Butter Lane in The New York Times

East Village bakery Butter Lane, which we visited and loved on opening day, and have enjoyed many times since, gets the New York Times treatment today!

In a city of cupcakes, competitors need to have a bowl of new ideas. At Butter Lane, a bright little bakery at 123 East Seventh Street (First Avenue), frosting samples in various flavors and styles are set out for customers to taste, then choose. Grapefruit-ginger offers a refreshing change of pace on the tender chocolate or vanilla cupcakes ($2.50 each). Peanut butter and strawberry are other options.

Some of the buttercream frostings, notably chocolate and vanilla, come either in a softly rich French style or a more sugary American style. Butter Lane is owned by Pam Nelson, a former banker, and Maria Baugh and Linda Lea, who work in publishing and television: (212) 677-2880.