Chocolate, coconut,
and peanut butter--oh my!
Photo: Flickr, Rachel from
Cupcakes Take the Cake

by Mollie Chen

After last week's economic apocalypse, I had more than a few friends who contemplated fleeing Wall Street for second careers as ski instructors or flower arrangers--or that enduring last refuge: business school. On Saturday, I met a corporate exile who had turned her sour work experience into something quite delicious. Marlo Scott opened Sweet Revenge, a petite coffee shop/bakery/wine bar in the West Village, just two months ago, after spending a year testing recipes in her tiny apartment.

As I have my own tiny apartment, I've found that it's key to have wonderful neighborhood spots where you can work, read, eat, and drink. Sweet Revenge lets in fabulous light during the day, so you can settle in at the comfortable wooden bar facing the street and people watch while eating a deliciously flaky ham and Gruyere quiche. As the day goes on, you might cheers Prince Charles with a Wychwood Duchy Organic Ale and a Bit-o-Brit scone. (If you're me, you'll go straight for Scott's signature "Sweet Revenge" cupcake, a peanut butter cake with a ganache center and peanut butter frosting.) And at night, it's the perfect place to have a drink while you're waiting for a table at the perennially packed Market Table just down the street.