Muddy's Bake Shop

Muddy's Bake Shop
5101 Sanderlin #114
901.683.8844

I have been dying to take the monkeys (satchel, 6, and Jiro, 4) to Muddy's for a long, long time. Earlier attempts have always been on Sunday and Monday when they are closed. I've brought treats home many times, but today was the first day they got to experience firsthand Muddy's "Lovin from the oven."

I love Muddy's. My only complaint is that it is not in Midtown. Thankfully, it is one of the few places that can disguise the fact that it is in a strip mall by creating a totally unique and homey feeling interior. It's kind of like walking into someone's kitchen and kind of like walking into what I imagine an Etsy shop would be like in 3-D. Everything is just so cutesy (in a good way) and stylish. (For example, coffee is served in mismatched retro coffee mugs which are artfully displayed on pegboard with hooks.)

When we walked in, I fully expected the monkeys to rush in and start licking the glass that separates the customers from the treats, but they didn't. They immediately zoned in on the stack of board games. "Can we play Candyland?" Satchel asked.

"Maybe after we pick out our treats," I said as I pointed them towards the goodies.

Then the licking began.

Jiro asked me to go through each cupcake and tell him what each one was. (Unfortunately the cutesy names like Prozac and Frankly Scarlett meant nothing to them.) Satchel decided on a Cookies and Cream cupcake and Jiro selected a Capote (a regular chocolate cupcake with vanilla buttercream icing and white sprinkles). I decided to live a little and ordered a key lime pie cupcake (whose cutesy name I forgot). Next we had to decide on drinks. Our options: Izze, Martinelli's apple juice, soda, organic milk, coffee or hot tea. The monkeys both wanted apple juice and I caved in and got a Diet Coke. (Diet Coke + cupcake = no guilt.) There was an old fashioned straw dispenser by the cash register and the cashier let each monkey pick out their own straw, which they loved.

Once we had everything, we went in search of a table. There are only a few small tables in the store and finding a spot proved to be difficult despite the fact that there were only two other people dining in the store. There were three tables with room for two each along the wall. A couple of teenagers were sitting at the middle table, making it impossible for us to sit on either side of them. There was also a small sofa, coffee table, and two chairs near the front. Once the monkeys eyed it, they made a run for it. I knew from experience that they would make a mess if they were to eat while kneeling next to the table, but our only other option was to sit outside on the patio. (The patio is perfectly lovely and it was a lovely day, but I wanted to soak in the ambiance inside the store.)

I gave each monkey a taste of my cupcake before packing it away in three bites. They each took their time with their cupcakes. Satchel must have licked his icing for ten minutes. Jiro ate his cupcake from the cake up and once he reached a certain point it fell apart on him and he called it quits. When Satchel tired of licking his icing, he declared the "brown part" to be "weird" and said, "That's way too much sugar for me." (He really believes that he doesn't like sugar despite much evidence to the contrary.)

Weirdos.

Even though the eating didn't take very long, and the monkeys seemed underwhelmed by the existence of a cupcakery, they seemed to want to hang around. I was actually amazed by their calmness. They sipped their apple juice, played with the Bakugan Jiro brought in, and requested that I read the copy of "Goodnight Moon" that was on the table. I noticed a nice, big chalkboard on the wall that specifically invited scribbling, but we couldn't access it because of the teens who were strategically located in the center of the main seating area. Regardless I thought it was another nice, kid-friendly touch.

Once the monkeys were done relaxing, I wiped up as many crumbs from the floor as I could and carried our dishes over to the designated tub. There was a note above it that said, "If you would like for us to recycle your cans and bottles, please leave them in the tub." This was a pleasant surprise and the sign's subtlety and politeness reminded me of David Sedaris' experiences in Japan as noted in his book "When You are Engulfed in Flames."

We ended our visit by picking out some lovin' from the oven for Warren. We chose a container of their famous pimento cheese (they have a small lunch offering including sandwiches and soup Tuesday-Friday), Jan's Famous Toffee Bar, a Coconut Macaroon, a Blackberry Almond Oat Bar, and a brownie with peanut butter icing. Everything was packed neatly in a cute little box, almost like a gift.

My birthday is coming up, and I'm fantasizing about picking out 37 cupcakes and sharing them with 36 of my favorite people. (Maybe 35.)

As soon as we got home Warren ate the macaroon and made a mini pimento cheese sandwich. I am not a fan of pimento cheese, but I took a bite and it is definitely not your average pimento cheese. It's actually more like a dip and uses cream cheese and shredded cheese. Try it!