Take Your Shot

Do you remember Trani, that unfortunately named place in the North End where the featured menu item was cupcakes injected with ice cream? I definitely remember it. Well, it has closed and been replaced by a pizza place — yes, just what the North End needed, another pizza place.

But last week, on my birthday, a coworker (thanks, Suzy!) came into the office with exciting news. It seems a new place just like Trani has opened up in the Burlington Mall, of all places. It's called Shot Cakes, and it has the same basic premise: cupcakes injected with ice cream. There's one big difference, though: Whereas Trani had basic chocolate and vanilla cupcakes that you wouldn't necessarily want to eat without the ice cream, Shot Cakes has a whole selection of awesome flavors that are great as is. Red Velvet, Cookie Dough, Cookies and Cream, Brownie, Frosted with sprinkles, and so on. Add in ice cream and some hot fudge (or any of the other toppings, like peanut butter or caramel) and, well, WOW!

Barry and I went to check this place out on Saturday, and I had a Chip Shot Cake Quake. That's a chocolate cookie dough cupcake, injected with vanilla ice cream, topped with hot fudge, and served in a cup. It's kind of like a sundae, minus the whipped cream. A-MA-ZING. Moist cake, yummy fudge, and ice cream too. It wasn't overwhelmingly heavy or filling. And it cost less than $4. Had I been alone, I might have had a second. (Or a third.)

One curiosity was why there was not a bigger crowd waiting for their own Shot Cakes. Maybe we were there at an off time (who knew such a thing existed at a mall food court), but on the off chance that this place isn't getting the attention it deserves, I wanted to put up a blog post here (yeah, 'cause that will bring the place LOTS of attention). If you like cupcakes and ice cream — and really, who doesn't? — then by all means make a trip to Burlington and check this place out. (Just get in line behind me.)