I love Buddy Valastro! I mean love him! I also love Carlo’s Bakery and the show Cake Boss! I love it all so much that I once made my way by myself from New York City to Hoboken, New Jersey and waited two hours in the snow to get inside that bakery. Once inside, I waited about another 45 minutes, with people shoulder to shoulder, to get waited on. I remember seeing Grace, Frankie, Mauro and Joey. I kept hoping to see Buddy but never got a glimpse. I am sure to get more than a glimpse though when he comes to the Aronoff in Cincinnati on November 18th!

I was shocked to discover the inside of the bakery is MUCH smaller than it appears on TV. The consulting area was maybe a 4×4 space. Grace was helping someone pick the perfect cake. It was finally my turn. I couldn’t decide what I wanted. I knew I had to pick something that I could bring home to the kids (I was in New York for a business trip). But I also wanted to taste so much. “Give me a dozen cookies, a dozen cupcakes, a few pieces of cheese cake, a few cannoli (oh the cannoli!), and um… what else do you suggest” I said to the clerk. I remember asking her how they fit a film crew in there. She said if they were filming my wait would have been longer because they can’t let as many people in. Then she told me with the T-shirt I bought for my daughter, a huge fan of the show, that my total was $60. OMG! I just spent $60 on bake goods and a T-shirt. Thank goodness I didn’t have a significant other to answer to at the time or I might have been in trouble.

But let me tell you… it was worth every bit of $60. I devoured that cheesecake, cannoli and a few other things. I shared a cannoli with the hotel desk staff since they said they had never made it to New Jersey to try Buddy’s creations. Getting all this on the plane was a sight to see but luckily the guy next to me was really nice and let me put it under his seat. The kids were so excited to try a cupcake from Carlo’s Bakery. They had been watching the show for a while and said it was definitely worth the wait. I was able to give cupcakes to friends who helped with the kids while I was gone too. You would have thought I was handing out $50 bills the way people got excited about this treat.

I didn’t meet Buddy in New Jersey that day but I did meet him earlier this year in Kroger in Fort Mitchell, Kentucky. He was there to do a book signing. I couldn’t wait in line to have a book signed but as he made his way through the crowd, he stopped and shook my hand and allowed me to introduce myself. It made my day!

And now I will get a chance to see TLC’s Cake Boss at the Aronoff Center in Cincinnati on Monday, November 18^th at 7:30pm. And to top it off, I get to take my 14-year-old daughter Andi who has been a fan of his for years! She has also decorated a few cakes herself and has even had Cake-off parties with her friends inspired by The Next Great Baker. These are some of the cakes she has made or assisted with:

In this live, interactive event, TLC’s Cake Boss will share stories from his highly popular TV shows (Cake Boss, Next Great Baker), his family at Carlo’s Bakery, will answer audience questions, and most importantly, will give lots of live cake & cupcake decorating demonstrations, sharing tips and techniques in a high-energy experience for the whole family.

Tickets are on sale at CincinnatiArts.org, 513.621.ARTS, or the Aronoff Center Ticket Office. Tickets are $29.75/$39.75 plus applicable service charges. A limited number of VIP tickets are available for $95 which includes a post-show meet and greet, Cake Boss tour laminate, a copy of Buddy’s new book Family Celebrations with the Cake Boss, and a special surprise. Friends of Raising2Tweens receive $5 off on tickets.  Just click here and use code ‘BUDDY’.

I hope to see you there!

P.S. If you aren’t a fan of Raising2tweens on Facebook already, you should be!

P.S.S. If you could ask Buddy anything, what would it be? Comment here with the answer.

 
Disclaimer: I was given two tickets to the show. All opinions are my own.