Just (Summer) Desserts
By Kimberly Stolz |
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Worthington Inn (Photo by Kimberly Stolz) 
Plantain Cafe (Photo by Kimberly Stolz) 
Da Levee (Photo by Kimberly Stolz) Sumptuous Strawberries
According to legend, when the gorgeous, but unfortunately mortal, Adonis died, the goddess of love, Aphrodite, was so distraught that she wept such tears of sorrow that the watery drops fell to the ground as strawberries. The strawberry, shaped like a little heart wearing its seeds on its juicy sleeve, became known as the fruit of love and seduction. Nothing tastes quite like summer as much as a fresh strawberry, ripened under the rays of the sun. Seducing us with its plumpness, a shared doubled-strawberry is a sign of imminent love. One of the loveliest places in town to fall in love, the quietly exquisite Worthington Inn, presents its ode to the first berry of the season in the form of Strawberries Molly ($8). A haute cuisine twist on that ol' picnic stalwart, Strawberry Shortcake, Chef Thomas Smith's version features shortcake, white chocolate mousse, whipped sweet cream, and thinly-sliced berries swimming in their own juice. The short cake is split in two, sandwiching the weightless mousse with a swirling top hat of whipped cream. Presented like a castle of airy sweetness, surrounded by a moat of strawberry deliciousness, the dessert is even better when shared by twilight on the Inn's charming porch. Named after Chef Smith's young daughter, Strawberries Molly is as sweet and simple as a young girl's blush on a summer evening.
Worthington Inn
649 N High St., Worthington
(614) 885-2600
www.worthingtoninn.com
One Cool Custard
Summer desserts are usually relegated to the frozen category. This summer, break out of the icebox and indulge in treats that not only crank up the flavor, but also lower your temperature. It stands to reason that a cuisine based in a hot climate would know how to end a meal on a cooling note. Cue a visit to Plantain Cafe, the Cuban food outpost perched on the Gay Street strip. At this skinny slice of an eatery, one can't go wrong grabbing lunch under one of the big umbrellas out front. Watching the clash of downtown business suits and indie anti-fashionistas parade by just makes the meal that much more fun. Natilla ($4) is the only dessert on the menu, unless you consider the Maduros ($3.75): fried and plump, these just-this-side-of-overripe plantains straddle the border between savory and sweet, making for a scrumptious meal-ender. Natilla is a Cuban comfort dessert, one of those, "I remember my grandmother making . . ." recipes that is said to cure everything from the blues to the midday heat wave. Jiggling somewhere between a flan and a creme brulee, Natilla lacks the signature caramel of the former and the crunchy top of the latter. Infused with a hint of lime and a heavy dose of cinnamon, this custard is served chilled. The smoothness of the custard, made rich with egg yolks and vanilla, is indeed comforting and the chill, refreshing. Natilla is a unique way to cool down as the sidewalk parade heats up.
Plantain Café
77 E Gay St.
(614) 464-2822
www.plantaincafe.com
Fit for The King
Recently, someone commented on Facebook that Da Levee's Elvis Pie ($3) was "life-altering." With a kudo that strong, checking out this pie was a no-brainer. Don't know about you, but the mind's eye picture of the Memphis gyrator grooving on the beach in Blue Hawaii hasn't faded after all these years. Not to mention the fact that Elvis' death date falls during the dog days and thus marks him as an immortal prince of summer. Elvis Pie is one of those no-bake, laid-back pies so dense with flavor that everyone protests they can't possibly eat the whole slice, while simultaneously using a dainty finger to get every bit off the plate. Featuring flavor shout-outs to the King's three preferred food groups - peanut butter, bananas and chocolate - this pie is an American trilogy of tastes. Unlike other peanut butter-based desserts, this one doesn't knock you over the head with nuttiness; rather, it provides a smooth kissin' cousins interplay between chocolate and p.b. Big hunks of banana shake up the creamy consistency, which is held together by a crushed chocolate-cookie pie crust. If all you're hankerin' for is a taste, Da Levee also sells a "dessert shot," ($0.50) that is a wee cup of the p.b. filling. Chef Justin Boehme definitely had his mojo workin' when putting together this delicious treat, making it the King Creole of the New Orleans menu.
Da Levee
765 N High St.
(317) 250-8847
www.dalevee.com
Originally Published: July 1, 2010
