

To be quite honest, I was a little skeptical about a Key Lime Cupcake since Key Lime is a flavor reserved for pie. All the more reason to try it though, right? Can a Key Lime Cupcake live up to Key Lime Pie? In this case no, there wasn't enough lime and I couldn't have been more pleased about it. After all, Key Lime is a type of lime that grows in the Florida Keys. It's not necessary a flavor that's suppose to be in overabundance that makes your the back of your ears twinge and lips perk, unless it's a good Key Lime Pie of course. 

Key Lime Cupcake from Mildred's on Kansas City, Missouri 
photo by Nikki DeMartini

I don't think Mildred's has cupcakes daily but if and when they do, do yourself a favor and try one.  

God Save Thee Parkside

In the outskirts of SF lays Thee Parkside, a punk establishment that's in essence "underground".  In fact, the bright red building on 17th Street in the Potero Hill District has been home to the bar that doubles as a music venue for the last 25 years. The cash only establishment gives Zeitgeist vibes, another locally loved SF bar that serves beer, booze and food with the ocassional event. 

Along with offering booze and live music, Thee Parkside also hosts cult classic movie nights. Although I've only been a couple times years ago, it was still sad to find out that it might be closing soon. 

After the longtime owner of the building passed away earlier this year, Spaynol who's run Thee Parkside since 2007, fought to keep the spirit of it alive and thriving. At first Spanyol was successful, finding someone in the resturant industry willing to step in and front a $1.3 million bid, only to be denied by the relator for a $1.33 million dollar bid from un-known buyer. 

This could be yet another gentrification consumuption of a local favorite that hosts sometimes local, sometimes not, live music. 

During the pandemic the much loved music venue Slim's, opened by Boz Scaggs in 1988, closed it's doors for good only to become a YOLO nightclub which didn't last long at all. The peanut shelled covered floors of the Hemlock Tavern that had live events and an indoor smoking room, also got converted into a nightclub, the two story Xex. 

In 2018 SF lost The Elbo Room in the heart of the Mission District. It was brought back to life as The Valencia Room with new lighting and a new sound system but it wasn't the same as the 30 year running, multi-floor, multi-generational dive bar/music venue that locals grew up going to. 

When I read about Thee Parkside's possible upcoming closure memoires of covering a show there came rushing back. In 2012, when I first started reveiwing shows for this blog of mine,  I was approved to cover Young Empires at Thee Parkside. It was my first time there. It was dark and dank like any good punk, dive bar should be. I arrived early in order to secure a spot to get good photos and because of that I was able to catch the opening band, Humans. Like the headliner, it was a band I had never heard of before therefore wasn't familiar with their music. The electro band is made up of two two dudes from Canada. To this day I remember them setting up what little equipement they had on measly looking 4 foot tables, one of which (if I remember correctly) was drapped with a zebra stripped table cloth. While they played, I remember thinking that the tables looked like they were about to collapse. I also remember thinking I really dug what these dudes were doing. They were playing at a punk place but their music wasn't punk rock, which is pretty punk in and of itself. They're an electronic band, with full on lyrics, something more and more un-common in the EDM craze of these days, at least as far as I've seen. They were different and a whole lot of fun! Oozing enthusiasm and bursting with personality, they rocked. I was sold. You can't tell by my review of the show that night since I was there to cover the headliner but Humans stole the show. 

Reading about possible fate of Thee Parkside made me remember Humans and their stand out song "Avec mes mecs" which I've listened to repeatedly since. It's so catchy, fun, relatable and gets me dancing everytime. It's a good time. This is the type of dance music that use to get the party started. If it wasn't for Thee Parkside hosting that show, I wouldn't have discovered Humans and their highly enjoyable song. 

SF is not what it used to be, it hasn't been for years as it continues to get further away from how it once was. Long standing establishements acan't afford to face the economical changes since the city by the Bay is a destination spot for transplants from all over, even though they complain about the place they moved to. A place Bay Area locals call home. A place who's heart breaks with every new closure as new, unaffordable developements pop up all over. Places like the Thee Parkside are gems, holes in the wall that you either have to know about or be told about and they're disapearing right before our eyes. 

 Not all is lost, though. SF still has Bottom of the Hill, The El Rio and the newer kid to the block, Brick and Mortor. More up and coming bands can still be found in bars that line Mission Street too, including Kilowatt and The Make Out Room. 

It would be neat if the un-known buyer gave Thee Parkside a little re-vamp and let it continue on in all of it's glory. Only time will tell. Until then you can still catch a show and or a movie, a drink and a bite to eat there.