Two Girls and a Cupcake — Restaurant in North Utica

I work at the Kitchn Chicago and share space with some of the most highly regarded and creative bakers and chefs in the city. Let's say I know the difference between a gourmet cupcake and Betty Crocker.

Driving on the main road, Two Girls and a Cupcake is visually the most attention grabbing structure, as it is bright pink. Utica is adorable. It looks like someone copied and pasted a picture perfect small town from an 80s movie. It's manicured and picturesque. Everyone smiles and waves.

Went in Sunday with my girlfriend and got 12 assorted cupcakes. While we felt a tad rushed, we ended up taking our time and nobody was rude. It just felt like someone had a long day.

First off, this place is spotless. The prep area is visible from where you order and while we were there, a younger female was piping a light frosting onto chocolate cupcakes.

The variety of cupcakes was solid and the 6 or so I ate were all drastically different and all were very tasty.

You can tell a lot of effort went into creating the recipes and the cupcakes are all prepared meticulously. Almost every cupcake had a filling in the center. Every cupcake was different and garnished beautifully.

Here were the ones that I recall: Cake Batter - Dead on, a little heavy on the almond flavor (fine by me). Appears to be a yellow chiffon with cake batter frosting and a reservoir of frosting in the middle. Killer cupcake. I love the detail with the cake crumbs. As soft and light as an angel food cake. Frosting is the correct density, not like heavy store bought frosting at all.

Cherry Cheesecake - Ditto. Dead on. Yellow batter, rich dark cherry flavor, a cherry on top and a cherry in the center of the cupcake. Unmistakable cheesecake flavor. Another dead on cupcake.

Chocolate Cream Pie - Do I have to write this? It tastes exactly like a chocolate cream pie. Probably the least striking visually; topped with chocolate chips and frosting, very rich chocolate batter, not too sweet, not dry. Right on the money.

Coconut Cream Pie - OK, I'm seriously not writing this. Like someone shrunk a coconut pie. Killer.

At $34 a dozen, it may seem expensive, but gourmet cupcakes in Chicago (I'm assuming most travelers to Utica are Chicagoans)are right around this price range and make no mistake- these are gourmet. They may be the best cupcakes I've ever had, I just dont want to piss off my colleagues.

As far as customer service goes... shrug Everything was fine. Not everyone has to kiss every square inch of your ass to get you to buy their stuff. Go by the crepe stand at the farmers market in Chicago and ask the French guy something stupid. I'll bet you you've never received a tongue lashing like that over a pancake before.

As far as closing early goes, gourmet places reserve the right to do so. Places do it all the time, especially small town bbq joints, where it's "once we're out, we're out, see you tomorrow." Nobody complains because they know bbq takes time and is expensive to throw away. Gourmet baked goods are no different. Try to understand people- it isn't just eggs, sugar and flour otherwise EVERYONE would be able to make them. And NO, you can't just hang on to them if they don't sell. Baked goods take a big hit in quality in just 24 hours, so if you're obsessive about quality, selling yesterday's cupcakes today isn't an option. It's a good business model for maintaining product quality.

Bottom line- Great gourmet cupcakes in a quaint small town. Don't expect to get your ass kissed. Expect to drop $40.

Just a word of advice to ownership. While I may be a laid back and understanding customer, most people want an experience. Try to remember this is people's one vacation day and because we're poor, we went hiking in Utica instead of Italy or something. Spending $40 on cupcakes is a big deal for a lot of us, you could be nicer about it. I KNOW your cupcakes aren't box mix, but a bad experience can convince someone otherwise, just read the reviews- I'm sure those crappy reviews made a dent in your $ seeing as I almost didn't come in after...

I was there just yesterday Sunday around noon after my hike. I had not had any food and though I should support the local businesses in this plaza instead of looking for the closest Starbucks. Right from the moment I walked in there was no "Hello", no "Welcome, how can I help you?" Instead.... I was received with a cold and dry "ARE YOU GONNA BUY OR ARE YOU JUST LOOKING. "To which I responded "Yes, I will buy." The lady proceeded to ask "How many?" I responded "Three. I think I'll have...." and I was quickly interrupted. "You can buy one in a napkin or you can buy six in a container." I asked " By any chance do you have a brown bag where I can put two to go and just hold the one I want for right now? Is there any other way I can get just...." and I was interrupted once again "You can only do one or six" I responded "I'll just have one of the New York Cheesecake then." The lady put it in a napkin and sat it on the counter. She didn't han d it tp me, she just sat it in the counter when I was right in front of her. I just paid and walked out. The only reason why I am giving it a two star review is because the cupcake was actually good. For me it's not the $3.74 for one single cupcake, it's the customer service. There is so much improvement that can be made from the moment you walk in the way you are welcomed. She could have explained the container thing kindly and listening before interrupting her own customer. Lastly the lady was NOT WEARING A MASK. While this might not inconvenience others, here in the state of Illinois wearing a mask is still...

We were at Starved Rock Lodge 10/18/22 and on the way home decided to try this Cupcake place. I have no need to return and cannot recommend. The lady (owner/baker) behind the counter was rude and with her ‘rules’ totally a turn-off. I cannot believe that unless you purchase cupcakes in half-dozen quantities there is no option other than juggling the cupcakes out of the shop, not to mention to somehow transport home without ending up with a mess. No bags of any kind, not a paper sack, baggie, plate, wax paper, etc. You cannot even purchase the plastic container for six if you’d like less than six!!! I have never heard of ‘rules’ on the wall in any bakery/food establishment. And the cupcakes are $4.00/each. Though I will admit the cupcakes looked good, I did not feel the taste was anything to get excited. Some had way too much frosting, some could have had a tad more, and I really didn’t think they tasted very fresh. I’m sorry I just did not leave the shop after my experience of unfriendliness, but I thought I’m here and will support a small business. Very sorry; I will stay with the many options close to home - or probably anywhere else where the customer is treated with respect and at least receives a product that is packaged properly. Next time I’m in the area, I’ll try the candy shop next door or just stick with the best fudge ever Starved Rock sells. Ms Storekeeper, you might invest in some brown paper sacks and try to reword your Rules both...