Dots Cupcakes Arroyo Parkway-Pasadena
Posted in Dots Cupcakes-Pasadena on June 29th, 2007 by BB – Be the first to commentOne great thing about being an adult is the ability to have dessert before dinner! Places like Dots make it easy to spoil your appetite. The store is barely noticeable, on a corner end of the Pasadena Inn. It’s easy to drive by without seeing it.
It seems though most of Dots customers order to go as parking is awkward and the dining space is cupcake sized small. There are two tables outside if you wish to partake in your cupcake snarfing just adjacent to Arroyo Parkway traffic.
The store is tiny, so thankfully we found ourselves alone and able to more thoroughly peruse their offerings. The display is artistically designed in a honeycomb shape with cupcakes filling each hole. I’m still not keen on open air displays, but Dots only puts out a small tray at a time, so perhaps they don’t dry out as quickly. The decorated cupcakes were cute as a five year old girl in an Easter dress cuddling a bunny. The flavors were a mix of comforting standards and more daring culinary mixes such as PB&J, Cookies & Cream, and Pina Colada.
I tried my first Red Velvet cupcake here-truly the only food item utilizing red food coloring that doesn’t taste bitter. Although the cake batter was more dense and less sweet than I would have liked, it was partially moist. The vanilla cream cheese frosting was overload compared to the relatively bland cake it was perched upon. My friend tried a Chocolate Mint cupcake. Luckily, I scored a bite. The chocolate cake was more flavorful than the red velvet, but for a chocolate cupcake the richness of flavor wasn’t there. Light green creme de menthe frosting complemented it nicely.
As an occasional treat, or if you’re not equipped to make them yourself, Dots is a good option. At $2.75 a cupcake these puppies aren’t cheap. I wouldn’t mind paying that price if the cupcakes were a bit tastier or if the overall experience was unique. Considering there is little space to enjoy your purchase in the store, and the relatively bland, dense nature of these little desserts, Dots will remain nothing more than a cute little cupcake boutique in my mind.
Dots Cupcakes
400 S Arroyo Pkwy
Pasadena, CA 91105
