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    Short Order: Winning Surprises at Spicy Cup Cafe

    Wander into Spicy Cup and it can be a little challenging to get your bearings. With relentlessly upbeat Mariachi music in the background, you’ll wander past lots of booths and a big open space to reach a couple display cases, one proudly emblazoned with Krispy Kreme branding. Inside the cases, though, are not Krispy Kreme doughnuts, but instead an array of house-made baked goods from the Mexican bakery.  

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    Because there are no labels on the goodies, you’ll have to navigate the choices in good faith. There are things with jams at the center, and then more mysterious items that give no indication of flavor or filling. The allure of the unknown is surely too much to resist, so the obvious choice is a giant golden dome with braided edges, and something that looks like a coffee cake in loaf form. 

    What could be inside the dome? Perhaps it’s like a cream puff, or maybe an apple pie. 

    Or maybe it has chicken. Nope, no “maybe” there: It’s definitely chicken inside – like a great big oversized chicken empanada. 

    Even if you’re partial to sweets, the chicken is a net win for the cafe. Five bucks for a combo filled with a savory chicken filling (with potatoes too) feels like a good deal. Of course, pricing is admittedly a bit of a mystery too, but the total was $9, so it’s a decent bet that the chicken-dumpling-dome-empanada-pie was about half, and the big loaf was the other half. 

    As for the aforementioned loaf: It turns out to be a dense corn bread with teeny bits of corn baked in the batter. A humble snack, but with potential for binge–food with a little honey and butter. 

    Mysteries and surprises are fun, but for those who like to know what they’re doing, an internet search might do the trick: Spicy Cup posts a whole menu online – one that’s not physically evident when you stop in. You can do some homework here: spicycupcafe.com before stopping in at 1977 E. Dublin Granville Rd.

    Photo by Miriam Bowers Abbott
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    Miriam Bowers Abbott
    Miriam Bowers Abbotthttps://columbusunderground.com
    Miriam Bowers Abbott is a freelancer contributor to Columbus Underground who reviews restaurants, writes food-centric featurettes and occasionally pens other community journalism pieces.
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