pastry chef names / plated desserts

Do you order dessert when you go out?
Do you make a point of saving room for the sweet course?
Do you have a restaurant you most like to go to because the desserts are so delicious?
Have you ever gone to a restaurant just for dessert?

Do you know the name of the person behind those plated desserts you love?

Comments

[Nichole]

Just tonight my girl and I wanted to go out for dessert--but didn't know where to go here in the South Bay. Yes for saving room for dessert. Yes for going out just for dessert. Know the name of the talent behind the yum? We did when we lived in Tucson. We haven't been here long--gotta keep searching out what's available.
Love your site!

[Carter]

Often. When dining out with my sister, we start by looking at dessert list to determine how much room we need to save for the sweet course. Only then do we order apps, entrees, etc.

The wife and I go to Oak City Bar & Grill often to get the carrot cake with a glass of 20 year tawny port. Yum.

Alas, unlike chef/owners, I rarely know the name of the pastry chef.

[Tana]

I am not much of a sweets person any more, not since my catering days (and six chocolate cakes a week), but I always save room for Surbhi's desserts. And I always save room for talking to her. Her chai pannacotta, with Earl Grey, remains one of the most sublime of all desserts.

Joe told me y'all ate at Dévi: I wish you'd write it up. They are the best, aren't they? I can't wait to return: it's been over two years!

[Traca]

Guilty! Often times I look at the dessert menu before the dinner menu...so I can pace myself. (No appetizer, but let's get two desserts!) And yes, I love stopping by a few favorite spots just for dessert...

[shuna fish lydon]

Nichole,

Thanks for the good words on eggbeater. Keep looking around, there are some good ones of us out there in the Bay Area. Welcome!

Carter, so glad, so glad. Why is it that you never know the names of the pastry chefs do you think?

Tana,

Your sweet tooth has waned? Hmmm. I'm sorry about that.

About Devi-- I have decided to stay away from restaurant reviewing, as I am not the "typical diner." The meal was wondrous and generous, and of course I have deep affection for the people behind the plates, but in all fairness that was my last night in NYC and I wanted to pay closer attention to the people I was dining with than taking notes on the food to write it up.

I would need a lot of time off to give careful sentences to all my amazing experiences in nyc. Perhaps some of those stories will come out over time. I formed a close bond with some new people there and I hope to continue a friendship and a dialog which will of course eek out into eggbeater.

Traca,

I love that you look at the dessert menu before dinner! Hurrah!!

Are your favorite places for dessert staffed by individuals you know the names of?

[Diane]

I always save room for desert. Parly this is because I mostly cook at home, and when I do go out I want the "full experience." Partly it's because although I am a really good cook for savory things, I am a really bad baker, so never ever have desert at home except fruit. But mostly it's beacuse I enjoy the creativity of many of the deserts I see on the menu. I try to order something that sounds new and fresh without being too "I'm so creative it hurts..." in presentation. I like to try new igredients, or things used in new ways.

Sadly, I don't know the names of many of the pastry chefs. That's something I think many restaurants don't publicize.

[kudzu]

Read in waiterrant recently about how much staff hate it when people come in for dessert only, especially late at night. Any opinions on this? Does it really cut into tips/earnings that much?

[Aaron]

I appreciate it when chefs/owners value the sweet course and the person behind it enough to write the name of the pastry chef at the bottom of the dessert menu.
Credit where credit is due...that's what I say.

[Alice Q. Foodie]

A resounding yes on all accounts! I also love to see originality - I am so disappointed when the dessert menu comes after an interesting meal, and the dessert selections are boring.

[Naked Desserts]

The problem here (in my city- Bangalore in India) in high class dining restaurants is desserts are not the top priority-you get the usuals (cakes slathered with goop, mousse that has the consistency of cornstarch puddings, blueberry cheesecakes with just blueberry jam on top) but search for a souffle or a pannacotta and you end up empty handed. Banquets have the standard elaboratly designed and decorated desserts that all taste the same!

There are some dessert parlours that have opened up but again their fare is "creamier, sweeter and its sells"-flavor loses out in the bargain. You seldom see a lemon tart or even a mango caradamom financer!

So I come home for dessert.

[Garrett]

I only sometimes order dessert, and no place I have been to so far has really ever struck one out of the park for me. Here in Sac, the only real dessert person anyone knows of is Kira O'Donnel and her Real Pie Company bakery.

(p.s. let me know when you are back in SF so i can send the vanilla)

[lindsey]

Yes to all of the above, but of course! Though I don't follow as many pastry chefs as I should and I am rather hard to impress. I'm usually somewhat saddened and slightly offended by sub-par desserts.

Chicago's a really fun city. And apparently a great dining scene these days too!

[sugarbuzz]

I actually sent M.Bauer an email this morning wanting to know why when he gives a great review about the dessert he never mentions the pastry chef's name. Unless they're a Faulkner or a Luchetti he hardly ever mentions the pastry chef. Most often we not only make the desserts but the bread for service & sandwiches,the pasta dough, pizza dough & anything else that has yeast in it.

[shuna fish lydon]

Diane,

"Sadly, I don't know the names of many of the pastry chefs. That's something I think many restaurants don't publicize." Yes, this is why I'm asking the question.

Alice Q, yeah for resounding yeses!

ND, you come home for desserts? at your house? is that a standing invite if I find myself in your neighborhood? :}

Garrett! You are the first person to set the name down of a favorite pastry chef! Thank you! Collect your prize of a hug & a squeeze when I see you next...

Lindsey,

...but are there any pastry chefs you admire and enjoy eating their desserts? anywhere?

Sugarbuzz,

GOOD FOR YOU ! YOU GO! Please stop by and let me know what Mr. Bauer wrote back. I think many of us know the answer, but it would be great to see him talk about it on his blog...

[lee]

There isn't much going on in the dessert world here in Madison. I am hard to impress since I used to make plated desserts. It's funny because now I am back to being a server part- time and I work at a restaurant that employs the person I consider to be the best in town. She is a social worker for money and a pastry chef for the love of baking. Her name isn't on the menu but I'm glad I have the chance to tell everyone how great I think her desserts are!

[Sara]

There's a local restaurant here I love called Serafina, and one of the things I love most about it is that the server volunteers which of the desserts are made in-house and which are purchased elsewhere. Also, though, they use fresh seasonal fruit in lots of things, not just hand-formed tarts but salads.

I do not know the name of the pastry chef or the salad inventor, but I always make a point of telling the server how much I appreciate their work.

[lindsey]

Shuna-yes, of course! Did you even need to ask? There are many places I gush about on the blog, including ici, tartine, a16, etc. (hell all i DO is gush on that thing) and there's a place in Boston I adore and miss on an almost daily basis (and if you ever travel there I'll tell you all about it). I was staging there before I left for SF and it was really hard to leave. And I do consider flying XC just for a meal there.

[Naked Desserts]

Sure Shuna, please do drop in and plan to stay too.

Yippy!