Yet Another Reason To Eat Chocolate...

Here's some good news for chocoholics! After reading this article, I feel even more justified in my decision to order that large dark chocolate gelato at Cones (see below post).

Cones

On Blackout Thursday, I was struck by a mortal craving for the dark chocolate gelato at Cones. Alas, I was in the thick of the crowd on the Brooklyn Bridge, inching towards home. I could only daydream about this cold, creamy treat made with three kinds of Dutch and German chocolate. I thought of Cones' fresh homemade whipped cream and visualized the glass case full of scrumptious flavors. Although my heart belongs to the dark chocolate gelato, I also enjoy the chocolate almond and dulce de leche varieties. Needless to say, when the lights came back on, I made a beeline for Cones.

Cones: 272 Bleecker St., (212) 414-1795. Open till 1 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays!

Quartino

Most of the mahogany-paneled restaurants downtown are billed as having been open since 1600, and they specialize in giant steaks seemingly aged since then. Therefore, it is refreshing to walk into the high-ceilinged, airy Quartino, a Ligurian restaurant tucked away below the Brooklyn Bridge exit ramp. I never expected to find such an oasis of charm just one block away from South Street!

Quartino bottles its own wine, makes its own pasta, and buys fresh fish from the Seaport every day. Chef Ivo Rossi is passionate about his peppery Ligurian olive oil and his organic crusty bread. I ate so much of this bread today that I worried about finishing my entrée. No matter, I inhaled the al dente fettucini with sweet cherry tomatoes, strips of basil and melted chunks of mozzarella in a split second. (Other pastas on the menu include vegetable ravioli in walnut sauce and pappardelle al pesto.) If you want something lighter, there are panini, pizzas and a salad of Sicilian tuna, string beans and potatoes. (Of course, if you want something heavier, by all means order the moist bittersweet chocolate cake!)

There have been so many times when I've unsuccessfully roamed the Seaport in search of something yummy. From now on, I'll head straight over to the corner of Peck Slip and Water Street!

Quartino: 21 Peck Slip, (212) 349-4433. Look for the umbrellas.

An Exquisite Evening: Dinner at Sushi Yasuda, Dessert at ChikaLicious Dessert Bar

I wish every night could be as wonderful as this one. Tonight, my companion and I feasted on innumerable varieties of fish at Sushi Yasuda, then continued the feast with a three-course dessert at ChikaLicious Dessert Bar.

Sushi Yasuda, named for its chef, is a shrine to the art of sushi. The sushi menu is categorized by the type of fish. There are five kinds of eel and seven cuts of tuna alone! Every night, Chef Yasuda circles his personal recommendations on the a la carte menu.

We began with a couple of intriguing seafood appetizers that we hadn't seen elsewhere: chunks of fried tuna in a light starchy batter, and flash-fried eel backbones. The latter were vaguely reminiscent of cracklings and had that same addictive property. We then tried some of the special fish of the evening: charred, sweet barbecued white eel, medium-fatty tuna that almost fell apart with tenderness, and wild salmon roe that were deliciously salty and fresh. Some other establishments serve pre-packaged eel and sugary roe; it is difficult not to be spoiled by the high quality at Sushi Yasuda.

Although some diners opt for the omakase (chef's choice), Sushi Yasuda also lets the diner choose the fish for his sushi or sashimi dinner. I like rich, oily fish, so I ordered mackerel, salmon, Spanish mackerel, kampachi (a type of yellowtail) and butterfish. Five piles of heaven!

After a mug of brown tea, it was time to cab it over to the East Village for dessert at ChikaLicious Dessert Bar, which opened just two weeks ago.

ChikaLicious is like your best friend's kitchen, if your best friend just happens to be a gourmet chef. As you sit expectantly at the marble countertop, you can watch Chef Chika zest a lemon over a bowl of slivered almonds in preparation for her delicious almond florentines. I was so fascinated by her activity that it took me a second to focus on the amuse bouche: a spoonful of brown sugar panna cotta marked with a roasted pistachio. A second treat soon appeared: a glass of yogurt sorbet with kiwi slices soaked in a sweet lavender syrup. The sugar focused my concentration, and I realized that I needed to try the chocolate baba au rhum with whipped cream and strawberry salad. It was impossible to resist the sight of all those small chocolate puffed cakes! The warm chocolate tart called to my companion. Everything was so delicious that it took us about two minutes to devour it all. But dessert was not yet over! A plate of beautiful petits fours soon arrived: homemade coconut marshmallows, chocolate basil truffles, and the afore-mentioned almond florentines. I think I'll go back tomorrow.

Sushi Yasuda: 204 E. 43rd St., (212) 972-1001 . Chikalicious Dessert Bar: 203 E. 10th St., (212) 995-9511.

New York's Most Decadent Sandwich

You are probably thinking of the corned beef at Katz's Deli. Instead, try to picture two thick slices of grilled chocolate bread oozing with melted Belgian chocolate chips, chocolate syrup and Nutella. Add banana slices, whipped cream and raspberries to the image. Where can you find this strange, yet wonderful concoction? At the Museum Of Natural History's temporary "Chocolate Cafe". Make sure to get there by the end of August!

Chocolate Cafe: American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West and 79th St., (212) 769-5000.