7.29.2010

Not quite pocket flan...but still yummy

I'm not sure what a Pan Latin Grill and Mojita Bar is, but that is what Havana is in Chicago.  I ordered some specialty flan and sorbet for dinner a few nights ago.  My motto these days is to try the unique stuff; you can get the common stuff anywhere.

The Guava Cheese Flan is pretty thick, and very addictive.  You can taste the guava cheese (whatever that is), but it's mild and delicious. 
I couldn't taste the Cuban, Coconut, or Rum in the Cuban Coconut Rum Flan.  It tasted like normal flan to me...good but normal.






The third thing I ordered was the guava gelato.  I like guava, but guava gelato reminded me of children's cough syrup masked by a grape flavor.  And I was not a fan of those as a kid.  Stick to the flan!

The best cream puff - eva!

It was 4 years ago when I discovered Beard Papa's in Shanghai, China.  It is the only cream puff you will ever need to eat.  It is not like the hard, small cream puffs you buy 60 in a box from your neighborhood grocer (or Costco).  It is made fresh, from all fresh ingredients, and it is light, airy, creamy, and irresistable.  Next time you're in Shanghai, go to the lower floor of the mall next to the Jing'An Template, and you will smell your way to Beard Papa's.  It's like a lure.
  

When I discovered they were in various cities in the US, I thought 'it was meant to be'.  I have to admit, the ones in the US taste slightly different than the ones in China.  Or at least the Chicago ones.  They aren't as soft and chewy, but they definitely are not crispy or hard.  The one in Chicago also had filling options, like strawberry, ice cream, or the de facto cream.  They also have a ton of other options, like mini-cream puffs, things that looked like cake doughnuts, gourmet coffee drinks. 
I'd be interested to hear how your Beard Papa's tasted in other US cities.  Let me know!

More DC Desserts

Never judge a dessert by the restaurant's name.  I dined at Old Ebbitt Grill in DC (recommended by a friend of mine), and was not only blown away by the delicious food, but the desserts as well. 

My absolute favorite was the Butterscotch Blondie Sundae with warm vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce.  And I normally despise butterscotch.  But this euphoric amazing dessert was just perfect - the butterscotch was not overwhelming, the brownie was chewy, perfectly dense, and moise, and the ice cream (whatever brand it was) complimented it wonderfully.  Oh drool...I *highly* recommend getting this.





Another great dessert was the Peanut Butter Mousse.  Yeah, the dessert didn't come half gone...that was me inhaling it before I remembered I had to take a picture of it!  Happens often.  It was very well balanced, great consistency (I've been watching too much Top Chef), and I only left a few bites because I was fearful of not fitting into my clothes the next day. 






And it would be fitting that the fancy restaurant named 1789 would not have the desserts live up to snuff for such a prestigious sounding name.  (The food was great though.)  Their plain cheesecake, on the other hand, was plain. 

Hidden gem in chain restaurants

I try to dine at non-chain restaurants whenever possible, or at least only local chain restaurants, but once in a while...you just wind up a that chain restaurant.  And what else to do but to continue ordering desserts?  There are a few gems...and there are a few gross things.

La Madeleine is known for their french food and french pastries.  I love most of their desserts - their little shooter desserts are scrumptious.  But on this particular day, I ordered their Crepe Romanoff, which is a sweet crepe with strawberries and their signature brandy sour cream sauce.  Since I don't like liquor or alcohol that much, I asked for the sauce on the side.

Summary: the crepe is gross.  Imagine a wheat crepe with no flavor.  I make my own crepes all the time.  This was disgusting.  I do not recommend the crepe, or at least, I don't recommend the crepe without the brandy. 

I love all the Pappadeaux desserts.  They are the equivalent of "tried and true" for me.  I tried a special dessert the last time I was there...pecan cheesecakeYou should definitely try it.  The dinner itself was subpar for me, but the pecan cheesecake made up for it.  It wasn't overly sweet like a pecan pie (which I avoid at all costs).  It was your standard cheesecake, with a twist.



Red Hot and Blue's got some great food (ask for cinnamon butter next time for your biscuits).  Their banana pudding, though, is gritty and overly cheaply sweet.  I would recommend you spend your calories on the food, cinnamon butter, and biscuits. 

7.12.2010

Desserts in DC

I wasn't sure what to expect as far as desserts go in DC...I guess part of me thought that all desserts would have a political pun to it. 

First stop in DC: Nage Restaurant.  I ordered the Flourless Chocolate Cake with Dark Chocolate Mousse and Hazelnut Gelato and the Lemon Goat Cheesecake with Blueberry Compote and Candied Lemon Zest.

What does a goat cheesecake look like?  Fuzzy when you're taking a picture of it with your camera phone after a glass of wine.  Yes, I'm a lightweight.  More importantly, what does it taste like?  It tastes like goat cheesecake - you can distinctly taste the goat cheese, but it's not overbearing at all.  This is all of course, assuming you like goat cheese to begin with.  I really enjoyed this dessert, oddly enough.  I didn't shove huge bites in my mouth so that probably helped.




So how does the Flourless Cake stand up to other flourless cakes?  It was average.

I personally think it had an identity crisis...it was halfway between a cake and brownie, but not exactly cake consistency (light airy), and not brownie (chewy denser). 

Maybe they should try making a goat cheese brownie?

7.03.2010

Taste of Chicago desserts...about as unique as the Texas State Fair desserts

If you have ever heard or been to the Texas State Fair, then you are aware of the unique desserts that get presented every year.  They are so crazy, unique, fatty, and unhealthy it gets notice and mention from late night talk shows and Oprah.  Let's just put it this way, one of last year's dessert was fried butter.  Fried Heart Attack?

I stumbled upon something equally weird at the Taste of Chicago this year - Mashed Potatoes Stuffed Cupcake.  When I first saw the sign, I thought, wow, it's going to be great.  It's like substituting apple sauce for eggs and butter in recipes. 


Can you tell it's got mashed tatters in it?  Nope.  It's innocent looking.


Then you open it up.  It is stuffed in the center.  So it is a cupcake...with mashed potatoes in the middle.  And it tastes like just that.  When you take a holistic bite, it's like eating a forkful of mashed potatoes and then immediately shoving a cupcake into your mouth. 


Would I have bought it again?  Um, no.  But you have to experience things in life!