On a frigid day off from school last week, my daughter and I ventured to the recently overhauled Buzz Bakeshop in north Old Town (901 Slaters Lane – there is a second location in Arlington).
I had read in the Washington Post that the shop was revamped in November and is now under the culinary direction of Maggie Austin LaBaugh. If that name is not familiar to you, perhaps it is because you have not been in the market for an over-the-top wedding cake fit for royalty. Interestingly, LaBaugh is also a former professional ballerina! Given that my daughter is a gymnast and aspiring chef and baker, we were anxious to check it out.
The interior of Buzz has been revamped to create a modern yet retro feel.
Modern white subway tiles and almost industrial lighting complement dove gray wainscoting, a soft floral wallpaper, and an enormous wall display of what looks like your grandmother’s china. It all comes together beautifully. And fret not, there is plenty of space to connect your laptop and charge your phone. Buzz has an open kitchen, ideal for people like us who wanted to view the “behind the scenes” action.
Onto the food! We were both hungry for an early lunch. We ordered slices of quiche – lorraine for my wannabe chef and vegetarian for me. Both were fabulous, especially the quiche lorraine. I enjoyed a cup of strong, flavorful coffee as well. I am known to be a bit picky about my coffee and I happily gave Buzz’s two thumbs up.
My daughter also ordered a vanilla cupcake with chocolate frosting. Since the boys in the family were unable to join us, we brought home some treats that were immediately gobbled up (a decadent brownie and crumb cake that rivaled what my husband and I grew up with in New Jersey!). We also got a half dozen cupcakes to go to share at home and at work. The variety is fantastic – the basics plus fun options like carrot cake, red velvet, s’mores, and peanut butter chocolate (deemed the favorite in my house).
Other savory menu options available were chicken salad on a croissant, pimento mac n’ cheese, and “kicked up” grilled cheese sandwiches. Buzz’s baked goodies include adorably decorated sugar cookies, scones, lemon poppy seed bread, and a variety of brownies and cookies, including Austin’s signature cornmeal and cherry thumbprint cookies. I was happy to see that there were gluten-free and vegan offerings as well. The homemade granola looked amazing. My dog-loving daughter happily noted the free homemade dog treats for customers to bring home.
A few cakes were on display and they did look amazing!
The Post reports that Austin plans to continue her high-end cake business but on a smaller scale. She was eager to get back in the kitchen and bring more affordable treats to more people. Well, we are thrilled she found a home at Buzz and look forward to returning often!
