In a regular sequence, Cross Campus shares its preferences for eateries across campus new and worth noting. We take the time to keep up with openings, specials, seasonals and the best of the best so you don’t have to. Previous installments in this series covered Ordinary and Maison Mathis.
A reliable bakery for old treats you know well and love, Katalina’s Cupcakes which opened in 2011 is a sweet shop that offers a variety of baked goods including its particular specialty — the cupcake. Though tucked away in a corner of Whitney Avenue, the shop is well lit and cheery on a sunny afternoon thanks to its large windows and crisp white tables. On a typical day, expect New Haven residents and the occasional Yalie to flow in and out of the cheery bakery for a treat and a cup of coffee. XC tallies off a list of quick hits at the locale should you ever stop by…
Bulldog Cupcake, $2.65
Boola boola — school spirit has been baked into this Katalina’s original in the form of chocolate and cayenne pepper with a raspberry filling. For an extra dash of Yale pride, the cupcake is topped with Nutella frosting and white chocolate chips. Though jam-packed with ingredients, this particular recipe won Katalina’s “The Yale Cupcake” competition for a reason. But fair warning, this sweet comes with a kick.
Cookies and Cream Cupcake, $2.65
Expertly made, fluffy and soft. Like biting into cotton candy, or a cloud, or whipped cream, this chocolate cupcake with a mound of frosting and cookie and cream filling tastes something akin to a puff of air on a warm summer’s day.
Pumpkin Spice Cupcake, $2.65
The seasonal special, which comes with a mild touch of holiday flair.
Red Velvet Cupcake, $2.65
No particular complaints about the popular red velvet cupcake at Katalina’s is — soft and airy cake with a smooth icing.
Lemon Bar, $3.50
For those looking for a dessert to go with their desserts, the lemon bar may be the right amount of tart to complement the other sweet and sugary menu items. The treat, like most goods at Katalina’s, is reliable and well-made (if not particularly avant-garde) with an ideal ratio of lemon filling to crust and a dusting of sugar on top.
Chocolate Chip Cookies, $1.75
In the menagerie of classic staples that is Katalina’s, there is perhaps no item more tried and true than the chocolate chip cookie. It’s not exactly your grandmother’s perfectly-baked recipe or your slightly-burnt childhood dessert or a grocery-store Mrs. Field’s variety — it’s just a well-meaning chocolate chip cookie plain and simple. Who could fault it for that?
Katalina’s at 74 Whitney Ave is open 8:30 am – 6:30 pm Mondays through Fridays, until 4:30 pm on Saturdays and closed on Sundays.
Photography by Tasnim Elboute.