Magnolia Bakery - where love goes to die.

Magnolia Bakery, opening soon in Chicagoland, is not a bakery. It is a truck stop men's room; and fairly clean at that. Expect cakes, pies, gizmos and goodads - all frosted with their signature sugar butter. Enjoy long lines, impatient customers, and the tell-tale whiff of hospital-grade sanitizer in the air. You know there's something cooking back there!

Magnolia Bakery
Coming Soon to Locations In
Chicago, IL

on a serious note, I am REALLY not excited about Magnolia opening in chicago. they suck!

I'm sorry you feel that way, friend.

When I first arrived in New York, waiting in line for Magnolia Bakery during the late hours felt like a rite of passage. I had never had a gourmet cupcake before that, and I was quite impressed. I didn't make many return trips to Magnolia, but I was excited to hear the news about one coming to Chicago. To each their own, I suppose.

A decade ago it was novel and hip - and it wasn't trying to be. Now, when every bakery as well as your large chain grocery store is selling cupcakes, "novel and hip" as a franchise is kind of lame. And they weren't terribly good cupcakes in the first place.

Reminds me of how cool Coors beer was when I was in high school and anyone who went out West had to bring several six packs home. When it was finally distributed nationally we realized it was just another crap beer.

Reminds me of how cool Coors beer was when I was in high school and anyone who went out West had to bring several six packs home. When it was finally distributed nationally we realized it was just another crap beer.

My generation's version is Fat Tire.

pizano345 wrote:

Reminds me of how cool Coors beer was when I was in high school and anyone who went out West had to bring several six packs home. When it was finally distributed nationally we realized it was just another crap beer.

My generation's version is Fat Tire.

Oh yeah. There are so many better versions of this style of beer in the Midwest (Sprecher Amber, Capital Amber, Bells..)but every person who traveled to Colorado came back raving about this magical beer that was the best thing in the world. Its fine but nowhere near deserving of the accolades.

I don't get the cynicism. Their "schtick" is old fashioned items like from a mix in a box made using a portable hand held mixer. Retro. '50's. I disagree with the (to me less than informed) view that "now everybody is doing it." Not so.

They are not my thing and I've only gone to Magnolia tagging along with friends but I "get it" why some people enjoy them.

DutchMuse wrote:I don't get the cynicism. Their "schtick" is old fashioned items like from a mix in a box made using a portable hand held mixer. Retro. '50's. I disagree with the (to me less than informed) view that "now everybody is doing it." Not so.

They are not my thing and I've only gone to Magnolia tagging along with friends but I "get it" why some people enjoy them.

It's not an issue of "cynicism." I enjoyed the novelty and retro concept when I was going there years ago (I traveled to NYC a lot for business between '99 and '03) and even enjoyed their splinter-group offshoot Buttercup. However, it's an idea that has since been exploited, replicated and for me at least, overdone. When I can walk into Jewel and get retro cupcakes and Nilla wafer banana pudding then the novelty has ended. Their cupcakes weren't exceptional - and sometimes were bland and dry. I just don't know what distinguishes them in this oversaturated market where we have at least 4 cupcake trucks in addition to retail spots on nearly every block (or so it seems).

If any New York concept should be exported then my vote is for Rice to Riches.

A Mongolian Bakery; now THAT might be novel enough
to attract hipsters for a few days.
('cause, you know, it's all about the "novelty").

I'd much rather walk into this place.

I went to Magnolia last week to give them a try -- they're pretty close to my office and it's always nice to have a close bakery option for treats to please the stressed and the needy.

I found it charming and the service was friendly and helpful. The cupcakes were unremarkable. They were mostly sweet -- the cake was a decent enough and I like the buttercream a bit more. They are smaller than most cupcakes in Chicago -- which may appeal to some. I only tried a yellow cake with buttercream and they had several different types of full size cakes from which they were selling slices, including a pistachio cake which I found interesting.

I did buy several muffins for my coworkers and I thought the lemon poppy seed was good -- but nobody wanted the banana. There was a cappucino chocolate chip which was mostly chocolate chip.

In terms of comparison shopping, I would rank them lower than most in the city but certainly not inedible. Crumbs seems to be more creative (although they are NOT cheap) and for a really good cake, I would drift to the Cupcake Counter -- which has great cake. The office constant though is the $15 deal for 12 baby cupcakes from Sugar Bliss.

I also made a tunnel of fudge cake last week that went in a heart beat...so homemade seems to beat 'em all....

I dunno why everyone is hating on Magnolia, I think their cupcakes are pretty good. That being said, I've never had to wait in line there for more than 5 minutes. If I did, maybe I might feel differently. I don't think their regular cupcakes are that great, but the specialty ones I had (red velvet, pumpkin, some sort of caramel business) were all pretty delicious. Haven't tried the Chicago version yet, but I'll be in there soon.

Suiname wrote:I don't think their regular cupcakes are that great, but the specialty ones I had (red velvet, pumpkin, some sort of caramel business) were all pretty delicious.

Speaking only for myself, it's not a "hating" thing, it's being really puzzle by the deification of a place that may have started a trend but has been surpassed a thousand times over (and at least a dozen times here in Chicago).

I would personally die happy if I never saw another cupcake again, but people apparently love them, so to each his/her own. However, Magnolia coming to Chicago in 2011 is barely deserving of a mention; 2001 - sure*, but there is not a block in the downtown area that doesn't have a shop with cupcakes in it. And many are much, much better, as are some of the cupcake truck offerings. At least when Krispy Kreme came to town they were a novelty, but there's zero novelty - or need - as far as Magnolia is concerned.

*And in full disclosure, my cupcake-fan wife did consider opening a Magnolia-esque shop here about 10 years ago, but wisely kept her day job.

I say the more cupcakes, the merrier! Better than bad bagels....

Magnolia Bakery CEO talks about entering Chicago and moving beyond cupcakes. http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/ ... ing-beyond