Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Let Them Eat Cake!

From JC staff member Julio:

"Last night we popped in at the exclusive opening of Let Them Eat Cake's new location on St John's Avenue (3604 St. Johns Ave. across the street from Brick Restaurant). Anita, the owner, showered her guests with mouth watering treats and bottomless glasses of wine. The new and more visible location is sure to attract many more customers and we wish her much success in the new locale.

If you've never tried one of her cakes you should stop by and try the lemon drops, sugar cookies, brownies, custom cakes, and the list goes on and on. Let Them Eat Cake is all the rave in pastries and we're so glad to have them."

We also spoke with Anita today and she informed us that the OFFICIAL opening will be this Thursday, November 1st. Hours of operation are 7ish AM until 5PM Tuesday through Friday and then Saturday 8:30AM - 2PM. They will serve coffee and breakfast pastries in the morning and cupcakes, cookies, desserts and whole cakes throughout the day.

In addition, if you're wondering where that Cappuccino Torte that Biscotti's used to serve went to.....you can get it at Let Them Eat Cake!





22 comments:

Anonymous said...

I have had many desserts from Let Them Eat Cake and have never been disappointed. The cupcakes are so delicious that you just can't eat one. The staff there are very courteous and helpful.They will special make any orders in 24 hours, and one time even told me to come back in a couple of hours. Try them out! You will never go to Publix again.

Anonymous said...

Let them Eat Cake is ok, in the sense that their product is at least halfway decent, but they really aren't the nicest or most helpful people.

My main gripe with them is that they insist on having like 2 weeks' lead time to prepare a silly birthday cake that takes all of 4 hours to bake. If you don't call far in advance, they will refuse your order.

And if you ever ask them if you can just buy any of the 60 different cakes sitting in the display case or all over the store, they're always "sold", or "reserved", etc.

So let me get this straight, we're going to have a cake store with a bunch of glass display cases full of cakes that we can't sell. ROFL. Makes sense to me...

Every time I've tried to deal with them, they figure out some way to hassle you for no reason. The last time, I found out that my Dad was going to be in town for his B-day, and called a week or so in advance trying to get (IIRC) a chocolate ganache cake. They quoted me $65, and told me they wouldn't have it ready until after the date I needed it on. Well that wasn't going to work, so I asked whether, since there was a lot of time left between now and then, couldn't they just put a rush on it and charge me a little more? (If you can even consider taking a week to make a chocolate cake a "rush" in the first place...LOL). Their answer, naturally, was "No".

At that point, I threw in the towel on trying to deal with them anymore. The day before the birthday party, I walked over to Biscottis, one of Let Them Eat Cake's business customers, and they happily sold me the same exact whole cake I wanted, MADE BY LET THEM EAT CAKE, right out of their display case for $40, and I left with it 2 minutes after I walked in, and paid $20+ LESS. I went down to publix, and they did the writing for me, problem solved. LOL.

Honestly, those L.T.E.C. people are just ridiculous, it isn't worth the hassle to try and deal with them. The French Pantry also makes knock-your-socks off cakes, and they can turn them out on a day's notice, and are happy to do it for you with a smile on their face. Oh ya, and the stuff in their display cases is (logically enough) actually for sale.

Anonymous said...

This is another place that has a following simply because of the Lemming mentality that follows people over the bridge from Ortega. Right up there with Whiteway Deli and Goal Post Sandwich Shop.

"Oh they have the best, (insert mediocre food item here)"

You walk in there and some douche living off their Daddy's money looks down their nose at you.

Is this place ever even open? Every time I go by it on the way to The Fox, the only thing I see is the cash drawer on the counter.

We ordered a birthday cake from there and they said it would be $70. I laughed and went to the French Pantry.

Oh, and I believe The Fox is using their cupcakes now...THEY SUCK! Bring back the ones you used to have Ian!!!

Anonymous said...

L.T.E.C. is great. They are worth ordering in advance because they are made from scratch.

Anonymous said...

The French Pantry also makes their cakes from scratch, and yet SOMEHOW they still manage to be POLITE, and don't achieve multiple orgasms through hassling their customers about about every possible little thing.

And miraculously, the French Pantry can also make an equally good cake with a day or two's notice, and with a smile on their face. Now I know that's absolutely shocking, considering that a cake takes all of 4 or 5 hours to bake, which naturally according to Let Them Eat Cake would require a 10+ day advance notice, but SOMEHOW, no doubt due to a miracle from heaven, or maybe intervention of the baking gods, the French Pantry actually manages to turn out a cake in less than two weeks!

This is shocking, I know. Personally, I still can't figure out how they do it! The French Pantry must have 10,000 smuggled chinese immigrants working around the clock in a gingerbread sweatshop to pull that off...

Gimme a break! Let Them Eat Cake is ridiculous, and they seriously get off by hassling you. Save yourself the trouble, and just go to the French Pantry, you will thank me for it later.

waynepeace said...

In my opinion, Let Them Eat Cake has some pretty damn amazing brownies. And I've eaten a lot of them from all over the place. It is worth going for the brownies alone. And my mom is crazy for the chocolate meringues.

In the meantime, can someone please, please recommend a very good coffee shop in Riverside/Avondale. You know, the kind with excellent espresso and coffee and a decent place to hang out for 20 minutes and read the paper. I'm sick of going to Starbucks...Thanks.

waynepeace said...

This place has great brownies and chocolate meringues. I agree, the service can be a little cold, and the store itself could use some charm. But I've always really enjoyed what I've bought there--and I'm a dessert freak. It's worth trying.

By the way, can anyone recommend a really good coffee shop in Riverside/Avondale? One with amazing espresso and coffee and a nice place to sit and read the paper for 20 minutes? I'm sick of waiting in the slow line at 5-points Starbucks! Thanks

Anonymous said...

You people are harsh on my fave place for cupcakes! LTEC is the best. French Pantry was great, but I heard they closed recently.

Keep the goodies coming LTEC!!

Unknown said...

"This is another place that has a following simply because of the Lemming mentality that follows people over the bridge from Ortega. Right up there with Whiteway Deli and Goal Post Sandwich Shop.

"Oh they have the best, (insert mediocre food item here)"

You walk in there and some douche living off their Daddy's money looks down their nose at you.

Is this place ever even open? Every time I go by it on the way to The Fox

YOU GOTTA LOVE THAT LAST COMMENT, so the Fox is different than whiteways or goal post? Need to stay on the ortega side of the bridge DOUCHE!

Anonymous said...

Yeah, he kinda lost me with that one too. He had me going there for awhile, because Whiteway, Goal Post, and Let Them Eat Cake all really do suck. But then he says he goes to the Fox, which is the biggest bastion of crappy mediocrity around, so ya...that's kinda weird.

And by the way, the name 'Let Them Eat Cake' must refer to their attitude towards their customers, because this woman and that girl who helps her run the place are both royally snotty. I have tried going there three separate times now, and each time was a freaking disaster. The first time I went, the woman behind the counter greeted me and then immediately took a phone call. At first I waited patiently, thinking it wouldn't be long, but after about 10 minutes of standing there watching her talk on the phone, it had gotten to be just plain rude so I walked out and left. A few months later I gave them another shot, and exactly like the other poster mentioned, everything I asked about in the display case was "sold" or "reserved" and they were really snotty about it.

Then the last time I tried going, it was the middle of the afternoon and that b!tchy woman and the snotty girl who run the place were both in there, but the door was locked. I knocked, and she came over and said "we're closed, sorry, come back another time" and turned her back to me, even though their business hours sign said they should be open. So screw them, at this point I wouldn't go back again. They are snotty and the French Pantry is better anyway.

Anonymous said...

Obviously you people that wrote negative comments about LTEC have never actually been inside the place! They are more than happy to sell anything that they have in the case and will also make up cupcakes on the spot. I was there last week and the person ahead of me bought out all the strawberry creme cupcakes. I voiced my disappointment and the girl working told me no problem that she could whip me up some in no time. I had my dozen within minutes and headed on my way. I have ordered special order cakes from them also with only 24 hours notice and they are delicious!
Waynepeace-Riverside/Avondale is in serious need of a good coffee shop. I did however have an amazing Latte at The Bungalow on Park Street recently and they have outdoor seating so you can read your paper or people watch.

Anonymous said...

Sorry, but you're completely wrong. I live two blocks away from L.T.E.C., and I've been inside the place several times, and I've also tried to deal with them on the phone as well. Every time, I came away frustrated by a total lack of customer service and a snotty "we don't care" attitude.

And yes, I repeatedly asked about stuff in the display case, only to be told "Sorry, that's 'reserved' or 'that's not for sale' ". I wrote a detailed review above, and I didn't just make this stuff up. These people are just ridiculous, and I would advise anyone considering doing business with them to save the trouble and just go to the French Pantry.

Anonymous said...

Oh yeah, I just finished reading the rest of your comment, and saw the part about how much you like Bungalow on Park. That explains it then...NO WONDER you think L.T.E.C. is so great, it's because Bungalow got you used to crappy service and bad attitudes. LOL

Anonymous said...

Never had a problem with service and the desserts are good no matter what you choose. Hard to believe anyone had a bad experience here, as long as special orders are placed in advance.

Anonymous said...

Ya, well, it's how FAR in advance that poses the problem. Should it really take a week or more advance notice just to get a birthday cake? WTF? It takes like 3 hours to make a cake. That's some customer-service there!

Anonymous said...

IF you have ever baked a cake, yes it takes approx. 3 hours to prepare and completely bake but to torte a cake its best to bake one day and ice the next. Look it up. Quality.
Beside the point ...isn't it first come first serve?

Anonymous said...

Billy Bob...look...nobody's bitching about an extra day to make a torte. These L.T.E.C. people demand a week or 10 days at a MINIMUM, or they'll refuse your order. That's just effin' ridiculous.

And I don't think anybody was bitching about "first come first serve" either. I think their point was that, if you have display cases (not a freezer in the back, but actual display cases in the front of the store) filled with cakes, then shouldn't they actually be for sale?

Anonymous said...

Geez, sounds like some of you just need something to complain about regardless of the business. You're probably more of a pain than it's worth as a customer. Publix just doesn't have a choice but to deal with you.

Here's an idea. Maybe all the cakes in case really are sold and waiting for pickup. I can't imagine it would be good business practice to just make a bunch of random cakes in hopes that someone will come in asking about that particular cake. Unlike Publix those cakes I'm sure are made from scratch without all kinds of processed garbage that keeps them alive for 2 years in your fridge. They do have a shelf life.

If you like your prepackaged, frozen pastries then go back to Publix or Starbucks and quit complaining. There are a lot of people in this town that love LTEC.

Anonymous said...

Please, I'm sure not buying any pre-made cakes at Publix. The French Pantry makes a better product than Let Them Eat Cake, costs less, and doesn't have any attitude, asinine rules, or make you notify them 4 years in advance to get a cake. Your statements make it sound like it's either L.T.E.C. or Publix, and that's not the case. There are lots of other (and better) places to go. ;-)

Anonymous said...

I wish Siblings Eatery and Gourmet Foods was still open. They had the greatest cakes ,cookies etc. as well as great sandwiches. Great people too. I think maybe their location wasn't great over by Blue Cross on Riverside.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous.....I am sure you do enjoy the cakes at French Pantry but are you aware that one of the "snotty" women you keep complaining about at Let Them Eat Cake was previously a baker at The French Pantry? There is an obvious similarity in L.T.E.C. strawberry cupcake and the wedding cake from The French Pantry. Almost all the shops in that area are a little "snotty." If you are sensitive to that, it is probably not the best area to spend your money.

Anonymous said...

CWW... Have you ever actually been to FP?!