“Cupcake Wars” author visits Bay Ridge

It was cupcake and cookbook heaven for the people who filled the back room of Bay Ridge’s The BookMark Shoppe on a recent Wednesday night to meet and greet vegan chef Chloe Coscarelli at her first bookstore stop on the book tour for her debut cookbook, “Chloe’s Kitchen.”

The mood was cozy and fun inside the Third Avenue bookshop, where foodies lined up to chat and laugh with Coscarelli

The event was so well organized by shop owners Bina Valenzano and Christine Freglette that it even made some people want to move closer to the Ridge.

“It’s a wonderful store and wonderful event. I just expected her to sign her name on the book but she wrote a whole paragraph,” said Teresa Weybrew, who drove all the way from Massachusetts to join her daughter at the book signing. “I wish we lived closer because then I would come to Champagne Night!”

For Coscarelli and her mom Shelley, choosing The BookMark Shoppe as part of the launch of her tour was also a no-brainer as the two stayed in Bay Ridge late last year while doing promotional events and Coscarelli attended culinary school in the city’s Natural Gourmet Institute.

“It’s really great energy and people here, so we were familiar with it and wanted to come back,” said Coscarelli. “[It was] a heart-warming evening. There was laughter, happy tears, and tons of cupcake eating. It felt like a big old family!”

Coscarelli’s big break came when she became the first vegan chef to win on the Food Network show “Cupcake Wars,” beating out three other competitors who were armed with eggs, cream and butter.