What's Your Weakness?

It comes in all shapes and sizes and, though widely available, is revered as a precious commodity by many. I may go so far as to argue that one’s favorite “_ e _ _ e _ _” is both more revealing and more captivating than even the most spellbinding baby blues.

Correct you are, dear friends. Dessert is no laughing matter. And the New York culinary world would agree. With pastry artists of the like of Jacques Torres, restaurants tycoons know that the last lick is just as important as the first bite.

And the nominees are…

Bond Street…”Chocolate Meltdown”. I promise you, I’ve never seen a chocolate cake ooze with such ease and such audacity. It’s a site to be seen and a bite which will never be forgotten. Yes, it's a classic, but there's clearly a good reason for that.

Apizz…“Mela al Forno”. Translation. An apple-crumb pie in all its glory: baked apple-pecan crumble, caramelized apples, brown sugar crumbs and creamy vanilla gelato. Another oldie but I-can-hardly-contain-myself goodie.

Indochine…“Roasted Banana”. Agreed. They could be more creative when it comes to naming conventions, but the dessert itself is lip-smacking good. Take a roasted banana, roll it in coconut sticky rice, plate it in a shallow pool of coconut rice pudding, and drizzle on some toasted hazelnuts for good measure. I’m a blubbering fool when it comes to bold textures and sweet n’ salty duos…or anything coconut for that matter.

Chickaliscious…Truth be told, I’ve still not been. It’s shameful, I know, but I'd think it wholly more improper to let my absence deter me from spreading the good word. They don’t merely specialize in dessert. Instead, dessert and only dessert is served as a complete, three course meal. A vanilla-cinnamon baked fig as an amuse-bouche, a poached pear salad with lemon-verbena ice cream as an entrée, and a warm chocolate tart with red-wine sauce for, well, dessert.

And What would this world be without ice cream?

Il Laboratorio del Gelato…ice cream is a science at this Lower East Side gem. Flavors range from the traditional vanilla, chocolate and dulce de leche, to the more colorful wasabi, red bean, or Thai chili chocolate…and then some…

Grom…I was there opening week (a lifetime ago at this point)…along with the rest of the 200-person line…and on the Upper West Side no less. Apparently its reputation had preceded it, but it was well worth the wait.

All jokes aside, it’s desserts like these that make me feel so lucky to live in New York.