You could stand on a corner and look around until a restaurant sign draws you in. But we've got a better idea. Each week, New Hyde Park Patch picks a great restaurant either in town or nearby that is worth checking out. Here's this week's choice:
The Cupcake Corner
When the perfect corner location became available for grabs a block away from where they live, Laura and John Graney saw it as a sweet opportunity. The couple opened the Cupcake Corner bakery in Garden City and café in October of 2009 and business has been thriving ever since.
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Both formally trained graduates of the Institute of Culinary Education, the Graney’s daughter, Lisa Romero, along with her best friend Lora Tusa are head pastry chefs. Together, the two have created a menu of sweet and savory items to go along with their clear specialty of cupcakes.
The Cupcake Corner’s signature cupcakes are tiramisu, cannoli, rainbow cookie cupcake and the “Banana Joe,” a banana cake with peanut butter filling and chocolate frosting. According to Laura Graney best-sellers are the classic red velvet and chocolate peanut butter.
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All cupcakes come in regular and mini size, so you can choose a favorite or sample several. In addition to the list of 18 to 20 staple flavors, a new cupcake special is featured every week.
The sweet and whimsical atmosphere is just right for a gourmet coffee or tea break. The café even has free WiFi access. Aside from cupcakes, other homemade offerings include pies, mousse, cheesecake, soup and wraps for lunch, weekend brunch and gluten and sugar free products.
“We make everything on premises every morning, and we also make our own gourmet ice cream and sorbet,” Laura Graney said.
In fact, The Cupcake Corner will be offering free samples of their ice cream throughout the month of May with a coupon.
From children’s birthday and theme parties to meetings and showers, The Cupcake Corner also hosts a variety of events. In the summer they offer a six week craft camp for kids and are in the midst of working on an English garden in the back for outdoor tea parties. The demand has grown so much for these sugar-coated gatherings that the shop has recently expanded.
“Our parties were so popular, we needed a larger space to accommodate more people,” said Laura.
Their second location, The Cupcake Corner Too! Craft and Party Center was opened right across the street in January.
Coming up on April 21 and April 23, The Cupcake Corner will be hosting Easter parties where children are invited to come decorate eggs, have lunch and other treats and meet with the Easter Bunny.
The Cupcake Corner, 61 New Hyde Park Road, Garden City, (516) 328-2253. Tuesday-Thursday, 9:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.; Friday & Saturday, 9:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.; Sunday, 9:00 a.m.- 5:00 p.m. http://www.thecupcakecornergc.com/index.html.
