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Tallahassee Restaurant Review: Artistic Confections
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|  Serving Up Sweetness at Artistic Confections by Pedro Sempertegui
& Lindsay White |  | | November is a big birthday month here at the Grapevine. Reasonably priced gifts will be exchanged along with our opinions on having birthdays that are so close to Christmas. There is a relationship between the quality gifts received on your birthday and the ones received on Christmas. If your birthday is near to Christmas and you receive an awesome gift after blowing out the candles, chances are you're getting pants for Christmas. But if you're getting $25 gift cards to Dillard's for your birthday, Christmas is going to rock. I'm glad that I've never received any of those cheesy holiday knit sweaters. You know, the kind with those beady eyed snowmen holding hands with a Panda Claus that's eating an abnormally large candy cane. My parents have spared me the disappointment. | | One thing that is always a constant, no matter how close your birthday is to Christmas, is getting your favorite cake. For the past decade or so I've been having the same kind of birthday cake. Each year, it's been the classic vanilla ice cream cake with a heaping helping of chocolate crunchies. I'm feeling older and I think that this year I'm going to have to look for something a little more grown-up. | 
A Coach Purse Cake | | The gourmet bakery, Artistic Confections, just opened up on Thomasville road just south of Five Guys. Just barely being a month old, Artistic Confections seems like it's going to be the go-to place for wedding cakes and other specialty desserts. I heard about them from a friend whose birthday had just passed. He was telling me how I had to get something from there for my birthday, specifically the bacon cupcakes.
"Just the mention of bacon cupcakes had me dragging Lindsay over to Artistic Confections." Artistic Confections is tucked away in a nondescript shopping plaza, alongside a salon and jewelry store. The place seemed like it was easy to miss, but from the way my friend raved about his birthday cupcakes, I felt like this place isn't going to be as easy to miss any longer.
When we entered the bakery, the pastry chefs were hard at work making icing and prepping some things to be baked. The majority of the floor space was taken up by kitchen equipment. Maria Streety, the owner and head chef, welcomed us with a bright smile. There wasn't much for seating but seeing the cakes in the display case, it seemed like their priorities were in the right place. These cakes and pies looked like they were straight out of an advertisement. As owner and head chef, Maria is no stranger to exquisitely plating a dish. Being ACF (American Culinary Federation) certified, her abilities in the culinary arts have been tested and proven to be professional grade. Through her extensive training, she has gained the skill and knowledge it takes to produce gourmet food, and has taken those talents into the pastry arena. | |
| Maria brought out a sampling of three items from the display case; a slice of Oreo cheese cake, a piece of pumpkin walnut pound cake, and a cupcake: More Specifically, A Bacon Cupcake. I'm not much for cheese cakes, due to the fact that, in my experience, they're always too rich and too sweet for me to feel comfortable eating. This slice was a little different. Lindsay had the first bite of it and her eyes lit up. | "This is delicious! The oreo bits in the cheesecake don't interrupt the smooth texture at all," she said as she scooped up another slice. I too found myself entranced by the creaminess of the cheesecake. The pumpkin pound cake was a totally different story. It was soft, moist, and crumbly. The sweetness of the butter scotch icing added a nice accent to the walnut and overall pumpkin flavor. I could see this becoming a fall staple. It would go perfectly with some dark roast coffee and a good book.
As for the bacon cupcake, I didn't fully understand how bacon could fit in the world of cupcakes. I get that saltiness brings out the sweet, but the meatiness part throws me for a loop. This cupcake has a strip of chocolate covered bacon with bacon crumbles atop butter cream icing. That alone piqued my interest, but Maria explained that she worked the flavor from the bacon grease into the cupcake itself. I have found nirvana within a pastry shop, and it takes the form of a small cake. This desert isn't a nightly endeavor, but I'll be darned if I never crossed paths with it again.
For those who have any dietary concerns, Artistic Confections offers vegan alternatives and gluten free options. | | As my friend has done for me, I will do for others by spreading the word on this amazing new pastry destination. Maria is an artist when it comes to shaping cakes and crafting delicious flavors. Her website showcases her more visually creative ventures with 3 dimensional cakes that take the form of anything the customer desires. |  |
| | Her take away
+ It was obvious how much passion they put into their baked goods. Was miles ahead of other bakeries in town.
+ This talented woman really loves what she does. | His take away
+ Made me like cheesecake against my will.
+ Very personable chef, would love to become a regular.
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Tags: Tallahassee Restaurant Review Artistic Confections
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