Gluten-Free Restaurant Review: Cherry Bomb Bakery

When I learned a few weeks ago via Grub Street Boston that a new cupcake bakery was opening in Brighton Center literally up the street from my apartment, I was overjoyed. When I learned they would carry gluten-free items, I was over the moon.

I not-so-patiently waited for the grand opening of Cherry Bomb Bakery, owned by Chef Colin Cunningham, a veteran of several upscale Boston area restaurants. I was very disappointed when I walked over after church their first weekend to discover no gluten-free options that day (and only one vegan option). Since their website advertised both special diet options, I was admittedly frustrated (I'm a huge stickler for outstanding customer service).

My friend Em, a fellow Brighton resident and blogger (Girls Geek Out) and I had been planning to check it out together. I called the bakery today (on my way home from a 3+ mile run at the Chestnut Hill Reservoir in classic Gina fashion) to inquire about their gluten-free option status and was happily told they had a gluten-free Red Velvet Cupcake offering today. I quickly showered, attempted to hydrate and refuel, hopped in my Jeep and picked Em up for some quality catching up over cupcakes and coffee.

The bakery was des(s)erted when we arrived and the friendly counter staff assisted us with our selections. We snagged the sole table (there are also chairs along the front window and barstools along the back wall) and proceeded to dig in to our respective confections. My Red Velvet Cupcake was quite delicious. Being a loyal patron of both Sweet Cupcakes and Kick*ss Cupcakes, I was admittedly skeptical, especially since this was my first gluten-free cupcake consumption. But I was quite happy with the moist texture and very light yet decadent buttercream frosting. It was also topped with a delicious dark chocolate hand-rolled truffle. This being one of the first true desserts I had eaten in weeks, I was very happy with the cupcake (as was Em with her glutenitious Banana Peanut Butter cupcake).

The only issue was I had just been for a run in the hot, humid weather and had not recovered properly. Consuming pure sugar and fat was not wise. I had fully intended to take my cupcake to go, but once I was standing in front of the bakery case, my sweet tooth took over. I started to fade fast and had to cook some chicken when I arrived back home to get some protein into my system. But this obviously had nothing to do with Cherry Bomb Bakery - it was purely my fault for feeling sick!

My roommate also visited the new bakery today and was quite pleased with the box of cupcakes she brought back to our apartment, as was our other roommate. If you are ever in the mood for a treat when in Brighton Center, Cherry Bomb Bakery is a great new option for both gluten-free and regular diets. They also have some amazing looking cookies, scones, muffins and flatbreads, and also serve coffee, lattes, etc. Check it out!