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Orange cupcakery (allegedly) opening Saturday, again — so they say
January 2nd, 2009, 7:09 pm · 49 Comments · posted by Nancy Luna, Staff Writer
2 p.m. update: Looks like it is open if you read comments below. Also see review and photos from its first customer, Dan, of Eat in OC blog.
I say this with much skepticism, but here we go: A person answering the phone today at the Perfect Circle in Old Towne Orange says the cupcake shop will be open Saturday, Jan. 3.
Time: 11 a.m.
Seeing is believing with this place. I’ve knocked on the door and driven by several times over the holidays — only to be disappointed to learn it is STILL not open.
That’s fine if you’re not ready to open. But, workers seem to always be hanging out at the store. It’s the ultimate tease. Why torture us this way?
My in-laws were in town for a couple of weeks, and kept checking on the shop during daily walks to The Plaza. Even they were annoyed that the shop had yet to open.
After the shop handed out freebies on Dec. 21, we expected the store to open later that week. But, nada.
If anyone hits the shop on Saturday, let me know if it’s worth the wait — because I’m starting to have my doubts.
The Perfect Circle is at 165 N. Glassell St. near Maple Street.
Related stories:
- Carino’s Italian Grill in Orange closes
- Irvine Spectrum gets create-your-own cupcake shop
- Lazy Dog Cafe makes some menu tweaks. Read more at my New on the Menu section for 2009
- Prime Cut Cafe, an ‘affordable’ fine dining eatery, opens at Stadium Promenade. Read more at the Orange City Watch blog.
- Bob’s Big Boy slated to open later this year in Orange retail center
- Carm’s Coneys, Beach Pit BBQ coming to Orange
- LIST: Restaurants Out of Business in O.C.
- LIST: 2009 New restaurant openings in O.C.
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I’ll try to check it out tomorrow in between my appointments with contractors to work on our new home. Since we live practically around the corner now!
Wow! You must really want some cupcakes!
What can I say…Macalayah..I like to try new things, especially when they are close to home.
saw people in there new years eve.ill look also on saturday.they also had a write up in old towne orange plaza reveiw
That’s right! Not all of us are fatties and we are able to devour cupcakes without the least bit of weight issue. Bring on the sweets!!
Sounds like an extremely specialized shop. Will it survive–especially now when people are cutting back on discretionary spending? I can see people trying it once or twice out of a novelty factor, but it doesn’t seem like it offers a product with enough widespread appeal to draw enough customers to pay for the high rent in The Circle and still make a profit. The idea reminds me somewhat of a comedy sketch from the late twentieth century that depicted a store that only sold scotch tape and Xerox copies trying to survive in a busy mall.
Was this story written professionally? I think not. Starting to have your doubts? They’ll probably be better off without you.
What’s with you and this shop?
Where’s the “Plaza”? Not just me, but OTHERS still call it the “Orange Circle”.. Down with the word “Plaza.”!!!
cupcakes are a fad that is now OVER and this shop will not survive in that area. maybe chapman’s big birls from the undie run can keep them afloat.
Did anyone try the freebies- any reviews? I say the more cupcake shops the better.
Go Ducks…and others:
I missed my chance to try them during the freebie night on Dec. 21. However, the Cupcake Activist tried them during the Orange street fair, and wrote a detailed review…(see link below) She tried several and gave them a pretty good endorsement — another reason why I have been excited to give the cupcakes a try…
Also, let me set the record straight: Though this shop has made a series of false starts, I am rooting for them.
I hope the cupcake shop has : a) a great product and b) great service.
If it hits the mark, it will be a great addition to this popular Orange County tourist spot.
http://www.cupcakeactivist.com/2008/08/preview-perfect-circle.html
Hi Nancy: We walked by at 10:30 today and the owner’s mom said they were about to open (at 11 AM). It’s really cute inside–love that Tiffany’s decor. I hope it does well. I read in the WSJ that dessert places did really well in a declining economy because people enjoyed indulging in small, affordable luxuries.
Tell Judith that people who actually live in Old Towne Orange call it the Orange “Plaza”–That is its historical name. The fountain in is “Plaza Park”–not “Circle Park.” We can always spot the wannabes by their use of the words “the Circle.”
What’s up with Cherry on Top?????
so did it open
They really are open, although the owner said it was still a soft launch and not the official grand opening.
Here is a link to my review/pictures.
http://eatinoc.com/oc-food-reviews/perfect-circle-cupcakery-orange/
Eat your heart out.
Thanks maxwill2 for chiming in…on the Plaza vs. Circle distinction. And, thanks Dan for letting us know about the ’soft’ opening… But, how was it? Gives us a hint…
As for Cherry on Top…if you peek inside, they don’t look close to being ready to open..I was told Late November, then later …post-holidays..we’ll see…I’ll make sure to post something when it does open.
We drove over there and visited the Cupcakey today after reading this story. The decor is nice. The cupcakes looked okay- nothing special. They appeared to be hand frosted, which is a good thing. However, they didn’t look like little works of art, which is what I was expecting at a cupcake shop. We didn’t buy any cupcakes because I didn’t think they looked like they were worth the calories.
I’m gonna try to hit up the place today and check ‘em out. I agree that dessert shops may do better than restaurants. You may not be able to afford spending $15/person + tip for a meal, but you can surely afford a few bucks on a little treat for yourself!
Plaza vs. Circle.
I had great-grandparents that lived in Orange in the first half of the 20th century, and If I remember correctly, the “Plaza” was the designation of that area from the late 1800’s when it was constructed up until about the 1970’s. By the 70’s it was known more popularly as the old, dying part of Orange where they made you drive around in a circle as you cut through to get over to the freeway. In the 1980’s when the antique malls and cutesy stores moved in and gentrified the place, the term “the Circle” had become popular with people who were now actually parking their cars and taking the time to walk around the circle a bit to shop on weekends. The 1990’s saw the arrival of some better restaurants and trendier shops, plus the boom in popularity of the Orange Street Fair, and the old designation of “the Plaza” was left to just the old folks and the history books.
I believe there is a movement amongst some old-time Orange residents to return the name back to “the Plaza”, or at least use that name as a code word for folks that have lived in Orange for generations or know the true history behind the neighborhood.
Regardless of what you call it, I will have to try out this cupcake place next time I go down to the Army-Navy store there.
go Sprinkles
Hey Troy: I’m not an oldtimer. We moved here in the late ’90’s when the area began experiencing its current gentrification. I can assure you that the “movement” to call it “the Plaza” is not just an attempt at creating a code word for folks who have lived in Orange for generations, but by newer residents who live in the historic district as well.
The cupcake joint looked like it was enjoying a large crowd today, so we will just wait a day or two to try them out.
I went earlier this week (during their “soft opening”)
The Snickerdoodle was amazing. $3 each cupcake
6 months and they’re gone.
Maxwill2 - get over yourself. I’m a local - been here definitlely longer than you. When referring to “The Circle” - as in The Traffic Circle - do you say “The Roundabout” or “The Circle?” It IS a Roundabout. Yes, it’s “Plaza Park” but I don’t know anyone local who is so snobbish as to walk around sniffing the air for the “wannabees” vs the “locals.” It’s NOT that kind of town. And, those “wannabees” keep us in business!
P. S. - as in I might tell you that “I’ll meet you AT Starbucks AT the CIRCLE” or “I’ll meet you IN Plaza Park.”
My husband and I stopped by today to try it out, but unfortunately they were practically sold out. We were kind of disapointed because all they had left were peppermint, but i guess that’s expected when you go to a new place. The cupcakes were pretty good and I look to forward to going back for more on my next shopping trip!
You can refer to it as “The Plaza” or “The Circle”. I’ve lived in Orange all my life and believe me NO ONE CARES what you call it! It doesn’t matter if you call it by it’s historical name or “The Circle” because everyone knows what you mean.
I went to Chapman University, everyone I knew including the “Locals” called it “The Circle”. Anywhoo, I have gone twice to the cupcake place each time they said they were sold out. Could be poor planning or they had a great day selling cupcakes either way since I read on here the cup cakes are $3.00 each I think I will pass. I can make a dozen yummy cupcakes for $3.00 at home.
Unfortunately, I think for the cupcake shop.
WIth this economy I think ,most people will will opt to keep their $3.00 coffees at Starbucks instead of buying cupcakes.
Also, I wanted to add there is a Cherry On Top in Placentia, I tried it and it is great, though it is pricey.
All I know is that I call it the circle because there is a big TRAFFIC CIRCLE there, not because it has another designation. I understand the area is called the Plaza, but that doesn’t discredit that it’s still a traffic circle and that people tend to recognize things but what they are, not what they are called.
What About The Cup Cakes Kids…
I almost was in tears because the door to the store did not open correctly when we got there, I thought the store was closed but someone was kind enough from the inside of the store to open it for me.
We finally were able to step inside Perfect Circle Cupcakery. We bought and tried the following cup cakes.
1.)Old Town Orange, topped with a orange slice
2.)Queen Red Velvet
3.)King Chocolate, white on chocolate
I must admit I was in for a treat. The cupcakes were full of flavor the Red velvet was good The Boy tasted the Cream Cheese topping immediately. He liked the cupcake and its flavor as I did too. He actually finished the whole cupcake without reverence.
Next the Old Town Orange cupcake was full of flavor, the topping was made not very sweet with a light hint of oranges and vanilla, the cake was very moist. Most of the cupcakes were sold out by the time I got there.
The store has been remodeled it was very appealing. Someone spent a lot of money revamping the place. So hopefully it will be here for a while.
I’m going to say that it does not compare to sprinkles cupcakes. When we use to head down to sprinkles for a treat, we could not finish a whole cupcake because they were to sweet.
Hopefully this store will outlast the competition.
My husband and I looove cupcake shops. It is one of our indulgences. Since the well known cupcake shops are in the LA area, we are very happy to have The Perfect Circle Cupcakery in town. After a quick stop at Two Little Monkeys (another favorite Orange store), we picked up Vanilla and Red Velvet cupcakes. We would have sampled more, but they were sold out. We did not mind, we would love to see them succeed.
Here is our opinion…
The vanilla cupcake was delicious! My husband (who is a chocolate lover) and I loved it. Our favorite of the two.
The red velvet was also delicious, but the vanilla was our top pick. Our favorite cupcakes are red velvet, which are not easy to master. We agreed that compared to the cupcake shops in LA (Delila’s, Lark and Sprinkles), their red velvet came in a close second, behind Sprinkles. Yum!
The vanilla may be my second favorite cupcake, behind the red velvet at Sprinkles. I hope this shop is around for a long time… cupcakes make great gifts. I will be taking cupcakes to friends in LA… who also love to try new cupcake treats.
By the way, they have a cute concept… Camp Cupcake. You and your friends can reserve the bakeshop, decorate your own cupcakes and watch your favorite movie. I am thinking… cute baby shower or girls night out.
We will be there again… and their prices are actually cheaper then the cupcake prices in LA. It is not about decoration, it is about taste. Great ingredients.
Just my opinion- Ralph’s Fresh Fair makes fabulous cupcakes and you can special order.Ii ordered super fancy snowman cupckes- they were about 6″ tall and cute and so yummy- for my kids class party and they were only $1.50 each. They always have lots of fancy ones ready to go, so give it a try if you want fancy and yummy cupcakes.
Just returned from a walk to the Perfect Circle–boy, were they busy today! When we arrived it was about 3:40 PM, and hubby and I ordered 1 Coconut Bliss and one Old Towne Orange. The frosting is hypersweet–I could only eat half, and they are normal-sized. I think I’d try the one with a crumb topping next time to avoid the cloying sweetness. My husband said he thought they were quite good. The place is beautiful. If we didn’t have the dog with us, we’d have sat inside.
Hey NotEven–thanks for the shout out. I knew I’d tweak someone with that “wannabee” tag. Thanks for taking the bait and running with it. You gave me the laugh I was hoping for.
Macalayah: that sounds like a great tip..is it only Fresh Fare Ralphs — or do all the bakeries at Ralphs offer cupcakes? Also, do they do Red Velvet? And , don’t forget Poul’s Bakery in Orange offers 85-cent cupcakes. The bakery makes Vanilla, Red Velvet and Chocolate.
I went to the new cupcake place on Saturday at about 3 PM. It was awash in customers and had two cupcakes - Red Velvet and Coconut Bliss. They were $3 apiece.
Overall, the cupcakes were tasty although I was disappointed with the smallish size. They were as big as an average cupcake. Nothing special about their size that, in my mind, warranted the premium price.
The Red Velvet cake was a big tough on top much like a muffin. There was plenty of frosting on top and overall it was quite tasty. Although giving something a food score is purely subjective, I’d give it 4 out of 5 stars.
The Coconut Bliss was a better tasting cupcake. It was moist and tasty from the first to the last bite with ample amounts of frosting in each bite. It had more frosting than the Red Velvet and had better eye appeal. The Red Velvet seemed to sell by name recognition however I preferred the coconut. I’d give it 4.5 out of 5 stars.
Overall, I have a mixed prognosis for The Perfect Circle. Although I wish it much success, as I do all businesses in The Plaza, I don’t know if this one will survive once the newness wears off. Tourists will be more likely to buy premium and expensive food while they shop however I can’t see the locals sustaining this business. If the cupcake were bigger it would make me think I was getting a premium product thus justifying the premium price but right now, this is a box cake mix with nice frosting sold in a quaint and charming store.
The Circle? Been to every cupcake place within 40 miles (I think I got them all) Judging is a very subjective exercise to be sure. The Circle place was o.k. and they did a nice job of building it out. I think Sprinkles is the best cupcake and, oddly enough, I think Bagel Me on Chapman near El Modena HS makes the second best although I find myself going back there more than I should.. Bagel Me certainly makes the largest I have seen. I also like the cookies at Bagel Me at that location. They seem to be different than their other locations. Try the cookies & cream, or moonpie cupcakes or chocolate monkey. They have the traditional red velvet along with a bunch of other flavors that they seem to rotate from day to day. Oh, and this weekend i had one of their chocolate cheesecake bars and it was great.
Susie’s Cakes in Newport is also pretty good. I like Susie’s because you can try all kinds of cakes by the slice there. Tried Beverly’s best in Brea but thought most of their cupcakes were C to B. They have a couple of reportedly new good ones in L.A. so I am planning a trip there soon. Have to make a list of places to hit in one day. I love cupcakes and, actually, just about all bakery products. Oh, and try Sweet Lady Janes in L.A. Man oh man do they put out a lot of good products in a very small store. Most everything is very good.
My husband and I tried the cupcakes at the Perfect Circle yesterday and we were disappointed. We got there when it opened and they didn’t have much to offer, in regard to choice. The cake was dry and the frosting was super sweet. It didn’t taste like it was baked the same day. We sampled 3 of them! The shop is set up very cute. I guess that’s the reason for the $3 price per small cupcake. I wouldn’t make the drive to get cupcakes there again. There are lots of other great treat places in the circle.
Garner–Wow, you really seem to be up on So Cal cupcakeries…not sure if that’s a good thing, dude. Next time you come to “the Circle” (or as we Old Towne locals call it, “the Plaza”), maybe try the sushi at the Tokyo Cafe or the hearty Tuscan bean soup at Cafe Lucca. Better for your health–less guilt.
Hey, LocalGal, can you not tell I am a foodie of the worst sort? I have been to every food place in the Circle area (sorry can’t get to the “Plaza” yet). I usually hit any restaurant if it looks the least bit interesting. I am pretty sure I have hit every restaurant in the Circle area. I like Tokyo. I absolutely love the decor at Lucca. I would go there just to look and experience. There are certain things I like there but not many. They have a problem with consistency and the appearance of the servers seems somehow out of touch with the decor and operation. If you put me in that type of environment and charge those prices then the servers/service has to follow and it doesn’t. It is not that they are rude because most of them are pleasant but looking the part and knowing how to serve is important in that decor and pricing structure.
Gabby’s? Love the decor and the bar set up. Very comfortable. I think their food has slipped from when they opened. Mustards? To me, an odd place. All of their products are good quality but I feel their combinations are not appealing enough to enough people. Then I had two bad meals in a row and they lost me. The second time I ordered French Toast and oatmeal. The French Toast was very burned on the bottom. O.K., we all make mistakes so I took it back and their attitude was a real put off. So I said don’t worry about it, don’t replace it and don’t give me my (I think) 7.50 back and I never went back. Blue Frog I like except that they often over bake their morning bakery items and cookies. Never had anything I did not like off the breakfast menu.
I like some things from Byblos and especially their spaghetti. I don’t like the Filling Station because the kitchen just looks to dirty for me. Love Rutas and the place across the street. (Hassans?). The new Grinder Place? Only ate there once and when I saw the cook making the sandwich I knew I was in trouble. Worst Pastrami I have ever had. Maybe I am crazy but i don’t understand the concept. Watson is Watsons and you get what you pay for. I go there every once in a while just because. Never had a bad meal at Renatas. Zitos is Zitos; not premium but good enough. I actually prefer the First Class Pizza by Del Taco/Grand/22 Freeway which is now Buccaneer Pizza. I think they have the best pizza anywhere to be found in the area.
Sorry, did not mean to get on a tear here. Got carried away.
Heading to Bay Cities in Santa Monica this week and then over to Larchmont Wine & Cheese. Two of the best places in So Calif to get a sandwich but never go close to lunch to either place unless you enjoy waiting for 45 minutes.
I went today and the red velvet was great! The cupcakes were $3 each. Although I was a little disappointed that they do not give discounts on large orders like other cupcakes places do. I am looking to buy about 200 for my wedding. I went to another really great place in LB and they said they would give me a pretty good discount.
Wow Garner! Thanks for the rundown on the local eateries. I have some catching up to do! Since you mentioned Blue Frog, I have to let you know that I ordered a Red Velvet cake to take to a Christmas party and it was awful! The cake was tasteless and the frosting was not cream cheese but was whipped cream. Virtually no flavor for the $39.99 price tag. It was big but most of it was thrown away…bummer!
All of their cupcakes are absolutely AMAZING!!! They are better than sprinkles by far!!!! It was definitely worth the wait!
If you think these are “good,” your idea of quality scares me.
Just split four of them with my wife, all were awful, we didnt finish any of them.
The idea that this is even close to the caliber of Sprinkles is laughable, at best.
Is this the same place that is on Glassell next to Woody’s antiques and across the street from that Jesus theatre? If so, this place is a joke. I’ve been to Old Towne a half dozen times recently on the weekends and even after 11 a.m. this store isn’t open. How can you run a business and never be open and expect to do well?
Now, when is Carm’s Hot Dogs in Old Towne opening?
To crispy critter. Re: Red Velvet. I am not a big fan of red velvet though I know they are very popular. One of the better ones I have tried was at a party and they got it at Bagel Me in Orange (the one next to El ModenaHS). I have tried a variety of their cupcakes which I think are excellent but had not tried their cakes until this party. I saw the head pastry chef when I was there one day and she said their most popular flavor was Red Velvet, followed by Cookies & Cream. Most of the bakery products I have tried there have been good.
Comment from left field. I was just reading some of the comments about food quality and pricing on this site and that started me thinking similar comments on other sites/blogs. Quality is definitely a subjective thing. Pricing almost always relates to the level of quality. On this blog I read where some were touting the cupcakes at Poul’s and Ralphs noting that their prices were a lot less than the gourmet cupcake places. Now it seems to me that if Poul’s is selling a cupcake for 85 cents that is perceived by some people to be the same as a $3 gourmet cupcake from say, Sprinkles then there is something wrong. If they are truly the same cupcake then Spinkles should be out of business in quick fashion but, instead, they continue to grow. In my opinion if a person does not perceive the quality difference between “many” gourmet cupcakes places and Poul’s and Ralphs then it would be a waste of their money to buy a cupcake from a gourmet cupcake place. It is not a sign of a personality or judgment defect. The only problem I see is when people who are quite satisfied with a cupcake from Poul’s or Ralphs and intimate that specialty gourmet cupcakes places are charging more money for the same product. Pouls is a fine local bakery but by many standards not a high quality bakery. I say this and yet I go there on occasion for certain items that I like. I love their Marzipan cake for instance. Ralphs is Ralphs and its a supermarket product. Not bad and often some nicely decorated products. But those products often have to sit there for a time and high quality toppings often do not last long in the case, so…… I was in South County yesterday checking out a bakery restaurant that someone touted as being excellent. The cupcakes were 2.25 and I was immediately skeptical. I bought several and took them home because several of my children were coming over for dinner. I just left them out for anyone to try. Not much was eaten. Bland cake taste the toppings were simply not very good but I imagine they will last until Monday at the place where they were being sold.
I watched this same phenomena unfold the other day when a group of people I know from the gym wanted to get pizza. The choice of pizza came down to two well known companies in the area. They decided to get pizza from the company that was a little cheaper. So I bought an extra large pepperoni from my choice and they bought several from their choice. They only got cheese and pepperoni. Their brand choice had 74 slices of pepperoni and my choice had 105 for the same size pizza and to me the pepperoni was of excellent quality. For my taste the crust was better as well. (Yea, I know, get a life. But its fun sometimes.) It really looked like there was more cheese on my preferred brand but that was tough to substantiate. Next time I am going to weigh each pizza.
In & Out, in my opinion is one of the best restaurant chains out there. They actually do not put a whole lot of meat in their regular hamburgers but whatever ingredients they do put in those burgers is of the highest quality. They could buy less expensive buns but they don’t because the ones they use carmelize so well when grill toasted. They use Best Foods mayonnaise in their sauce, considered by many to be the best. Fresh pickles?
1- The decor is very detailed oriented and the theme is carried throughout the store. Stylish yet keeps with the feel of Old Towne.
2- I have personally been there 3 times and each time and each time they have been out of a flavor(s). I would love to say its because their business is booming but I have to wonder if that statement is true. I have visited at different times and days and the line has never looked as crowsed as it does Sprinkles in Newport Beach. I also over heard an employee mention that since they are under staffed they are not able to keep up with the making of each flavor.
3- I do enjoy a good dessert (cupcake) every once in a while and often the best cupcakes/desserst only require a couple of bites to satisfy that sweet tooth craving. A sprinkles cupcakes is so rich and moist that 3 bites and I am done but the cupcakes from the perfect circle are OK. The frosting does seem to be unique in flavoring but the cake iteself seems on the drier side.
Made a special trip to The Perfect Circle today (Sunday) and what a bummer! It was a beautiful weekend day and the Circle was quite busy with lots of foot traffic. However, at 3:30pm, the bakery was out of almost everything! Honestly, there were maybe 1 dozen cupcakes total to choose from…only 4-5 flavors. If I had been alone, I’d have walked out (like I saw 2 other parties do while I was there) but I had my 6 yr old and a promise is a promise. We bought 1 Old Towne Orange and 1 Coconut cupcake. Frosting was OK but the cake was DRY and the top completely overcooked. So overcooked that my son thought the “muffin top” was a cookie. “Wow, Mom…a cookie on my cupcake! That is so cool”! Ugh. The case that the cupcakes are in is open at the top…no wonder they were so dried out. Also seriously doubting that they are baked fresh each day. No way were they worth the $6.00 I paid for them.
The store was not tidy and clean, either. Tables and chairs were dusty and lots of crumbs everywhere. The teenage (?) girl working at the counter was talking on the phone the entire time when she should have been wiping down the tables and cleaning up the utensil area. The forks were strewn everywhere and napkins were non-existent. It wasn’t very appetizing at all.
Needless to say, I was extremely disappointed and won’t be going back again.
I still think this whole cupcake thing is overrated. Seems to be just a fad.