I am a dessert voyeur. I seldom indulge. I really only like to read the menu. (Now some of this may sound familiar to many of you. But please hang in there with me. This is a new post but I’ve gotten so many subscribers lately that I’ve got to go over some “get acquainted” grazing ground.)
Skipping dessert has always been easy for me. I don’t have a sweet tooth, and to quote a semi-famous blogger, “I’ve never seen a brownie that looks as good as a Chanel suit.”
I’m well aware that not everyone feels this way. A former husband’s former mistress always looked at the menu’s dessert section first. I found this fascinating.
And sometimes she would order it first. (Like a chocolate souffle that needed forty minutes. She wouldn’t actually eat it first.)
But enough about her eating habits. I am just not easily tempted by the dessert course.
But the other reason that makes it so cinchy to skip the dinner finale is that all my favorite desserts are now in Restaurant Heaven. Along with their dearly-departed places of origin.
Alas, so many of my scrumptious “afters” have departed this planet- leaving only a memory of their deliciousness behind.
(Much better for my behind, btw.)
But I’m feeling peckish today, so here’s a tasting sampler from my long-gone sweet table.
1. My ALL-TIME Hall of Fame dessert just might be the mocha, chocolate chip, angel food cake at the Patio in Winnetka. Alas, this darling little luncheonette/tea room is with us no more. But the memory of their chicken salad, lemonade (no pop) and this fabulous dessert lingers on.
2. Pumpernick’s Cheesecake, Miami Beach. OMG! (Or should I say “Oy Vey?”) I loved this stuff- and actually lived on it one whole winter. It was so calorific that I would eat nothing all day, and then promptly at five, I would belly up to the counter and order one slice. For the next thirty minutes, I was in Hog (Oops. Trayf.) Heaven as I would alternate bites with swoons. Good thing I finally left Miami. I had to break my sick Pumpernick’s addiction.
3. The chocolate pudding at the old Bub City on Weed Street in Chicago. I know that a new incarnation exists. I want my old pudding back. Like the Jello of my childhood- only better.
4. The Dobos Torte at the Bon Ton Bakery on State Parkway in Chicago. This is an Hungarian dessert named for its creator- Josef Dobos- and it was csodalatos. Many, many intricate layers of bittersweet chocolate topped with caramel. (And I want to look the way I did when the Bon Ton still existed. I was pretty gyonyoru back in those days, too.)
5. The Bun Bar at Mary’s Cupboard, Winnetka. Ok, I have a major obsession with this place- and its cole slaw. But at the end of a perfect meal (usually barbecued beef) I really liked scoping out the glass case in front of the cash register. I always picked the same thing- the Bun Bar. I was ten. It never tasted sweeter.
6. Any dessert at Indian Trail in Winnetka. Another genteel (no spelling mistake) tea room/restaurant that was my go-to when I was a kid. I loved every single thing on the menu- especially the chicken croquettes, the turkey fricassee, and the Chicken Kiev. And their salad dressings- Green Goddess, poppy seed and their Thousand Island- killed me. I barely had room for dessert, but they were all homemade and to die for. As were their rolls. I did not play favorites. But anything with rhubarb if they had it.
7. The Hot Fudge Sundae at Wil Wright’s in Sherman Oaks, California. Their slogan was “It’s Heavenly” and it was. And now it’s in Restaurant Heaven(ly.)
8. Fritzel’s -at the corner of State and Lake in Chicago- was the greatest. It closed in 1972, and with it went a lot of good times. Do I remember a “snowball”- ice cream covered in coconut with bittersweet chocolate sauce? Or was at that the Pump Room? No matter. I always felt grown-up and glamorous when I was either one of these two great landmarks. The other diners- sexy and fun- were the dessert.
9. Ile Flottante at Jimmy’s Place on Elston Avenue in Chicago.
French Teacher Note. I know that the “I” in “Ile” is missing its circumflex. Je suis desolée. My computer is refusing to cooperate with this mark no matter how may times I try. Quelle dommage.
This delicious custard/meringue covered with crème anglaise was superbe. Hand made by Jimmy Rohr himself. A rare occurrence. Just like Jimmy. I miss him.
10. Cotton Candy at Riverview Amusement Park. My little brother and I out with our dad. Need I say more? Take a look for yourselves. (Ignore the green-faced guy. He goes away when you hit the link.)
I’m going to wrap this up. I’m gaining virtual weight as I type.
(The ex mistress would be eyeing the dessert cart by now.)
Bye bye, all you sweet things.
Ellen, even after carefully reading your post with its sampling of delicacies from France, Hungary, etc., I still can’t figure out what one single food you would absolutely have to have if you were stranded by yourself on a dessert island.
The heck with food. I would choose the Veronica Lake answer and say I’d want to be stranded with an obstetrician. Thanks, early early early bird.
Thanks for the Riverview clip Ellen. Who didn’t love that place? Also, Bun bars were my favorite candy and Mary’s Cupboard was my favorite restaurant growing up…ribs and coke slaw for me. In fact, Henry, the owner of The Winnetka Grill which took over the space actually acquired the recipes for both when he made the deal and upon request, and a day’s notice, would make them for his good customers for carry out only.
BTW, it was not east to get my folks to go to Mary’s, or Indian Trail because neither had a bar. We could always settle on Hackneys.
I am off to NY and at ORD at the moment, but will not have a chance this trip to get to my favorite dessert- the Frozen Mochachino (not their similar Frozen Hot Chocolate which I believe is more popular) at Serendippity III. Have you been to this iconic spot?
I have been there, Gary! When my kids were small we’d always have to hit it when we were in the Big Apple. Have fun. Enjoy The Joneses. And happy birthday soon.
Laugh your troubles away at Riverview Park. Two Ton Baker. Great memories. I’m not a big dessert guy.
Riverview was awesome. I loved that once a year outing with Dad. But when I went as a teenager on dates-the Bobs, The Shoot The Shoots and The Parachute Drop killed me! They were a test of courage. Had to forego The Rotor, though. Just thinking about it makes me dizzy. Nice “laugh your troubles away” line. I had forgotten about that. What? No Bun Bar? DQ?
I like the simple things. Crème Brûlée (I found your circumflex. It was in the glove compartment) is my top choice, by miles. The Dairy Bar in No Man’s Land, before its constituent molecules were re-integrated with the universe at large, had a double-scoop Black Raspberry sugar cone that I long to have dripping on the seat of my convertible (if I could be 16 again). And I could happily go all the way back to Nik-L-Nips, the tiny wax bottles full of sugar water…so bad….so good…. But what does it say about the modern world when you find it necessary to point out that “genteel” is the correct spelling?
Very nice going, Mr.Y. Nick-L-Nips. Yes. Right there with those dot things on the paper strips. And The Dairy Bar. Vunderbar. Re “genteel”? I didn’t want it mistaken for you know what- I’m nothing if not PC. Please send my circumflex back- after it has eaten at Apple Pan.
Deserts 2 memorable ones, first was at some diner on Marco Island where they made a chocolate chip cookie in a mini iron skillet with homemade vanilla ice cream, mmmmm. Second was when I was 13 and was at a Bar Mitzvah downtown(grownups had to wear Black Tie). We went to Fritzel’s where at 11:30 at night I had crepe suzettes with hot chocolate. The grownups looked at me like I was nuts. Penny candies, now that is a whole blog in itself. Mary Janes, Atomic Fireballs, Bit-o-Honey Fizzies, lik-m-Aid. Bartoli’s had the greatest collection of candy anywhere.
Wow! You were a big spender at that Bar Mitzvah. Pretty fancy goings-on for a thirteen year old. Penny candy is a blog. (And wax lips. What was up with those?) Thanks for the memories, Mitch.
There is a restaurant in Carlsbad, CA called The Claim Jumper (I think there are a couple of them in the Chicago area) that always serves humungous portions. So my wife Micki and I always lamented that after eating an appetizer and the entrée, we were always too stuffed to have their huge Ice Cream Sundae for dessert. That’s the one that is served in a dish that looks like it could hold of bottle of champagne, has chocolate sauce and nuts on top of tons of vanilla ice cream and has a gooey, sticky caramel sauce running on top and all over the sides of the dish.
So one day we went there and solved our dilemma. We decided to start with dessert and work our way around the menu. We made it through the ice cream and the decadent appetizer combo platter which consisted of Buffalo Wings, Fried Zucchini, Mozzarella Sticks, Loaded Skins, Hand-Battered Onion Rings and Southwest Eggroll with dipping sauces. After being checked out by a cardiologist, we almost literally rolled out of the restaurant without ever ordering an entrée. Definitely the way to go if you don’t care about eating anything with nutritional value!!
On a side note. I am really fascinated that you had dinner with your former husband’s former mistress. My guess is that she was his dessert!?
My cholesterol level just blew its top. And I think that I have to check in to La Costa now. But yes, that is a way to get around that full feeling at the end of dinner and I commend you both on your determination.
Re the mistress. Yep, he had one for six years. With his first wife. I don’t know if he had a maitress en titre when we were married but he was a hound dawg who couldn’t stay on the porch.
My mother – oleva sholem – always looked at the desserts first. Before graduating to the ribs at Mary’s Cupboard, it was always the oliveburger. And I never left tips in the barbeque sauce cup like some of my other NTE friends.
The Olive Burger! I remember it well. Thanks, Fred. And though I never met her, your mom sounded like a doll. Thank you, kiddo. It’s been charming.
Ellen,
See, we DO have some things in common:
1. Loved Fritzels’. (Remember Shangra La across the street on the west side?)
2. Not a big desert guy, either. As far as I’m concerned, the only desert is ice cream…..Especially in the North Woods of America’s Dairy Land.
3. Love your writing!
I do remember Shangri-la, Bernie. Nice recollecting! And I don’t think anyone will argue your last point, today. (They’d better not!)
Dear Ellen:
I think I already knew/know about No Dessert Ellen.
But you were never with me for a holiday celebration at Henry X
parents home which ended with the dessert of desserts: The Diana Torte. No one could resist this amazing concoction of a rich chocolate topping which was covering am amazing vanilla and raspberry ice cream, with raspberries too … what a delicious way to end a meal … and there is probably much more in the Diana Torte, but even if I can not remember all the ingredients of course I still remember the taste. And a little p.s. does not fail to remind us that they came from Gapers or Stop and Shop, which many of us still miss, especially on holiday celebrations.
This does sound divine. But everything that Gapers and/or Stop and Shop was the BEST. Thanks for the name drop. I’m sure it will get a round of applause of lots of people.
There is only one dessert(food) to have if stuck on an island – a Hostess Twinkie. It is reported to have a shelf life of 200 years.
Kenny would argue that although the Twinkie had the atomic number shelf life of a cockroach, he would still rather get stranded with a Hostess Cupcake or a Ding Dong. And come on, Jimmy. Detroit never had a killer dessert?
I will have to agree with Steve Wolff on The Claim Jumper. We have one here in Tucson and the first time I went was on an invitation from my cousin and her husband. I had a chicken fried steak that was as big as a man-hole cover. My cousin warned me about the portions so for dessert we ordered mint chocolate chip ice cream that came out in a huge chunk and there we were with 3 spoons…it was so large, the 3 of us could not finish it. On the subject of desserts, my Mom was raised on a large Indiana farm. My Grandfather had farm hands to help with the crops and at an early age my Mom learned how to cook for all the hands. Over time she learned how to make pies from scratch from my Grandmother who was the Queen of pie makers. Lemon cream(Dad’s Favorite),coconut cream, chocolate cream, apple, rhubarb, and my favorite-cherry. Needless to say I grew up with a sweet tooth for her desserts…I won’t even go into her cakes except every year on my birthday it had to be German sweet chocolate….but now it is very rare that I will even order dessert when eating out. Just call me spoiled!
Nope, I call you lucky. A talented baker like that in the family is seriously God’s gift. What a pleasure to read this tribute. Cream pies are a weakness of mine. And home made? Unreal. Thanks, Steve. Your lucky devil.
yo! the go-pros really sucked in the sixties! but the riverview vids were a hoot! thx
I’m not sure what you didn’t like but I’m glad you dug Riverview. Thanks, Ron (I think.)
Ellen:
I often miss the Thursday blogs . (too much stuff going on in the morning). 1 1/2 years ago I gave up sugar and flour , so dessert is something I never think about. Previously , a serving of ice cream started with an entire pint. But whenever I miss it I share the very thought you expressed …. it says it all . No dessert looks as good as a 25 year old Anderson and Sheppard serge, that fits perfectly (and had a good 15 year respite from wear do to the vagaries of shape that inevitably come with age). Your comparison of “the brownie to a Chanel suit”, is not only perfect, it’s not only for women!
Better late than never, Scott. You make up for it on Sundays with brilliant comments like this one.