NYC’S BEST RESTAURANTS TO STAY FOR DESSERT
By Niko Triantafillou
North End Grill’s Pumpkin Tart. [Photographs: Niko Triantafillou, unless otherwise noted]
New York is home to many great restaurants, but how many of them offer truly great desserts? I’m not talking about serving one signature item that’s been on the menu for years. I’m talking about kitchens where the pastry chef has as much creativity and free rein as the chef de cuisine. I mean destinations that dish up ever-changing but reliably breathtaking sweets worth a trip just for dessert.
Answering this question has basically been my life’s work, and there are countless ways to do so. So before we dig in, let me share some personal thoughts and parameters on what makes a dessert special.
Presentation: I love seeing artful and unique presentations on the plate. There’s only so many ways you can plate roast chicken, but cake can be formed into so many different shapes, so let’s see some creativity! The more expensive a restaurant is, the greater my expectations for that presentation. That several-hundred-dollar tasting menu better end with a dessert that could be displayed in a museum.
Thoughtful Construction: Years ago I visited a fine dining restaurant and ordered a chocolate tart with a molten chocolate filling. When it arrived it looked great. But the shell was made of thick, dense, dark chocolate, and I couldn’t figure out how to eat it. I didn’t want to cut it for fear of half the shell shooting across the table, spraying chocolate sauce everywhere. So I finally asked for a steak knife and prayed for the best. Since then I’ve paid keen attention to whether a chef has thought about how guests will eat their desserts.
Whimsy: The dessert course at a restaurant should be fun. It should make you feel like a kid, if only a little. And the more formal the restaurant is, the more playful the dessert can be. There’s a reason the Four Seasons still sends out pink cotton candy at the end of a meal—even white-haired businessmen were children once.
Sweetness: Most desserts are meant to be sweet. But when sweetness or sugar becomes the defining characteristic of a dish, that dessert is dead to me! The best desserts let ingredients shine through with a minimum of sweetness, or balance out sugar with salty, sour, or bitter components.
Seasonal Ingredients: The best restaurant desserts make using seasonal ingredients look easy.
There are many great restaurants in New York with stellar desserts, but with the above criteria in mind, here are eight Serious Eats-approved spots—all wonderful destinations on the savory side—that earn stripes for their must-try sweets.
North End Grill
North End Grill’s Popcorn Sundae.
At the very south end of Manhattan, North End Grill isn’t the most convenient restaurant to visit. But if you want to try some of New York’s most fun and whimsical desserts in a comfortable, airy setting, it’s well worth a trip. Pastry chef Tracy Obolsky has a passion for turning humdrum Americana on its head. Fairground funnel cake at one point was transformed into a chai-spiced fritter ringed with orange-spiked caramel and topped with tea ice cream.
Those with even passing interest in ice cream should go for one of Obolsky’s ice cream sundaes. I was enamored with her Caramel Popcorn Sundae ($10), which started with popcorn-flavored ice cream and added chunky financiers made with ground caramel popcorn flour, salty butterscotch, and black pepper whipped cream. Her newest, a Sticky Bun version ($10), features sticky buns cooked directly into the ice cream base, then has mini sticky buns, candied pecans, vanilla-bourbon whipped cream, and a salty sauce that tastes like a distillation of the sticky bun experience.
If ice cream isn’t your thing, go for one of the beautifully presented seasonal tarts. The delicious Maple Pumpkin Tart ($10) with cranberry and pumpkin seed brittle is highly recommended. The pumpkin is smooth but not sweet and the tart shell is soft and buttery. Swirls of torched meringue add some sweetness while peanut brittle brings crunch and a salty sweet element
Union Square Cafe
Pumpkin Cheesecake at Union Square Cafe.
Union Square Cafe has been offering great food and service to New Yorkers for nearly three decades. However, its pastry chef Sunny Raymond has flown under the radar for the last four years despite her diverse repertoire of desserts.
On the seasonal side, try the immensely satisfying Pumpkin Cheesecake ($9.50) with toasted pumpkin seeds. It’s light, airy, and the texture is more like a smooth mousse than a cheesecake. On top, a thin nest of crisped carrots add a pleasant crunch, and the whipped cream is flavored with toasted coconut. The cake’s beautiful colors and mild sweetness make it easy to love.
Another crowd pleaser is the Banana Tart ($9.50). Imagine a banana tarte tatin, except with a crunchy brûléed crust and a well-baked butter cookie base. It’s proof this tart isn’t just for apples.
Finally, I would be remiss not to mention Raymond’s crème brûlée scones, which remind me of a less sweet Macao-style Portuguese egg custard tart. They’re available all day and in the brunch pastry basket.
(ORIGINAL ARTICLE)
STAY FOR DESSERT
