Sweets News: Early Summer Edition

Here are your Sweets News items for May 27, 2011:

• The temperatures are climbing, and just in time for the summer weather, Payard Bakery (116 West Houston St.) is serving up delectable macaron ice cream bars. The bars come in flavors like chocolate brownie with Mexican vanilla bean ice cream, toasted coconut with coconut mango sorbet, and berry with strawberry cheesecake ice cream. I still miss Payard's original location on Lexington Avenue, but I'm happy to travel to the Plaza Hotel or West Houston Street to sample the sweets.

• On May 29, a plethora of summer sweets like Coolhaus' ice cream sandwiches and Brewla Bars will be gracing the Fulton Stall Market at the South Street Seaport. The market, which will sell all sorts of edibles, is celebrating its third year on Fulton Street and will be open every Sunday from 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Other vendors include Grandaisy Bakery and The Groovy Baker.

Alloro

You could be forgiven for assuming that Alloro was just another of the many red-sauce Italian restaurants that the Upper East Side seems to be so fond of. The room, with its black candelabras and emerald-green nailhead chairs, evokes Old World charm. The food, however, is surprisingly - and excitingly - contemporary. Sweet flavors such as licorice, cocoa and coffee show up in unexpected places; a caramelized sherry enlivens coffee-dusted cauliflower foam to accompany seared salmon. This is the dish I ordered for my main course; the foam reminded me of a savory version of tiramisu's mascarpone filling. But let me start from the beginning.

The server mentioned a cacio e pepe gnocchi with mint dish and a zucchini flower appetizer. We decided on the latter, which was a dish of four delectable, greaseless battered blossoms stuffed full of anchovy-flecked mozzarella, served with a scoop of tomato sorbet and a slice of prosciutto-topped focaccia. I also couldn't resist the burrata three ways. The decadent cheese was layered with olive-oil soaked crostini, and served as a creamy-centered fritter, and as a round mold of cheese with salty salmon roe hiding inside.

In addition to the aforementioned salmon, we ordered what was perhaps the most conservative item on the menu: penne in tomato sauce with melted mozzarella and basil oil. Even this dish was special; it was punctuated with a crisp fried basil leaf. I should mention that for those who are following a gluten-free diet (this is not me), Alloro will happily oblige you with gluten-free pasta. (I wonder if they do a gluten-free version of their homemade sheep ricotta, pecorino and pear ravioli tossed in butter and poppy seeds.)

The dessert menu seemed to include a lot of fruit soups; we bypassed these, instead ordering strawberry and chocolate four ways and a white chocolate parfait. Although I didn't try the latter, as I'm not a big white chocolate fan, I will describe my strawberry chocolate dessert. The chocolate-drizzled plate included a dark chocolate truffle, a scoop of ice cream that tasted intensely of fresh strawberries, a strawberry parfait with cream, and a mint-garnished chocolate mousse. I still can't decide which was my favorite.

Alloro: 307 East 77th St., (212) 535-2866.

Yakitori Tori Shin

As I wrote in a previous post, I really miss Midtown East's Yakitori Torys. Fortunately, there's a great yakitori place that's not too far away: Yakitori Tori Shin. This very authentic restaurant specializes in exotic chicken parts, but there is much more on the menu. The other night, my companion and I went there to check it out. At the risk of sounding corny, I could liken our meal to a succession of fireworks, with each bite more impressive than the last (and only one dud).

The dim, smoky room was already packed early in the evening; reservations are strongly recommended at this place. We sat at one end of the bar and watched as people who were much more familiar with the menu ordered dish after dish. If I had to do things over again, I think I would have followed their lead, ordering the special chicken meatball served with a dish of egg (which came first?) and a buttered shiitake stuffed with chicken breast meat.

We began with the tsukune, which is one of my favorite dishes at Yakitori Totto. Unfortunately, although this meatball was fragrant with scallions, it was filled with little nibs of unpalatable gristle. I was very disappointed. Everything else was delicious, though, even if it seemed as though we waited 20 minutes for the next bite to arrive.

A skewer of three chunks of sauce-lacquered chicken liver was very tasty. Grilled zucchini strips came with a wonderful spicy mayo. Creamy Japanese eggplant was embellished with feathery bonito flakes. Then came the skewers of sweet soy chicken and the chicken with piquant yuzu-kosho. Atsu-age, or fried tofu, was as delicious as the chicken, with its sharp soy-and-scallion seasoning. Gingko nuts were better than popcorn. We had fun watching the white-jacketed chefs inspect every skewer and sprinkle it with seasoning. The most indelible taste of the night was definitely our last bite: the pork belly. A cherry tomato was encased in slightly charred, tender pork belly meat daubed with spicy citrus paste and topped with shredded shiso leaves. The tomato burst with hot, sweet juice - culinary fireworks.

Yakitori Tori Shin: 1193 First Ave., (212) 988-8408.

Mother's Day at Radiance Tea House & Books

I needed a place to celebrate Mother's Day, and I had a pretty tall order to fill. We were meeting our friends the Olives, who have two little girls, one of whom is an avid reader. Both girls love rice and miso soup. We also had someone in our party who avoids all wheat, spices and added oils, several people who were trying to save money, and my very active 16-month-old toddler (Baby Vates), who only seems to eat pancakes. What to do?

I found the perfect answer in Radiance Tea House & Books. A surprisingly serene oasis near Times Square, the restaurant features an inexpensive menu of dumplings, rice bowls, salads, and noodles, as well as an impressive tea list and a beautiful selection of ceramics for sale. There were books for the Olives, gluten-free dishes, bowls of miso soup, and plenty of room for my little one to toddle around (although I had to make sure that he didn't try to go down the staircase). Best of all, everything ranged around $10.

We ordered a plate of steamed bok choy, which was seasoned with a light soy sauce. Chewy, translucent vegetable dumplings arrived with ponzu; unfortunately, Baby Vates was not interested in the slightest. I instead occupied him with cranberry sesame crackers, the same ones that came with our tea. Our gluten-free parties were satisfied with shrimp/mango and teriyaki salmon rice bowls, and I devoured a salmon salad with a peanut dressing, which was loaded with avocado slices, mango, and sweet five-spiced roasted pecans.

Baby Vates started to roam the place. He was taking the gift boxes of tea apart, so I ordered him some almond tofu with strawberry sauce and fresh strawberries to try to distract him. Again, he was not interested, so I ended up eating the dessert; it was light and refreshing. There was also a tea-colored dragon fruit dessert for Mother's Day - this was an acquired taste.

I can't say that I didn't envy the solo diners relaxing over a pot of premium rose tea and books about Chinese brush painting, but I did have a swell time.

Radiance Tea House & Books: 158 West 55th St., (212) 217-0442.

Sweets News

I stopped by the Redeye Grill (890 7th Ave., 212-541-9000) tonight to preview this special dessert, which was conceived in honor of the Kentucky Derby. This very R-rated mint julep pie, which comes with a snifter of Jim Beam, will be offered from 3 p.m. onward at The Redeye, Trattoria Dell’Arte, Café Fiorello and Bond 45. The dessert will only be available on Saturday - stop by and try it, and if you absolutely must have it again, E-mail me for the recipe. Here is my own personal account of the dessert: it's a thick, creamy mint ice cream pie on a chocolate cookie crust, topped with a mountain of freshly whipped, slightly sweetened cream and served with a decadent caramel-bourbon sauce. The best way to eat this pie is to alternate bites with sips of bourbon; the bourbon adds an extra-buttery aftertaste.

In case you'd like a less caloric treat, the classic Mint Julep, which is the official beverage of the Kentucky Derby, will be served at all four restaurants. It's supposed to be sunny and in the 70's this Saturday - perfect for a dose of minty refreshment.