Best of Tucson 1996: Best Desserts

Best Desserts

Coffee Etc.
2830 N. Campbell Ave. 6091 N. Oracle Road

READERS' PICK: We gladly accepted the assignment of writing about Best Desserts without realizing there was no concomitant budget to fund such an endeavor. Being in a rather impecunious state, we attempted to rectify the problem by posing as a Coffee, Etc. busboy. We imagined (somewhat naively, as it turned out) that this would afford us the opportunity of whisking away dessert plates from inattentive customers and thereby sampling a wide variety of after-dinner fare. Unfortunately, our stratagem was prematurely discovered, and we were hustled unceremoniously out of the establishment while managing only one mouthful of Triple Chocolate Mousse. Even in this hectic moment, though, we were able to savor the incredible sheer chocolateness of this dessert.

According to the menu (which we grabbed upon exiting), Coffee Etc. also offers carrot cake, a chocolate raspberry torte, Kahlúa cheesecake, Cappuccino Delight, and a variety of other delicacies, all at fairly reasonable prices. We're thinking of going back again soon. Perhaps if we dressed as a waiter....

READERS' POLL RUNNER-UP--TIE: Maybe your significant other just became unexpectedly less significant in your life; or perhaps you weren't as brilliant in the Blue Book as you thought after that all-nighter. Whatever the reason you crave a little sugar for your battered soul, Bentley's House of Coffee and Tea, 1730 E. Speedway, has something fresh from the oven just for you: sweet breads like zucchini and banana nut, whole grain, fruit-studded muffins, and that earthy carrot cake with half an inch of cream cheese frosting. Go ahead, pretend they're good for you. This is also the place for individually wrapped desserts on the go, like thick slabs of brownies, flaky baklava and sugar cookies just like Mom used to make (according to the magazines).

Le Bistro, 2574 N. Campbell Ave., however, is the place to go when you're ready to have your cake and eat it, too. Cake is definitely their specialty: layers and layers of it, five kinds of chocolate, delicate fruit confections and mouth-watering whipped frostings. A few choice pies (like the heavenly key lime) and daily specials also highlight the offerings. Once you see that revolving pastry case by the front door, you won't be able to tear your eyes away. We always ask to sit within full view. We've heard the food here is really good, too, but we always order dessert first.

STAFF PICK: It's hard to compartmentalize a dining experience at Vivace, 4811 E. Grant Road, since a start-to-finish approach--appetizer, main course and, lastly, dessert--would be the recommended way to indulge there. But if, in the interest of time, budget or crisis, you find yourself looking for a dessert-only gig, you'd be hard put to find any place that offers better dulcet delights. Take for example the lighter-than-air but still intensely chocolaty mousse, served with a pistachio creme anglaise, a dessert so superlative that it renders any other chocolate mousse you've tried lunch box pudding. Or, if chocolate's not your thing, how about a lemon mousse served inside a crisp, golden phyllo cup drizzled with raspberry sauce and a sprig of fresh mint? And, lest you think creme brulee is just a fancy name for the egg custard your grandmother used to make, Vivace's smooth, creamy, vanilla-scented incarnation topped with a thick layer of caramel-sugar glaze sets the record straight. Other sweet treats await, each a masterpiece unto itself. Guilty pleasures all, but oh-so delicious.

A PERFECT 10: Bill Roberts, master of the hot oven and the icing-anointment utensil, remains our chief reason why no dessert lover should ever think of leaving the Old Pueblo. Whether it's a light creme brulee, an aromatic blueberry pie, or a mind-bogglingly rich double-chocolate torte, the array of culinary wonders that Roberts enshrines in The Cup Café's rotating display is an object of our adoration. They get eaten up pretty quickly, too; so treat yourself immediately and without guilt, and go to the gym later. The Cup is at 308 E. 10th St., next to Hotel Congress.