It was a surprise to see Susan Arboleda of SusyPops' cake pops selling her wares at Gulfstream Park's SweetTooth Soiree Friday night. People paid anywhere from $40 and $80 and were promised all the sugary treats they could handle.
However, we couldn't blame her. The amateur confectioner who aspires to greatness has a right to be paid for work. It was the event organizers who dropped the ball here and throughout the event. Delray's Caffe Martier was dishing out Krispy Kreme Donuts. Hopefully they weren't from the North Miami Beach store recently closed for a roach infestation.
Somebody wrangled liquor giant Diageo as a sponsor to peddle its Smirnoff brand. Guests were treated to warm shots of Smirnoff's chemical-tasting dessert varieties that included whipped cream, caramel and root beer. If warm booze, straight up wasn't your thing a flat, warm two-liter of bottle Coca-Cola was the sole choice for a mixer.
But the biggest let down of all must have been for the confectioners, bakers and businesspeople who paid in one way or another to be there. For event organizers to allow Krispy Kreme donuts next to Sweet Pie-Fection only made them look bad, in spite of habit-forming flaky pie crust rounds filled with either Nutella or guava jelly.
There were plenty of bites throughout the night worth seeking in the future. Flair for Fudge's Cuban Toffee Fudge offered rich sweet chocolate with a bitter hit of espresso to foil.
Mmm Cupcakes' Marilyn Perez was dishing out miniscule French Vanilla cupcakes sweetened with peach. She also had stacks of plastic containers, filled with four larger cupcakes for anyone willing to fork over the plastic gold coin they received while entering the paddock. Whoever collected the most coins over the course of the night would win fan favorite.
Yet who won favorite didn't matter when it seemed the losers were the poor shmucks still standing in line at 8 p.m., more than two hours after doors opened. The so-called soiree's cupcake supply was rapidly dwindling, and a severely understaffed door checking tickets and putting on wristbands was still trying to get people inside.
At least the good folks at Gulfstream Park were kind enough to roll out a temporary bar with $8 cocktails for everyone still waiting in line.
Follow @ CleanPlateBPB
For more follow Zach on Twitter @ZachIsWeird.
