About Town
Cupcake Couture’s Natalie Flores, Stephanie Franz and Eunice Montes.
Cupcakes Couture of Manhattan Beach will be featured on an upcoming episode of the Food Network’s Cupcake Wars. The show documents four of the country’s top cupcake bakers facing off in three elimination challenges until only one remains.
Cupcake Couture executive pastry chef Stephanie Franz, who was accompanied on the show by the store’s assistant pastry chef Eunice Montes, said the experience of competing in Cupcake Wars reaffirmed her commitment to cupcakes.
“Competing in Cupcake Wars was the ultimate learning experience, not only mentally but physically and emotionally,” Franz said. “It really helped me realize how much of a passion I have for my job, and that I would do anything to succeed! It was challenging and a grueling process, but i would do it all over again….I am a risk taker and am confident I can do it better than anyone else, that’s why the cupcakes I chose to make for Cupcake Wars not only had a lot of different components, but they feature innovative baking techniques most cupcake shops don’t even think of.”
Franz is also part owner, with Jenine Cravatt, of Cupcake Couture, which is located at 916 Manhattan Avenue and last year won the Easy Reader’s Best of the Beach “Best Desert” award and “Most Elegant Cupcake” at the Los Angeles Cupcake Challenge.
The winner of the Cupcake Wars receives $10,000 and the chance to showcase the winning cupcake. The episode airs at 9 p.m. on Feb. 1.
Local election debates
City Council candidates Amy Howorth, David Lesser, Kathleen Paralusz and Viet Ngo are scheduled to participate in the following debates in preparation for the March 8 election in the city: Tuesday, Feb. 8 at 1 p.m. at The Neptunian Woman’s Club, 920 Highland Ave.; Thurs., Feb. 10 at 7 p.m at City Council Chambers,1400 Highland Ave.; and Thursday, March 3 at 6 p.m. at American Martyrs Church, 624 15th St.
For more information, visit citymb.info. ER