Here, named for the first time, are the best restaurant desserts in Chicago, and we don’t want any argument.
Actually, that’s not true. We’re dying for an argument. We’ve put together a ballot — in print and online — to make it easy to argue with us. We’re offering serious prizes. Argue, already.
It shouldn’t be hard; our list, like any distillation of a large field into a “10 best” format, is deliberately provocative. There is, for instance, not a single mention of tiramisu, a dessert so ubiquitous among Chicago restaurants that we eventually expect sushi bars to serve it.
Flourless chocolate cake shows up on the list once, and then only as part of an assortment, and its hipper cousin — the chocolate fondant cake that oozes warm ganache when pierced — isn’t there at all.
Conspicuous by their absence are any desserts by Gale Gand, or any representation by such dessert-happy restaurants as Le Francais, Trio, Carlos’ and The Dining Room — four-star restaurants all.
We are prepared to concede that maybe, just maybe, we’ve overlooked some treasures out there. But we are confident that the following list is a treasure trove of its own, filled with classic flavors, clever concepts, skillful preparations and dazzling presentations.
The phrase “save room for dessert” has never contained so much urgency.
Chocolate Bag at Lawry’s the Prime Rib, 100 E. Ontario St., 312-787-5000.
This was Jackie Shen’s signature dessert at Jackie’s; when she closed it to become executive chef at Lawry’s, she brought the dessert along. It consists of a bag of solid chocolate, filled with fluffy white chocolate mousse and pieces of fresh fruit. It’s a marvelous creation and a Chicago original.
Dolci platter at Mantuano Mediterranean Table, 455 Cityfront Plaza Dr., 312-832-2600.
The answered prayer of the indecisive diner, this is a superb sampler and proof that sometimes more is indeed more. Bread pudding, pistachio cheescake, flourless chocolate cake, three scoops each of sorbet and ice cream inside a currant tuile, flan, mixed berries, other seasonal fresh fruit and several kinds of homemade biscotti all arrive lavishly garnished on a gleaming silver platter. Don’t even think about ordering skim milk for your coffee.
Creme brulee at Tomboy, 5402 N. Clark St., 773-907-0636.
Singling out one creme brulee in a town with many excellent versions is probably asking for trouble. But we love Tomboy’s version, in which the vanilla creme is served in a cone-shaped cookie cup that fits snugly inside a tall martini glass.
The caramelized sugar crust atop the creme is perfect — glassy and fragile, tasting just slightly of burnt sugar.
Black Passion at Pasha, 642 N. Clark St., 312-397-0100.
Adventurous eaters will relish this spicy-sweet treat. It starts politely enough, with creamy homemade vanilla ice-cream scoops in an oversized, molded chocolate basket. Mixed berries are added and raspberry vinaigrette is drizzled on. Then come the aggressive accents: a shot of vodka and a hit of pepper. “In the beginning, everybody was scared of it,” concedes chef Gaetano DiBenedetto.
“Now it’s 80 percent of my dessert (orders).”
Chocolate meringue forestiere at Provence, 64 Green Bay Rd., Winnetka, 847-501-5505.
Jacky Pluton’s whimsical dessert is an extremely clever variant on profiteroles. But instead of ice cream-stuffed choux-pastry puffs, Pluton sandwiches the ice cream between stiff pieces of meringue shaped to resemble mushroom caps and stems. The caps are dipped in chocolate, and there’s a little pool of creme anglaise underneath.
Fruit sushi at Restaurant Okno, 1332 N. Milaukee Ave., 773-395-1313.
Pastry chef Nancy Silver first fashions a sweetened raspberry-puree wrapper, then adds rice pudding, kiwi, strawberry and mango pieces. Rolled and then sliced, the combination takes on the look of its namesake, arriving with chocolate “chopsticks,” marzipan “wasabi,” candied ginger and tamarind sauce.
More than mere novelty, this is serious satisfaction.
Chocolate cube at Park Avenue Cafe, 199 E. Walton St., 312-944-4414.
You almost hate to start eating this dessert — a perfect, razor-edged cube of shimmering dark chocolate — which looks as though it should be sitting in a museum. Once you finally break into the cube, you’ll find fluffy espresso mousse studded with tiny cubes of bittersweet chocolate cake.
Ranier cherry soup at Meritage, 2218 N. Damen Ave., 773-235-6434.
Cherries are in season, which means Meritage, a regional-American restaurant with a Pacific Northwest focus, is offering its Ranier cherry soup.
It’s a cold soup of slightly tart cherries flavored assertively with lemongrass; a scoop of cherry-vanilla ice cream sits in the middle of the bowl. It’s a lovely, refreshing dessert, perfect for a humid summer evening.
Sorbet assortment at Rhapsody, inside Symphony Center, 65 E. Adams St., 312-786-9911.
Sometimes simpler is better — especially when it’s presented this beautifully.
Egg-shaped scoops of assorted homemade sorbets are arranged within a “nest” of spun sugar, with tiny niblets of pineapple scattered underneath.
Poached pear at Harvest on Huron, 217 W. Huron St., 312-587-9600.
Among the many delights at this American restaurant is a dessert of brioche-crusted poached pear, a fall dessert that should be back on the menu soon. The pear’s hollow is filled with bits of apple, raisins and quince, bound together with custard, and around the pear are tiny scoops of brown-butter ice cream and caramel sauce.
INDULGE YOURSELF
We’ve had out say, now you can have yours. Tell us your picks for the best desserts at Chicago-area restaurants. We’ll publish the results on Sept. 18. Best of all, three entrants will each win dinner (up to $250) at a Chicago-area restaurant of their choice.
THE BALLOT
Tell us your top choice and what Chicago-area restaurant serves it in any or all of the following categories:
1. Best chocolate dessert
2. Best ice-cream dessert
3. Best artistic dessert
4. Best classic dessert
5. Best low-fat dessert
6. Best cheesecake
7. Best pie or cake
8. Best fruit dessert
9. Best dessert sampler
10. Best restaurant for desserts
NAME
ADDRESS
CITY, STATE, zip code
PHONE E-MAIL
Send to: Chicago Tribune, Best Desserts, P.O. Box 804013, Chicago, Ill. 60680-4013.
Or vote online at metromix.com/dining metromix
THE OFFICIAL RULES
Send your entry ballot (or a 3 x 5 card) with your name, address, phone number and your choices in any or all categories listed on the ballot to: Best Desserts, P.O. Box 804013, Chicago, Ill., 60680-4013, or vote and enter on the Internet at metromix.com/dining. No purchase is necessary, but you must be a United States resident to enter.All entries must be received by noon on Sept. 8, 1998. Only one entry per person. (Tribune Company employees and their families are not eligible.)
The winners will be selected at random from eligible entries and their names will be published on or about Sept. 18, 1998. Odds of winning depend on number of eligible entries received. Entries become property of Chicago Tribune and will not be returned. Entrants agree that disputes will be resolved by Chicago Tribune, and that Tribune’s decisions are final. Entrants agree to allow use of their name, photograph, likeness and all information submitted with their entry ballot, in print or any other medium of communication, without additional compensation.
Winners must execute an affidavit of eligibility and release of liability prior to receiving the prize. Prizes will cover only the cost of one dinner (up to $250) at a Chicago-area restaurant. The winners’ restaurant selections are subject to approval by Chicago Tribune. Winners must pay all transportation to and from the restaurant and any other expenses incurred in collecting or using the prize. Winners assume all applicable tax liability for the prize.
Sweepstakes is sponsored by Chicago Tribune Co. P.O. Box 804013,Chicago, Ill. 60680-4013. For the name of the winner, send a stamped, self-addressed envelope after Sept. 8, 1998, to: Best Desserts Winner, Chicago Tribune Company, P.O. Box 804013, Chicago, Illinois, 60680-4013. The Chicago Tribune is not responsible for lost, incomplete, damaged, illegible, late, postage due or misdirected entries, or for errors in mechanical transmission, technical difficulties, or the inability to transmit Internet entries. Void where prohibited or restricted.
