Malted praline sundae,
BLT Prime
No dinner is complete without a little something sweet to conclude the meal. The Manhattan dining experience offers any number of opportunities, and I’ve provided a small selection of highlights.
– BLT Prime: Malted praline sundae. Recommended to me by a friend who frequents this restaurant, I decided to order it to understand why she was pushing this particular dessert. I was not disappointed – crunchy praline, the sharp crackle of caramelized sugar complemented by the malted vanilla ice cream made this particularly satisfying. Though it was shared between two of us, this might be one you could tackle yourself (if you go light on the steak and potatoes, that is).
– Commerce: The coconut cake. My first experience at this West Village restaurant was specifically for drinks and dessert. The slice appeared, the edges covered in flaky toasted coconut. The frosting is creamy without being heavy and has slight hints of vanilla, and the cake is fluffy with the added texture of shredded coconut dispersed throughout the batter. A wonderful way to end a night! I have also tried the birthday cake, and the highlight was that the frosting is completely coated in rainbow sprinkles, adding a different consistency alongside a serving of nostalgia.
– Hakkasan: coconut pudding. This upscale Chinese spot did not disappoint. The pudding had a rich flavor, assisted by the accompanying coconut sorbet, and the lime financier was an unexpected, but not unwelcome addition. The combination, topped with the dried slice of pineapple on top, provided a light and satiating experience without being overwhelmingly sweet. This is one I would certainly order again (especially because I will not be attempting to recreate this in my kitchen).
– Strip House: 24-layer chocolate cake. I will admit, I first heard of this towering wonder on an edition of “The Best Thing I Ever Ate.” A slight novelty, this dessert presents layer upon layer of chocolate fudgy frosting and devil’s food cake. There were three of us at the table, and we barely made it through a third of the multi-layered confection.
– STK: little ice creams. This is another that made the list more for the presentation than for the taste – they must scoop the ice cream and pre-freeze the cones, because they come out of the kitchen quite hard. I would recommend allowing them to warm up slightly to allow for optimal enjoyment. One word of caution: don’t bother with the birthday cake – heaps of sugary pink frosting don’t make up for the general “meh” of the cake (you can see it lurking in the back of the picture above).
Bon appetit!
Until next time,
SugarSource
SugarSource 