Cuba Libre: Chocolate Torte

Bill


Cuba Libre's DC location was one of the recent openings that generated a lot of buzz.  It's a good sign when a restaurant posts a separate dessert menu online, and Cuba Libre's chocolate torte more than delivered on that promise.

The torte has a fabulous interplay of texture and flavor.  It combines a thin soufflé crust, softer inner soufflé, gooey dulce de leche, and a thick chocolate sauce.  Each of these elements is of the highest quality and could stand on its own.  This dessert is a masterpiece of both design and execution.  Count the chocolate torte among our favorites and give it our divine rating.

The pairing of the torte with blueberry compote is odd, but one can ignore it, so it doesn't detract from the dish.  Also note that this is not a traditional soufflé.  The chef intentionally allows the soufflé to sink.  

I'll warn you that not all of Cuba Libre's offerings are up to the torte's standard.  Check out Two DC's review of the restaurant as a whole.  I agree with their "Second Thoughts From B," except I would rate at least the small plates higher than Cheesecake Factory's non5essert offerings.  Check back here for a review of the rum cake.

801 9th St NW Washington, DC 20001
(202) 408-1600

Google Map

Washington Post (Editors' Pick; Readers 1.5/4)

Washingtonian

Washington Life 

Wonkette

Yelp (3/5)

Bread & Chocolate: Chocolate Diamond

Bill

Bread & Chocolate in the West End recreates the atmosphere of a Continental European café.  Its selection and quality of desserts live up to that model.

The chocolate diamond is a box shell hiding five alternating layers of chocolate frosting and moist cake.  The concept alone is enticing.  It pleasantly mixes the textures of a fairly dense cake and chewy icing.  The icing forms a slightly harder shell at the outer layers.  That condenses strong flavors into a small space.  This relatively unique dessert deserves our great rating.

2301 M St, Washington, DC 20037

(202) 833-8360

Google map & reviews (2.5/5)

Washington Examiner

Yelp (2.5/5)

Tripadvisor (3.5/5)

General Rejection: Pitango Gelato

Bill


Pitango Gelato serves something closer to colored ice.  I recently tried two flavors, and it was the worst gelato I've ever tasted.  "Unremarkable" would be too kind a description.  So would "flavored ice."  The base gelato had painfully little flavor.  I couldn't even taste milk.  One of the flavors I tried had some flecks of chocolate, and those tiny elements provided the only texture and flavor beyond ice.  A sign in the shop asserts that you're about to taste the "best gelato."  It isn't even the best gelato within walking distance. 

That said, Pitango will continue to thrive in Logan Circle, mostly for reasons beyond the gelato.  It's open late, unlike many DC dessert places that close before the usual dessert time.  It's near bars and other restaurants.  It has outdoor seating.  It serves cold sugar and fat in bowls.  These attributes make Pitango a nice spot for after-dinner or pre-bar relaxing and people watching.  Just appreciate it for what it has to offer: something completely different from the "best gelato."  If you're looking for great or even decent gelato, skip it.  We'll post reviews of gelato places we like soon.


1451 P St. NW, Washington, DC 20005
(202) 332-8877      

Google map & reviews (3/5)

Washington Post

Washingtonian (Best of Washington: Best Cool Treats: Nutty gelati)

Washingtonian Best Bites Blog: Things We Love: Briche con Gelato at Pitango Gelato

Washington Examiner

DCist

Yelp (4/5)

Daily Grill: Double Chocolate Layer Cake

Bill


The Daily Grill's Double Chocolate Layer Cake is soft and dense.  It has a heavy dark chocolate flavor.  The dish has a great ratio of frosting to cake.  The frosting doesn't have to compensate for a poor cake; this cake is good enough to stand on its own. The raspberry sauce is an excellent compliment.  This cake gets our great rating. 

1200 18th St NW # 2, Washington, DC 20036
(202) 822-5282      

Google map & reviews (2.5/5)

Washington Post

Yelp (3/5)

Yahoo! (4/5)

Firehook Bakery: Presidential Sweet Cookie

Bill


This cookie is Firehook’s most unique, and it earns significant points for the concept. The presidential sweet cookie is made with chocolate chips, coconut, sun-dried cherries, rolled oats, espresso powder, pecan pieces, and vanilla. No, really. It works, and when it is good, it is divine. The wild hodgepodge of textures and flavors provides a fantastic, unique experience. Unfortunately, there is a consistency risk with the presidential sweet cookie, but lower than with the chocolate espresso cookie. It still ranks as one of our favorites and gets our divine rating.

1909 Q St NW, Washington, DC 20009
(202) 588-9296

Google map & reviews

Washington Post (Editors' Pick)

Yelp (3/5)

Yahoo! (3.5/5)

Firehook Bakery: Chocolate Espresso Cookie

Bill


When Firehook’s chocolate espresso cookie reaches its potential, it is almost one of our favorites. Its primary flavor elements are chocolate chips, espresso powder, and vanilla. That’s a great mix, but the final product is even better than the sum of its parts. The cookie looks like a chocolate version of molten rock: gooey rivers of chocolatey awesomeness run between mounds of soft cookie goodness with thin, flaky caps. It’s not quite a favorite because the walnut pieces, although small and few, break up the flow of the more flavorful elements, and there’s a consistency risk.

The consistency risk is that this cookie is sometimes hard and dry. When that happens, it would be a bad cookie at a grocery store, and something a specialty bakery like Firehook should be embarrassed to serve. That’s the version of the cookie I found in this review.  This cookie could approach the divine rating, but with the consistency risk, the best it deserves is great.


1909 Q St NW, Washington, DC 20009
(202) 588-9296

Google map & reviews

Washington Post (Editors' Pick)

Yelp (3/5)

Yahoo! (3.5/5)

FroZenYo: General Endorsement

Bill

FroZenYo is a new player in the DC dessert game, and it wins our endorsement.  You grab a big cup, fill it with any combination of flavors and toppings, then pay for it by weight.  Bonus:  you can add fudge or caramel after you weigh it.  Most frozen yogurt shops, especially those that followed the relatively recent pinkberry trend, serve either tart or mildly flavored yogurt, and you’re expected to turn that into a dessert by adding toppings.  FroZenYo finds ways to mix the necessary milky flavor of yogurt with other elements in ways that not only maintain the flavors, but even make them pop.  I didn’t think that was even possible.  You don’t need the toppings, because these flavors can stand on their own. 

I specifically recommend FroZenYo’s cheesecake, pumpkin pie, and dulce de leche flavors.  These flavors win our divine rating.  The pumpkin pie yogurt has a depth of pumpkin pie flavor that’s deeper than an average pumpkin pie.  The red velvet cake yogurt was good, but disappointing compared to the other flavors I tried.  Add this growing chain to our favorites.  The only negative at the Downtown location is a seating shortage.

FroZenYo currently has three locations, but an aggressive expansion plan.  We hope its growth forces other dessert purveyors to improve their offerings.

1006 F St NW, Washington, DC 20004

(202) 347-1414

Google map & reviews (5/5 from 2 displayed ratings)

Washington City Paper

Washington Life

The Hill

Yelp (4/5)

The Hungry District

Two DC

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