Sweets With Your Sweetie

Whoever said, “Life is short; eat dessert first,” could make a feast of the final courses served by some of our most popular restaurants. We asked local restaurateurs to choose their menus’ favorites for couples to share.

Subscribing to another philosophy that sharing a dessert negates all the calories, go ahead and indulge! (If you need an excuse to follow that maxim, think romance. February is the month for it, after all. )

Kevin Thai (honest!), manager of Spices Bay Thai Kitchen, Meechai Thai Cuisine and Royal Spices Thai Cuisine, endorses the exotic fried banana with coconut or thai tea ice cream. “We put the dessert on one plate for a couple,” he says. For those concerned about the word, fried, he assures us that his restaurants use “zero trans fat oil.”

Gabe Nicolella, general manager of Dick’s Last Resort, proclaims his peanut butter pie the romantic choice because “It’s so rich and decadent. It’s something you eat slowly and enjoy.” Just consider a graham cracker crust holding a peanut butter, cheesecake filling covered with whipped cream a chocolate syrup drizzle. The “very big slice” discourages dueling forks. 

Pies also light up the eyes of Mark McCullough, manager of Kansas City Barbeque. Both the sweet potato and the walnut pie are made fresh at the restaurant. And both are just a little bit different from the more familiar pumpkin and pecan varieties, adding an element of adventure to the sweet sensation, he says. 

Cake fanciers follow Josh Barkelew, manager of Roppongi, who recommends the chocolate decadence lava cake. Vanilla gelato cools the melted chocolate center of this truly gooey dessert. Raspberry sauce and a strawberry heart enhance the plate and emphasize the romance, he says. 

Demetrio Cesena, assistant manager of Richard Walker’s Pancake House, had no hesitation in choosing the apple pancake for romantic couples. The oven-baked treat features apples sautéed in butter within a crispy crust and caramelized sugar. Not only is it big enough for two to share, he says, “You take a bite and feel like you’re in heaven!”

Sue Silva, Manager of Sammy’s Woodfired Pizza in Mission Valley, says the famous messy sundae is a natural choice for lovers. “It’s really big and messy topped with whipped cream and full of chocolate and caramel just running all over the dish, the plate, everywhere,” she says. “If you get messy eating it, you can lick it off each other!”

Dean Kalamaras of California Cuisine couldn’t decide between the warm Belgian chocolate whiskey torte with cream Chantilly and the banana dark chocolate strudel with dulce de leche (ice cream). “People talk about that one a lot,” he says of the banana strudel.

Stephanie Rosas of House of Blues shares the white chocolate banana bread pudding served warm with her husband whenever they come in together. “It’s amazing, with a Jack Daniels glaze and caramel halo,” she says. “And  it’s a really large portion, so you have to share it.”

Guilt be gone! Welcome, pleasure!