We’ve (I’ve) talked about some of our favorite meals in Charlottesville, and we’ve discussed the best bunny buffets in town, but where are the best desserts?
The reason I ask is that I usually, wherever I eat, wind up going to the Downtown Grille and, invariably, end up munching on their Chocolate Terrine and/or Chocolate Mousse Torte and/or, hands down, the best Creme Brulee I’ve ever had. It doesn’t hurt that they’ve also got my favorite cup of coffee in town as well.
I’ve had dinner with a few CVillains at various venues (Cassis, Fellini’s, Sakura, X, etc.) but I’m always so drawn to the Grille’s dessert menu that, I have to admit, I don’t even bother to look at what those places have to offer, as far as gym wrecking sweets go. The one time we tried something else, we had a meh sampling of somethingorother at Three that, honestly, tasted freshly (mostly) thawed out of the Sam’s Club freezer.
So, hit me up CVillains - if I’m going to blow several hours in the gym, is there somewhere I should be going besides the Grille?
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Tagged as: Charlottesville, Coffee, Dessert, Downtown Mall, Gelato, Ice Cream, Restaurants
I fancy myself a pretty avid baker and I frequently go out for just dessert and cognac when I need a treat but don’t have the time/money to pony up for a full meal, so I don’t know what kind of expert that makes me, but I do know it means I walk A LOT to keep my girlish figure. Here’s a quick list of my favorite fancy dessert categories and where I get my fix:
Crème brulee - I like Fleurie’s, as they consistently do it right, and you always get a trio (think vanilla, honey and mocha as an example). That and they have a great cognac selection to go with it.
Pie - l’etoile always bakes awesome apple pie, and the peach is pretty rocking in the summer. They serve it as a special, so it’s worth calling ahead (Mark uses hand rolled local Mennonite butter in the dough)
Chocolate Soufflé - my old standby was Oxo, but I haven’t been in a while so I don’t know if they still serve it. Cassis also does a bang up job on this staple.
Flourless Chocolate Cake - I need suggestions here, as this is a required decadent dessert and so far I like my Cooks Illustrated recipe over any I’ve had in town. That being said, ABC’s chocolate praline crunch will do in a pinch. (They also make my favorite carrot cake in town.)
Cheesecake - As a Yankee, I haven’t found anything in Charlottesville that compares so I tend to bake my own - again, welcome to suggestions.
Ice Cream Sunday - I normally wouldn’t include a sunday on this list, but C&O does it so right that I had to pay my respects.
With the exception of pie, I’ve largely avoided fruit desserts, as anyone can thaw out Pillsbury puff pastry and layer some sliced fruit on top. I’d love to be proven wrong here and taste a truly inspired fruit dessert, so comment away.
I’ve had good dessert at Clifton, but it’s just too far to drive when all I want is dessert.
And now I need to find a brownie for my walk home.
-Flourless choclate cake you say? Have you not tried the choclate gateau at L’etoile? I think it’s pretty rockin’; I’m more of a fan of their bread pudding with caramel and creme anglaise, though.
-Splendora’s maple gelato
-I haven’t been to Lord Hardwick’s in a while, but if the grasshopper pie is still on the menu, it’s pretty yummy.
-and finally: The Choclate Thunder From Down Under at Outback Steakhouse — ’nuff said.
A waiter at Maya described their chocolate cake as “basically flourless.” Not sure what this means, and I didn’t try it. But you might try checking it out, Lys.
My apple pie.
Like Lys, I’m a dessert and baking afficionado. So often I don’t order dessert in restaurants because I’ve been disappointed too many times. That said, I am in love with Petit Pois’ profiteroles. This is a very simple dish that is usually executed very poorly (and I wouldn’t have even tried it if one of the owners hadn’t encouraged me one hot afternoon) — they make it perfectly.
My favorite restaurant dessert used to be Bang’s peanut spring rolls, two skinny deep-fried spring rolls filled with gourmet peanut butter and served with chocolate fudge sauce and coconut ice cream. But they don’t make it anymore.
I’ve been drowning my sorrows with Maya’s peanut butter martini instead.
Being a chocaholic, my vote goes to Petit Pois’ Chocolate Mousse.
I had Applepie for the first time in my life at my sister in laws for Thanksgiving this year (well I just became a citizen a few years back so, nuff said) It tasted like more, and I was wondering if anyone had recommendations specifically when one might crave AP. And don’t bother with recipies, there is no way in the world i’ll ever bake anything.
Maya’s desserts leave a lot to be desired. I keep giving them a try because they sound so good. Waste of calories.
I’m not a big fan of desserts in this town either..
Lys - Really you like that brulee? Have you made your own? When I ate it, they hadn’t strained it so it was very, how shall we say, gritty? I like three flavors, but if you can’t make your barebones puppy correctly, then you shouldn’t move into new flavors. When you make your own add a earl grey teabag, tiny bit of nutmeg and about 3/4ths of a nice orange rind. AMAZING. I’ve made women pass out with pleasure.
Milano’s Gelato is the best frozen dessert in town.
Cakes - Have you guys been to Hot Cakes? Their coffee cakes are freaking unbelievable.
Everyone, is “does it right” a new Charlottesville slang, or it just me?
For cakes and pastries, Chandler’s is THE place…especially if you grew up in a city with Italian bakeries and you miss some of the treats you can only find at those.
I still haven’t found anyone who makes tri-colored cookies here. I’ve resorted to making my own once in a while.
Orzo has a very nice chocolate pot de creme on their dessert menu. They make it with a bittersweet chocolate so it has a nice cocoa intensity rather than just being overly sweet. And it’s relatively light, so you can go out afterwards without lapsing into a diabetic fugue. This is in contrast to the effect of consuming one of Lord Hardwicke’s offerings, which only leave me with feelings of remorse and self-loathing afterwards.
Thor, I’ve made women pass out with pleasure too, but dessert had nothing to do with it… (where’s Oy? thats seems like his line I’m stealing) dijonbray and mintyfresh, Lord Hardwicke’s closed like three or four years ago and I don’t think AT&T still does their desserts…
Cakes: Lemon cake at Foods of All Nations, red velvet at Harris Teeter. I’m very fond of plain, sugary buttercream frostings a la birthday and wedding cakes, so my tastes can be easily satisfied by grocery stores, either at their bakeries or where the Duncan Hines canisters are stocked.
I do not trust restaurants.
mmmm…mmm. red velvet….i like you more everyday L.
Hip-Doof… luckily I still had my XXXL Depends on from B-Yo’s last work of art over on the Spicy Bear Media thread so reading your announcement about the demise of Lord Hardwick’s and the subsequent installation of said cellular phone company caused me little to no embarrassment…. if you discount the fact that I have just announced on a public internet forum that I have a big assed pair of absorbent cotton incontinence knickers on.
WTF
Oh TheUpstart… IMHO Chandlers cakes taste like the chef stirred the cake mix with his cock, after a conjugal visit to ‘The Big House’ on Avon St Ext to visit his dear friend Simon.
Please don’t bash me… I really just think Chandler’s is dreadful… no utterly dreadful.
There… bash away.
Whose was first: Lord Hardwicke’s frozen grasshopper pie or the Biltmore’s Frozen grasshopper pie? I feel some strange need to know. And does the Biltmore still have theirs? I stopped going after they redid the menu about 1.5 years ago.
Sorry, still going.
Boheme has a flourless chocolate cake!
Am I correct that Chandler’s is the bakery that covers everything in fondant?
I can’t believe Gearharts Chocolates haven’t been mentioned here yet. They’re amazing; all hand-made. Place your holiday orders early though because they sell out daily this time of year. I learned this the hard way one year, and I won’t let it happen again.
I like the Mint Julep flavor best, but the caramel and the Maya truffle are also high on my list. I noticed recently that Hamilton’s has them on their dessert menu. I think they also make the chocolates for Ten, but I can’t say for sure.
been there, done that - then the batteries died…
Lilith,
It is that dreadful place up beside Circuit City (auspicious territory in itself) that makes kiddy cakes and vile tasteless overpriced anemic pastries . I swear I actually bit into a cake from there and thought that I had missed.
Oy… Sam’s Club is your best bet, especially for those pesky D’s that would drain a whole California grid in mere minutes.
Do you still have feelings for me? I sense a cooling between us and wonder if my urinary issues have built a wall between us? (Actually I have to know soon as Thor is sniffing around and I can’t afford to risk losing what looks like a great cyberbonk…. are we on or off?)
I believe so, but I’ve never been into Chandler’s. I’ve just feigned interest in their cakes when they show up at social events for several years now, all the while feeling badly for the person who could have spent half of what they did on a more enjoyable “cheap” cake. Others really seemed to enjoy the cakes, though, so I always thought it was a personal problem for me. Or they’re better actors? Pretty cakes, they really are. Yes, I think that is the nicest thing I can say about them. I’ll stop there.
Excellent call Stevsie. Gearharts is indeed amazing. They do exclusive chocolates for Ten, and they probably have chocolates at Hamiltons as well (all under same ownership group).
As for my personal dessert preferences, I’m not big on all that fancy stuff. I actually really enjoy cheap boxed cake mix/frosting. Don’t really like “real” cake like wedding cakes or the like. Just plain old unbaked cookie dough will do it for me as well (especially the stuff that comes in a log that are you just supposed to slice). Take It Away has Decadent Brownies that are out of this world. But most of the time, if I’m doing desert, it’s gotta be a sundae from Ben & Jerry’s. I just wish they still served Half Baked in the scoop shops. But don’t even get me started on the amazingosity of Ben & Jerry’s flavors…
Someone correct me if I’m mistaken, but isn’t Lord Hardwicke’s still open? At the very least, the building it occupies still stands BESIDE the at&t, right? Anyone remember who occupied the at&t building before the suncom/cingular/at&t litany? The thoroughly unremarkable ‘Oregano Joe’s.’ Points awarded for longevity and memory.
On a topically and geographically related note, for those unaware, Arch’s is building their new location in that vecinity (on the old Dunkin Donuts/Donut Connection site).
“On”, definitely “On”
I forgot my favorite restaurant desserts - The Ivy Inn! Their plates are fantastic!
If you don’t get Chandler’s, leave it alone. I guess some people can’t appreciate a real, old fashioned bakery. It doesn’t surprise me…there are people in this town who have never had a cannoli, don’t miss eating zeppole on St. Joseph’s Day, and have never seen marzipan sold on it’s own in cute, little shapes. These are things I grew up with and I’m delighted that someone is keeping this style of bakery alive down here.
Places like Albemarle Baking Company are great, but they aren’t really bakeries…they’re food boutiques with a few, pretty tarts in the cases and some artesian bread on the side.
boondocks - Shakey’s Pizza was next to Hardwicke’s
I’ve been here awhile
Tim - Exclusive chocolates for Ten? What that boils down to is plain Jane style. The Ten Chocolates are good, yes, but they are so boring compared to the stuff you can get at the actual store.
Do Chocolates count for this thread? I love my Gs.
Oh and can I be on the record for pleasure inducing brulee, no touching involved?
BS! They’re one of the chocolates Gearhart’s sells in the store. The Taj maybe? Exact same. Right? Right? I look forward to that piece of chocolate the entire meal.
TheUpstart is right about Chandler’s– it’s definitely a traditional bakery from what I’ve seen come out of it (and I believe I have just volunteered myself to go inside in the next week or two). I hope it’s clear I’m not claiming to have refined taste in desserts. A fifty cent cupcake with a frosting monster makes me WAY happier than a $30 raspberry glace torte ever will.
My favorite for simplicity and just plain reliable goodness: Bizou’s toasted banana bread with vanilla ice cream and hot caramel sauce. Sure, it doesn’t sound like much, from the description. Try it. You’ll be shocked at how good it truly is.
Okay, I was going to let the Chandler’s thing go for the sheer nostalgic pleasure of butter cream frosting that’s probably made from shortening vs butter but to DARE say they have a good cannoli - this blaspheme may result in my need to kidnap The Upstart for an eating tour of Philadelphia and Trenton (we don’t even need to mention NYC - that’s like climbing Mt. Everest without ever having gone hiking) to taste a REAL cannoli - like one made with ricotta real - like one that they fill when you order it real - the sort of hole where they are now on the great grandson running the place and he still drops the last vowel in all his attempts to speak Italian. My generic obsession with this confection runs so deep my second cousin had a giant cannoli shell filled with mini cannolies in lieu of a wedding cake (the fete was held in Queens in John Gotti’s neighborhood, just to add context here).
So yeah, uh, you’re wrong on that one.
PS: Thor, I make incredible creme brulee as well and am extremely fond of the earl grey variety. I’ve never had problems with the texture at Fleurie, but it’s a shame to hear you had a bad batch - you hear that Brian - always run your custards through a fine chinois, no shortcuts allowed! (There’s a reason they say cooking is an art and baking is a science.)
Anna’s is the only place in town that makes real cannolis. They’re fabulous.
Floozy:
Given your disturbingly vivid simile of what Chandler’s cakes taste like, I trust that you have not yet sampled their “Magic Mountain” brownie yet.
Did I write that Chandlers made a good cannoli? No. I said it didn’t surprise me that people didn’t know what a traditional bakery was since they also didn’t know what a canoli was or hadn’t had a zeppole before.
No need for a tour of Philly. I grew up with canoli from Little Italy. I know people who will argue about the truly traditional filling…some say ricotta, some say mascarpone. As for filling upon ordering, this is incredibly common. Harris Teeter does it.
People who bastardize Italian by dropping the last vowel in words like mozzarella are so annoying! I have relatives that know how to speak their native language properly and don’t find that Jersey dialect authentic. In my opinion, it really just speaks to the dilution of Italian-Americans’ connection to their heritage.
/pissingcontest
The Upstart - you are forgiven - you did not in fact claim any worthy cannolies in cville and I apologize for jumping to conclusions. That being said, I think there’s a very importatn distinction between Italian Americans (Ellis Island-style) who drop the last vowel and real deal Italians - especially when it comes to food. And while it may be my upbringing (or the fact that I’ve never had a cannoli in Italy), I fancy the Italian-American bakeries for cannolies over the gourmet, more authentic Italian Bakeries that involve pastry chefs trained in Milan. Just my preference.
Of course, I like to think of the vowel dropping as the immigrant equivalent of the rebel flag - definitely not the most gracious way to promote one’s heritage, but pride none the less. (Something tells me this last comment will prove to be highly controversial…)
I think we’re equally passionate about this issue.
By the way, for a pretty good canoli, try the ones at Mona Lisa Pasta. I think they’re pretty good. Someone once tried to tell me that a little place up by the airport was the best (Denato’s maybe?), but their filling didn’t taste right to me.
Damn, this topic is making me hungry.
Thanks for the advice about Mona Lisa - I love that place and had no idea they made cannolies!
(I love when comment battles result in cyberpeace, it’s like everything is right with the virtual world)
Okay, if we’re having a bit of a Philly discussion all of a sudden, can someone please point me toward a decent cheesesteak in this town? I’ll even slum and not insist on Amoroso’s rolls, but something that looks like an honest to goodness cheesesteak and not what places down here try to pass off as one!
Here we go…
Baggby’s has a pretty good cheesesteak
(no, Yankees, they don’t use friggin’ nasty Cheez Whiz - get over it)
Wow, for people who put on such pretensions about cannoli and Italian pronunciation, you really can’t grasp the fact that cannoli is the plural form of cannolo.
Also, I hear Delicio’s is the place by the airport that does a good CANNOLO.
Clemenza said it best:
“Leave the gun, take the cannoli”
Poor Pauly. Poor, poor Pauly.
cheese steak - Pacino’s Deli on the corner
Ooops, sorry minty and dijon, Lord Hardwicke’s is still there…my mistake. Can’t seem to remember what the AT&T space used to be, but thought that was it… oh well.
This town needs a late night bakery/confectionary ala Mike’s Pastry of Boston’s North End. Maybe Gabe’ll put one in the A&N space now that a supermarket seems less likely.
From your lips to God’s ears, H-D! I love Mike’s, but there’s another place on Hanover called Modern Pastry that is very good and it never has the mess of tourists attempting to wait in line to order.
This conversation is driving me crazy.
Lys,
Lurking here, but I have to say as a cannoli nutcase myself, the best one I’ve had outside of Italy is in Pittsburgh’s Bloomfield neighborhood (their Little Italy). A place called Cafe Roma. The owner’s Sicilian grandmother makes them from scratch and every time we go, we always have one order, then order another to go. They make me swoon. They are like heaven on earth. The best dessert, hands down :0)
Adding another comment to say, although I don’t live in Cville now, we are moving there soon (so I’m not too far off topic???????)
Nee Nee - you may be required to kidnap said grandmother, bring her with you, and distribute her confections from your new front porch (assuming it’s in walking distance from the mall, assuming of course that you have a porch to begin with). I’d take shift watching her, as old people can be pretty shifty.
Try Fabios at E. High and Willow Sts. They are very Italian, da Napoli, in via di New York o di Philly. Talk to the owners about what you want, Cheesesteak, Cannoli, Neapolitan crust pizza.
From the Riverside Lunch, keep going towards Free Bridge and look up on the left.
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Update - had some dessert in the past week at Bizou. Got the Devil’s Food Cake thingy and the Pecan Pie.
The Devils Food Cake was dry, bordering on stale. It was supposed (I believe) to be oozing with chocolaty goodness, but was instead devoid of anything except an empty space in the middle. I give it 5 out of 5 “Meh”’s.
The Pecan Pie was ok. I was a bit reluctant at first, since it came out drizzled with chocolate (notthattheresanythingwrongwiththat) and a’la mode. Really good Pecan Pie doesn’t need chocolate or ice cream. This Pecan Pie did. I give it 3 out of 5 “Meh”’s
For dinner, though, the Tanaka at Miyako was as amazing as ever (Hi Parlie!)
I’m sorry I didn’t warn you, oy! The devil’s food cake there practically has to come straight from the oven. Any restaurant I’ve worked in has saved cakes overnight covered in plastic wrap. Fine for cupcakes at home, not so good at restaurants. I wish they’d stick with mousses and cheesecakes and other flourless cakes. Devil’s food cake is a liability anyway. Ever since Snackwell’s put out those awful diet cookie substitutes, I can’t order it.
I’m sure we can work out some sort of “reparations” …
Seriously (not to imply that my flirts aren’t serious), are there any other desserts to avoid in the ville?
I tried the apple-caramel bread pudding at Vivace recently, and it was no great shakes. Hardly any custard, so there were bread cubes scattered all over the plate, and the apple chunks were a touch too crisp. It needed about twice as much egg and another 20 minutes in the oven. And it comes with a big scoop of ice cream plopped on top, which froze the caramel drizzle into plastic pick-up-sticks. Next time I’ll just have the lemon sorbet, or even better, a limoncella.
I had L’etoile’s apple bread pudding recently, too, and I think “goo” is the best word I can use to describe where it was lacking, just slightly. Like mintyfresh, I like bread pudding to be well saturated with egg, and cinnamon, brown sugar, whatever the recipe calls for in the “goo.” Restaurants, more bread pudding, please! It’s a brilliant way to use up yesterday’s bread and baked goods, and while mintyfresh’s experience sounds unpleasant, I think most come out okay.
mintyfresh, you just said limoncella! Where in the city can you find it?! I had it at either Blue Light or Ten a while ago…
lilith, Vivace has limoncella as a digestif on their bar menu, but I have also seen it for retail sale at a few places around town. Mona Lisa on Preston Ave. for sure.
Check out the desserts at Enoteca if you haven’t already - not to worry about whether you’re eating dinner or not, whether it’s 3pm or 11pm, they’ll gladly serve you up some delicious olive oil cake with seasonal fruit, tiramisu with tons of chocolate curls on top, a chocolate flourless torte that is indeed 100% flourless, and the list goes on. Nothing too crazy or coy - just downright scrumptious! (Don’t even start eating the chocolate, espresso cookies with hazelnuts - you won’t be able to stop!). Love to hear what ya think after a taste-run!
GAH! ADVERTISING! EVERYBODY RUN!
was that a commercial?
caroline, honey-bunny, how are you? good Christmas?
hey hip! very mellow with my little one…..ate a bunch. What about you, I guess you’re headin’ up soon huh? Sorry to hear your dad was being a douche.
NO… I think you mis-read my posts. NO family drama, just travel drama and changed plans. My little brother, his wife and my 8 month old nephew won’t be back in NY before mon., so I’ll probably just go up in a month or 6 weeks and have a nice visit instead of trying to cram in a holiday one in 2 days…
mellow sounds nice…
oh….maybe my dad was being a douche
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parlie and caroline,
A commercial? Absolutely! Advertising? Totally! Opinion? More than either. But if you follow the previous threads to my post, you will see that I simply replied to complaints of not being able to be seated at Cville restaurants if you’re not having dinner there, groans as to “flourless” tortes being “almost” flourless at other establishments, etc. So - call it what you want. Sorry my post sound ed like a commercial to you all -but then again, your latest posts sounded more like personal emails rather than comments meant to guide Charlottesvillians toward better desserts.
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almond cake with florintine tuile and pistachio gelato at escafe.
nuf said.
the singular of cannoli is cannolo
maya’s banana pudding.
if you don’t love banana pudding, then don’t order it- but i do, and it is the best i have had.
my only other desert i would order would be tiramisu, and i haven’t found many i like-none in this town…
so maybe my word is not the word of a desert lover.
but i would like to think that in my “pickiness” over deserts, my taste reflects the same as in my choice of lovers.
i only want the best of what i want.
also, i would not eat a pie that was not homemade. and i like pie alot. a also make crust from scratch.
Any of the pies at BreadWorks — delicious and totally made from scratch. My current favorite is the blueberry pie, but come summer, I’ll be back for peach melba with bounty from local orchards.