The Cup-Central West End

The Cup -- known as the Cupcakery until July 2010 -- offers the Platonic ideal of the beloved birthday-party cupcakes of your childhood: perfect cake, moist and flavorful, topped with luscious buttercream. The best cupcake on the regular menu is the "Peanut Butter Cup," whose peanut-butter buttercream tastes exactly like the peanut-butter filling of its namesake candy -- and it comes with a piece of that candy on top. Each week brings one or two special cupcakes. Keep your eyes open for the "Lemon Drop" and "Red Velvet Cake" in particular. Though not as elaborate as some gourmet cupcakes, the Cup's masterpieces are simply divine.