Category Archive for ‘Bakery’ at gas•tron•o•my

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Extraordinary Desserts

Published

Gastronomer

on January 19, 2007

in Bakery, Dessert, Restaurant Review and San Diego

. 0 Comments

January 15, 2007
Cuisine: Desserts

1430 Union St,
San Diego, CA 92101

Phone: 619-294-7001
Website: www.extraordinarydesserts.com

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Dessert I: Passion Fruit Ricotta Torte - ricotta cake layers, soaked with passion fruit juice and layered with passion fruit whipped cream, kiwis, strawberries and bananas ($7.50)

Dessert II: Lemon Fruit Tartlette - a crisp buttery tart shell filled with lemon cream and topped with fruits of the season ($7.50)

Dessert III: Chocolate Truffle Loaf ($5)

Dessert IV: Caribe - chocolate mousses infused with mangos, bananas and passion fruit layered between dark chocolate lilikoi soaked chocolate cakes and finished with dark chocolate and topped with fresh tropical fruits ($7.50)

Dessert V: Apple and Berry Croissant Bread Pudding with Cinnamon Ice Cream ($10.95)

Dessert VI: Lemon Bar ($3)

Dessert VII: Hot Fudge Sundae ($10)

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After reading and hearing good things about Extraordinary Desserts, a group of friends and I headed over to see if their sweets were truly as “extraordinary” as their name implied. Besides serving desserts, the restaurant also has gourmet teas, panini, salads, and bruchetta on the menu. The atmosphere in Extraordinary Desserts is relaxed, trendy, and modern.

Kellie and Justin started the evening with some warm drinks. Kel ordered the White Hot Chocolate ($6), while Justin had a mocha ($4.50). Kellie thought her drink was “the best thing ever.” I took a sip and found it awesome as well. The flavor was strongly vanilla and had a light sprinkling of cardamon. Kellie’s hot chocolate came with a side of whipped cream and an extra serving of cocoa. Awesome. Justin liked his mocha too.

The presentation at Extraordinary Desserts is gorgeous. Pureed fruit sauces and fresh flowers accompanied all of our dessert selections. The Astronomer and I shared the Apple and Berry Croissant Bread Pudding with Cinnamon Ice Cream and a Lemon Bar. The cinnamon ice cream was excellent, but I was too busy chatting with my old friends to give the desserts my full attention. The Astronomer thought both the lemon bar and bread pudding were great, but quite pricey. I agree, eleven bucks is a bit high for dessert. In regards to the lemon bar, the ratio of lemon to crust was 1:1. I prefer more lemon and less shortbread.

Kellie ordered the Passion Fruit Ricotta Torte, which I thought was the best dessert of the evening. The tropical fruit flavors were explosive and refreshing! The fruit purees further intensified the flavors. I will definitely order it on my next visit. Mike ordered the Lemon Fruit Tartlette.

Justin, a huge fan of chocolate, ordered a hot fudge sundae. He was expecting Hershey’s chocolate syrup, but instead got actual fudge! Imagine that! He disliked the copious amount of whipped cream atop the sundae and yearned for nuts. Justin couldn’t finish his sundae because the chocolate was too intense toward the end. Regardless, for $10 Justin was hoping for a larger serving. I agreed.

Even though Cousin Phil is not a big fan of desserts, he ordered a chocolate loaf. He liked it as much as a non-dessert lover could. Tannia ordered the Caribe, which she and Phil both really enjoyed.

Naked Chocolate Cafe

Published

Gastronomer

on November 26, 2006

in Bakery, Dessert, Philadelphia and Restaurant Review

. 0 Comments

November 25, 2006
Cuisine: Desserts & Bakeries, Coffeehouses

1317 Walnut St, Philadelphia 19107
At S 13th St

Phone: 215-735-7310
Webiste: www.nakedchocolatecafe.com

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Peanut Butter Nudo - One of our signature desserts, a new kind of brownie, blondie, coconut haystack, and other varieties ($2)

Bittersweet hot chocolate (petit $3.50) - “A deep chocolate experience.”

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The dessert offerings at Audrey Claire were a bit lacking, so the Marathoner and I went to the Naked Chocolate Cafe to satisfy our sweet tooth. I ordered the Peanut Butter Nudo, while the Marathoner had the bittersweet hot chocolate. Both treats were delightful!

The nudo, which is unique to Naked Chocolate according to the woman behind the counter, had a soft and chewy texture. Although the nudo is described as brownie-like, I would say that the two desserts are very different. The nudo’s texture is definitely special. The pyramid shape was cute and enhanced the dessert’s presentation.

My only complaint was that the nudo was made with Jif, which is not a real peanut butter (N.A.R.P.B) that contains hydrogenated oils. Sigh. I have a weakness for peanut butter desserts, so I let this tremedous flaw slide on my visit. But in the future, I’ll probably have to stick to the non PB treats due to my fear of trans fats.

The hot chocolate was pure wonderfulness - so thick it was like drinking chocolate sauce. The Marathoner wished the hot chocolate was more bitter, but still found it quite delicious. Since I am not a huge fan of super-dark chocolate (65% or greater), I found the hot chocolate to be just the right amount of bitter. I also really enjoyed dipping my nudo into the cocoa and swiping some of the whipped cream. Even though the Marathoner ordered a petit, he had a hard time finishing it because the chocolate was so rich.

I’ll definitely be returning to Naked Chocolate for their cupcake offerings. The Marathoner will be returning to scope out the extremely attractive staff and clientele.

Flying Monkey Patisserie

Published

Gastronomer

on November 5, 2006

in Bakery, Dessert, Philadelphia and Restaurant Review

. 0 Comments

November 4, 2006
Cuisine: Desserts and Bakeries

Reading Terminal Market
12th and Arch Streets, Philadelphia

Phone: 215-928-0340
Fax: http://www.flyingmonkeyphilly.com/

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Raspberry Jam Squares - Buttery shortbread crust and raspberry jam ($2.50)

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Astronomer: The Raspberry Jam Square from the Flying Monkey was quite a tasty treat, with a hearty, satisfying texture and just the right amount of sweetness. Best of all, it contained no sinful ingredients (i.e. margarine). I hope to return to the Flying Monkey and try another one of their creations the next time I am in the Reading Terminal Market and hunger strikes.

Gastronomer: I took a few bites of the Astronomer’s square; it was pretty good. Whereas the Astronomer is a big fan of buttery crusts and fruit fillings (fairly mild flavors), I’m more of a ultra-sweet, tooth ache kinda gal when it comes to desserts. I look forward to trying the Flying Monkey’s wide array of cupcakes in the near future.

Beard Papa’s

Published

Gastronomer

on October 2, 2006

in Bakery, Dessert, New York City and Restaurant Review

. 0 Comments

September 30, 2006
Cuisine: Desserts & Bakeries

740 Broadway, New York 10003
At Astor Place

Phone: 212-353-8888
Website: http://www.muginohousa.com/

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Cheesecake Stick ($1)

Eclair Cream Puff ($1.85)

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Beard Papa’s was introduced to me by my Hawaiian friend Liana. The restaurant is a Japanese import that has been in Hawaii for a while and is being franchised across the land. I can’t wait for it to expand to San Diego and Philadelphia. Until then, I will have to keep frequenting the NYC location.

I have been to Beard Papa’s a couple of times and always order the same thing, the eclair cream puff. It’s divine and cheap. The chocolate is layered on super-thick and the custard inside is creamy and full of vanilla flavor. The puff is a bit chewy (in a good way), so spurting cream sometimes happens. Just ask the sidewalk outside the store.

The Astronomer ordered the Cheesecake Stick. He said, “it’s mild.” I had one bite and considered not swallowing. A mild cheesecake is a boring cheesecake. The recipe needs more CHEESE! But hey, it cost a buck.