Demel

It's pouring out today, but if you can bring yourself to leave the apartment, there's a cozy new bakery-cafe you must check out. About a week ago, Austria's famous Demel (founded 1786) set up shop down in the depths of the Plaza's retail area. If you go, I recommend that you order a double espresso with whipped cream (all coffee comes with sugared, chocolate-covered hazelnuts) while you make your selection from one of the most enticing dessert menus in the city. Then, sit back and hope your selection hasn't already been consumed by another lucky patron! When I visited yesterday, I delighted in the warm milk souffle cake with a flask of thick vanilla cream, the dense chocolate truffle cake, the yogurt cheesecake layered with raspberries, and a slice of pound cake topped with strawberries and kiwis. But the signature Viennese apple strudel, Sacher torte and chocolate nougat cakes were but a memory.

Apparently, pastry chefs Edward Jemal and Rahout Michael make daily deliveries to Demel, but if this insatiable demand continues, they will have to deliver on the hour!

Demel: The Plaza Retail Collection, 1 West 58th St., (212) 572-0989.

Zenkichi

In its own simple way, Zenkichi is one of the most beautiful restaurants in Brooklyn. The dark, wood-paneled triplex is a labyrinth of hushed, narrow hallways lined with semi-private dining rooms. Each little room is separated by a bamboo curtain, which the server opens and closes. (If you order the multi-course omakase, as my companion and I did, there's a lot of opening and closing!) The place reminded me of Higashi-Yama Tokyo.

The $48 omakase menu changes every five weeks, and can be accompanied by a flight of sake. Our sakes were arranged in order of sweetness, and contained notes of dark chocolate, citrus and cantaloupe. My favorite was the Shichiken Junmai Ginjo (the chocolatey one). (There is also an assortment of dessert sakes, but I'll have to save those for the next visit!)

Our first course was a bowl of soup made hearty with strips of fried tofu. Then it was time for sashimi: slices of seasoned bigeye tuna atop a bed of julienned peppers, carrots and onions, rich monkfish liver seasoned with Japanese lime, and clean-tasting sea bream.

A yuzu-dressed baby arugula salad featured small chunks of free-range chicken and hen-of-the-woods mushrooms from Shizuoka. Disks of sea-urchin-stuffed fluke tempura were so tasty that we later ordered another tempura dish from the a la carte menu: tiger shrimp oozing with melted squares of Camembert. The tempura was accompanied by sprays of green tea salt and bowls of tentsuyu. (I love green tea salt and wish they served it on popcorn in movie theatres.)

Luscious black cod was lovingly prepared, marinated in salt for one night and Kyoto miso for two. The sake-scented fish was sweet and melted like butter. Tiger shrimp shinjo were two small shrimp/fish cake balls in a subtle broth. (For this course, the diner has a choice between shinjo and slow-cooked pork belly.) The final course before dessert was a plate of seared Mishima beef sushi, accented with ginger garlic soy sauce.

We really indulged in dessert, ordering three more items in addition to the dense chocolate cake with yuzu-topped yogurt-honey ice cream! My companion dug into a soft kabocha pumpkin pudding with ginger syrup and toasted pumpkin seeds, I finished off the nutty kinako cheesecake, and we both cleansed our palates with a grapefruit half filled with bright red grapefruit jelly. I suppose we'll be back in five weeks to see what else the chef has in store for us!

Zenkichi Modern Japanese Brasserie: (718) 388-8985, 77 North 6th St., Brooklyn.

Pure Dark

Does the cold weather have you craving a pick-me-up? You'll find one at the new Pure Dark chocolate shop on Bleecker. Open since the beginning of October, the rustic store sells only the highest-quality, highest-cocoa-content (50% and up) dark chocolate. You can buy it in a slab, a nib or a hunk of bark. But the most unique way to consume it is at the mixing bar! Four different blends of chocolate nibs, fruits and nuts are sold, but you can also hand-pick your own "custom mix" of, say, chocolate, walnuts, and cranberries. This delicious yet nutritious trail mix will give you plenty of energy for your holiday shopping. And if you plan to do your holiday shopping at Pure Dark, here's a cool gift idea: layer a clear, multi-tiered vase with different chocolate mixes.

(Note to bloggers: Apparently, the taking of photos is strictly prohibited inside this store, as I found out when I tried to snap one with my cell phone. This is a shame - if more restaurants and shops institute this rule, it's going to make our job a lot harder!)

Pure Dark: 350 Bleecker St., (212) 367-0920.

Al Di La

To visit Al Di La on a Sunday night is to enter a world where there is no recession. People angle for a good spot in the line out the door, and pepper the host with endless questions about the optimal time for scoring a table. "I'm very sorry, but I don't know what the wait will be at 7." It has been this way for ten years, ever since the little Italian restaurant (arguably the best in Park Slope) opened. The no-reservations policy and cramped communal tables dissuade no one from luxuriating in the wonderful tastes and smells that emanate from chef Anna Klinger's kitchen.

My last dinner at Al Di La had been about five years ago, but I noticed that the menu still listed those delicious malfatti and casunziei, and the hanger steak with arugula that is my companion's favorite. What to order? Rabbit with creamy polenta and olives? Risotto nero? Along came the waiter to make our decision more difficult: anchovy-dressed green salad, homemade spaghetti with lamb ragu, oh, and "there are only two more orders of short ribs." My friend and I started with the special saba-dressed greens, which arrived with fresh rosemary-scented focaccia and a small hunk of buttery Taleggio. The light, sweet, grapey dressing matched the plump cooked white grapes in the focaccia.

I ordered the linguine with clams - simple is beautiful! Lots of minced garlic and the perfect amount of red pepper (my mouth was pleasantly warmed after each bite) made this one of the best versions ever. My friend let me try her spaghetti with lamb ragu - lots of sharp pecorino and pepper livened up the rich, stick-to-your-ribs meat sauce. Our side dish was a bowl of red beets with creamy goat cheese dressing.

We were stuffed, but skipping dessert at Al Di La is a grievous offense. Although the specials included an apricot almond tart, a lime-leaf panna cotta and fig ricotta gelato, I remembered that incredibly buttery warm pear chocolate tart with the big melted dark chocolate chips and the dollop of fresh whipped cream, and that is what I devoured. My friend, who normally doesn't do dessert, finished off a tall glass of large blocks of frozen chocolate-hazelnut fudge (gianduiotto). Two glasses of port, and I wondered why I don't make the trip out to Park Slope more often. (Port makes the R train a little more bearable.)

Al Di La: 248 5th Ave., Brooklyn, (718) 636-8888.

Sweets News

• If you want to consume a lot of sweets while simultaneously burning off the calories, do I have an event for you! Bruce Scher of Walking Tours Manhattan will be leading a "Free NYC Dessert Fest" chocolate/gelato/cupcake tour on Sunday, Dec. 7 at 10:30 am. Meet at the West Village's Magnolia Bakery (401 Bleecker St.), and look for the guy wearing a red baseball hat with the "Free NYC Dessert Fest" logo. The tour will last around 2 hours, but the sweet memories will last a lot longer.

• Looking for that unique Thanksgiving dessert? The Chocolate Room Brooklyn is baking up a limited amount of their spectacular chocolate pecan pies. Call (718) 783-2900 to place an order.

The 11th Annual Chocolate Show

Pulsating music courses through the speakers, and giant glossies of red-lipped models decorate the entrance to Pier 94. But don't worry, you haven't wandered into a fashion show by mistake; this year's Chocolate Show just has an extra emphasis on style. The visual focus extends to many of the chocolates!

Virginie Duroc-Danner of France fashions extraordinarily beautiful confections in many different colors. Her bright crocodile boxes filled with truffles make a great gift, and children will clamor for her ladybugs and teddy bears filled with salted butter toffee.

Christopher Michael and Christopher Norman also offer ornate, multicolored chocolates. The Mary's of Japan exhibit showcases a new line of ganaches decorated with delicate Japanese flowers - you can watch the chocolatiers hand-painting them. Boissier is selling pink tins of little chocolate petals. Romanicos is selling smart-looking chocolate sushi. Those who covet an attractive wrapper as much as its contents will want to visit the Bloomsberry stand.

This year's chocolate-dressed mannequins feature Wonder Woman, Batgirl and Iron Man costumes. And if you want to see a master chocolatier create a work of art before your very eyes, don't forget to see Derrick Pho's homage-in-progress to our new President-elect! Pho's medium is Callebaut.

You might be thinking, "Yes, I want to see everything, but I also want to TASTE everything!" Here are my tasting tips:

• The Valrhona stand is verrry generous with the samples (dark chocolate orange peels, mmm). (Don't forget to visit the new Valrhona Boutique at the Food Emporium at 1175 Third Ave. In other openings, the new Lily O'Brien's Chocolate Cafe is opening at 36 West 40th Street in mid-December.)

• An absolute must-try: the Guido Gobino goodies. I had the opportunity to interview this master of gianduja for an upcoming article in Dessert Professional, and I can tell you that there is nothing on the planet like Gobino's olive oil/sea salt cremini. You can't find them at any store in the U.S., so stock up at the show!

• This year, you can find Mexican hot chocolate at the Chuao Chocolate stand, and espresso cocoa at Chocolat Moderne.

• Fairytale Brownies are back with Belgian chocolate cream-cheese brownies.
  

• One of the most exotic tastes you will encounter is the "Pig Candy" at Roni-Sue's - it's chocolate-covered deep-fried bacon! Roni-Sue also has a new line of pumpkin spice truffles - just in time for Thanksgiving.
  

• But if you're a chocolate purist, go for the single-origin, 67% cacao bars at the Republica Del Cacao. According to the vendor, the Maniba bar has a hint of mango because the beans are grown near mango trees. Also, make sure to snag a bunch of couverture wafers at Guittard. (Guittard is always forthcoming with the samples!)
  

Finally, if you plan to eat so much chocolate that you develop stretch marks, your last stop should be Palmer's, where you can pick up a jar of cocoa butter lotion.

The 11th Annual Chocolate Show: Pier 94 (12th Ave. @ West 55th St.)

New York Taste 2008

I've just returned from the 2008 edition of New York Taste, a/k/a "The Most Dangerously Gut-Busting Event in NYC." This year, the gala was held in the 18,000-square-foot Skylight. Somehow, in the midst of all the food and drink and fabulous people, I ran into HungryMan and Nosher, my buddies from NYCNosh. "So, Salli Vates, what is a must-try?" they asked me.

"Well," I began, "you've got to have Le Bernardin's brown butter cream topped with sweet potato caviar and pistachios, with a bottom layer of red wine caramel. Maybe you're not ready for dessert yet, but it's one of the most spellbinding dishes I've tried tonight." HungryMan and Nosher hurried over to the Le Bernardin table (well, as fast as you can hurry in a crowd as dense as the 6 train during rush hour). They heartily agreed with me. "What else?"

"Hmm. Well, I really liked the two chefs from across the pond, Tom Aikens and Anthony Demetre. Aikens has a delicious salt cod brandade salad; it looks like a miniature English garden with dill, scallions, cucumber and yellow edible flowers. And Demetre is serving a tender smoked eel with horseradish. Oh, and you must eat Adour's chocolate-hazelnut croustillant with orange granita!" Nosher thought the granita had a bit too much ginger, but everyone agreed about the brandade.

Some other dishes I really enjoyed were: The Spotted Pig's flavorful haddock chowder topped with a homemade cracker; the goose breast with chestnut dumplings of Table 8, a restaurant due to open at the Cooper Square Hotel in December; Anita Lo's subtle tea-smoked salmon, Allegretti's Provencal deboned rabbit; and Eighty-One's plump seared scallop with truffled celery root puree in a chestnut bacon broth. Wait, I'm forgetting something. Well, Craftsteak was serving up Wagyu brisket and truffled grits, and Riingo had a miso-cured salmon, and Craig Koketsu featured some wild savory caramel apples in bacon, pumpkin seed and sage flavors.

Of course, there was alcohol galore, both edible and drinkable. Chef Carmen Gonzalez, who is releasing an exciting new cookbook, served a full menu using Bacardi flavored rums. I loved her flan with orange Bacardi-spiked salsa. Her other offerings were pork bites, seared tuna and coquitos. I had to be careful, though - last year, I indulged in too much drink. So, even though there was a lot of Domaine de Canton ginger liqueur and red wine, I mostly stuck to the Fiji water! All the better to eat it with, my dear.

Finally, it was time to focus on dessert. HungryMan, Nosher and I missed the presence of Payard, but we made sure to dig into Oceana's rectangle of chocolate/peanut butter mousse with green apple gelee and the one-bite hot chocolate "lollipop" donuts from Blaue Gans. HungryMan dared me to have another helping of the brown butter cream - but I couldn't.

However, I made sure to enter the Virgin Atlantic raffle. If I win two tickets to London, I'm heading straight to Tom Aiken's restaurant! By that time, I will have regained my appetite.