There is an art to putting together a restaurant-style plated dessert. With a little practice and a good sense of style, you can definitely put an upscale twist on your at-home dessert presentations, but starting out with a guide that will teach you the ins-and-outs of creating these impressive desserts is an easier way to begin. To get you started, I’m giving away a copy of The Dessert Architect to one lucky reader. The cookbook, which I’ve reviewed before, is written by Robert Wemischner and teaches you the fundamentals of putting together plated desserts with detailed information about the foundations of these desserts and many tempting recipes. To be completely honest, it is also terrific for food bloggers looking for some new presentation ideas.
To enter the contest, leave a comment below with the best dessert you’ve had at a restaurant – whether it’s a neighborhood favorite or a splurge restaurant you visited on vacation. Don’t forget to mention what city the restaurant is in so we can all make a note to give it a try if/when we’re in town! Simple and elaborate desserts will both do, so don’t worry if you’re favorite isn’t something particularly fancy. The contest ends Sunday, February 26th at midnight and the winner will be randomly selected from the entries. Don’t forget to fill in your e-mail on the comment form (it will not be public), as that is how I will contact the winner, and good luck!
Update: This contest is now closed. Thanks for entering, everyone. Congrats to Madison on winning the book!
Juli
February 23, 2012I don’t really order dessert, but my 92 year old Italian mother, LOVES the Tiramisu at Vincenzo’s in Louisville, KY.
Kimberlee
February 23, 2012My favorite is a Mocha Latte Siftee from Sift Dessert Boutique in Atlanta, GA. They ship orders too!!
Shirley Filer
February 23, 2012The best desert I’ve eaten in a restaurant would have to be the banana creme cheesecake at the Cheesecake Factory in St. Louis Mo.
Heidi
February 23, 2012Gotta go with the chocolate pudding at the Hominy Grill in Charleston, SC. If I could have fit my head in the bowl, I would have! So simple, but absolutely life-changing in taste.
Kelli Blanchard
February 23, 2012Best dessert ever? At Maxi’s Southern Comfort, in Milwaukee, I had a banana cream pie that was to die for. What made it was homemade whipped cream and a luscious layer of ganache between the banana cream and the crust. Soooo good.
Mary
February 23, 2012So many amazingly delicious desserts, but the most memorable was a simple rose-flavored turkish delight from Turkish Delight in Pike Place Market Seattle.
Andrea
February 23, 2012Banana Burritos at Canyon Cafe in Denver. Unfortunately they are closed now. 🙁
pooslie
February 23, 2012the best dessert I’ve ever had at a restaurant is actually the brownie sundae at TGI Friday’s though that could have just been because it was a gorgeous summer day and we were starving…
the 2nd would have to be cheesecake factory 30th anniversary chocolate cake cheesecake
Rachel
February 23, 2012Le Jules Verne in the Eiffel Tower, Paris. While the dessert I ordered – the Tower Bolt – was delicious and beautiful, the real star for me was the bonus bowl of homemade marshmallows that came to the table. They were absolutely heavenly and I ate all of them!
Mike
February 23, 2012Haven’t been there in years, but there’s a place called the Coney Island in Pampa, Texas that used to sell the best pie I’ve ever had. (sorry, grandma!) They were all good, but my fav. was the chocolate meringue.
Amanda
February 23, 2012One of the best desserts I’ve had at a restaurant was part of a Chocolate Indulgence Tour in Seattle. The entire tour was fabulous, but I did really like the little coconut cream pies we got at Dahlia Bakery.
natalie (the sweets life)
February 23, 2012chocolate brulee with a homemade goat cheese oreo!!
Chris at Hye Thyme Cafe
February 23, 2012The best dessert I ever had in a restaurant was the birthday cake that was brought out to me at NOLA’s in Clinton, NY last summer. I have no idea what it was called (they don’t list desserts on their menu), but it was kind of a caramel ice cream cake Snickers type of thing. It took me a whole week to eat it, and the peanuts somehow stayed crunchy the whole time! I don’t know how that’s possible when mixed in with ice cream and frozen, but they managed it. I’m drooling right now thinking about it. It was so rich and decadent, I sliced off a sliver every night. Yummmm!!!
Rebecca
February 23, 2012The best dessert I’ve had was actually a plate of several desserts at the restaurant The Dessert Lady in Orlando, FL. There was some pumpkin cheesecake, chocolate bread pudding, and chocolate cake in the mix!
Jayne
February 23, 2012I love PF Chang’s fried banana and coconut ice cream dessert.
Sarah G.
February 23, 2012I don’t really ever get desserts at restaurants…except for going to the local ice cream shop. It’s called Kline’s, and they have the best homemade ice cream ever! 🙂
Suzanne
February 23, 2012probably the best dessert I’ve at a restaurant, was the triple chocolate meltdown in Pekin, IL. It was soooooooo good!!!! But then went home and baked a even better one from scratch! Most anything will taste better homemade with the right ingredients I’ve noticed!
Kara
February 23, 2012The best dessert I have had at a restaurant was at The French Laundry in Fenton, MI! Homemade pie topped with cinnamon ice cream. 🙂
Maria Z
February 23, 2012The dessert was called Coconut Invasion at the Asia de Cuba restaurant in New York City. It is a coconut cake with coconut ice cream and warm chocolate sauce. It seemed like a mile high and definitely to be shared. Per their website, they are to re-open mid May.
kristin m.
February 23, 2012best dessert ever? tie between the pot de creme and the lavender creme brulee from Valentien’s Restaurant in Bakersfield, CA.
Shalane
February 23, 2012I rarely get dessert when we eat out, but I recently had an amazing nutella fondue at this place called Anasazi in St. George, Utah. Yum!
Stephanie-Oh
February 23, 2012The best restaurant dessert I’ve ever had was at The Carnege Deli in NYC. Their cheesecake is TDF (strawberry or raspberry topped).
Rebecca
February 23, 2012The Chocolate Truffle Cake at Curley’s Grill in Fortuna, CA. I email the chief for the recipe a little while after I was there and he gave it to me! I made it for my birthday that year. Unfortunately, the restaurant closed last year. They had amazing food!
rainey
February 23, 2012Oh no! I rarely order dessert when I eat out. I did have an awesome chocolate platter once tho. It was at the Wickaninnish Inn in Tofino on Vancouver Island.
Don’t know if anyone will be able to just drop by for dessert but it’s a fabulous place and there’s more than enough reason to make it a destination. It has great views and a wonderful rustic elegance. The drive out to the Pacific end of the island is a delight. And the dramatic winter storms make for some awesome beach combing. After all that, how could *anything* chocolate miss?!
Melissa
February 23, 2012I’m a sucker for creme brulee of all kinds, but one of the best I had was a berry, grand marnier, and espresso trio in Colorado Springs!
Ally
February 23, 2012We don’t often get dessert when we go out but Joe Mama’s tiramisu in Pittsburgh is glorious!
Lisa
February 23, 2012The most recent fabulous dessert I’ve had was the dark chocolate fondue with fleur de sel at The Melting Pot. Amazing!
Linda
February 23, 2012The biggest (if not the best) I ever remember was years ago in MN at the St. Paul Grill downtown. They had this most amazing Chocolate Raspberry Torte. The piece was HUGE. I ate some, took the rest home, halved that with my friend, still had enough for 2 more sittings. It was a wonderful rich chocolate cake with deep fudge frosting and amazing fresh raspberries in the filling. I have no idea how anyone could eat the whole piece but it was wonderful and memorable.
Jenny
February 23, 2012I had this incredible decontructed smores dessert at Vinology in Ann Arbor. They have a seasonal menu but definitely stop by if you have a chance!
Dawn
February 23, 2012Fresh coconut ice cream in Key West.
Lyndsey @ Sit. Stay. Cook.
February 23, 2012Grand Marnier souffle in Acapulco, Mexico.
Theresa Sea
February 23, 2012Oh gosh… the hubs and I had amazing fried ice cream at a sushi restaurant in Hilton Head Island… I remember being surprised by how much I liked it!
Chris
February 23, 2012Valhrona Chocolate Cake at Grill 23 in Boston.
larissa
February 23, 2012i love the tirimasu at olive garden!
Amy Johnson
February 23, 2012Oh gosh, I love your website! Absolute favorite. It’s out of the way and cost but the trip is worth it to taste this! The best is Fruits of the Forest Gateau with Dark Chocolate to take with you from the store and if you want something individual I would recommend the Strawberry Mille-Feuille. All this is found in Patisserie Valerie in Oxford, England. Beautiful cafe and desserts especially at 7 AM for a hungry study abroad student. Yum. So delicate and sweet. No place better
♡♥♬ Louis ♬♥♡
February 23, 2012a mixed fruit cocktail with whipped cream 🙂
Thank you for hosting this giveaway
Louis
pumuckler {at} gmail {dot} com
Demarie Parks
February 23, 2012My favorite dessert isn’t from a restaurant but a cupcake shop called Cupcake Royale in Seattle. It’s called DEATHCAKE, it is “Seattle’s most lovingly lethal cupcake”, it’s made up of Theo Chocolate decadence and Stumptown Espresso ganache. Unfortunately it’s only offered the 3 weeks leading up to Valentine’s Day, but oh so worth it.
Megan L
February 23, 2012My favorite dessert by far is the brownie at Chili’s!! Best brownie ever!!!
Elizabeth
February 23, 2012The Chocolate Lava Cake at Sweet Tomatoes, Houston TX! Our designated family restaurant 🙂
Eric F
February 23, 2012Brioche Bread Pudding w/ Caramel Sauce…. WAS AWESOME.
Marilyn C
February 23, 2012The Monument Cafe in Georgetown Tx has a super chocolate pie with pecan crust.
greta
February 23, 2012the best desert I ever had was at a restaurant called “uncle tuckers” just outside cumberland MD, sadly it no longer exists. The desert was a molten chocolate cake that was served with fresh fruits with white and dark chocolate glaze. It melted in your mouth.
Megan
February 23, 2012One of the best dessert I ever had was a white chocolate bread pudding drizzled with dark chocolate sauce and strawberries on the side at Biaggi’s Ristorante Italiano in Rochester, NY but I think there a more locations out west for those who enjoy a good bread pudding.
sunny
February 23, 2012oo tough question. um, the last dessert i had was a delicious lemon cookie at sweet adeline, a bakery in berkeley, ca.
kate
February 23, 2012Apricot pie from Boniere Bakery in Oakland, CA. It looks like a peach pie just by looking at it, but only after biting into it you realize it’s apricot. Not too sweet or mushy. Num num num.
Jennifer
February 23, 2012The cheesecake at Genusa’s Italian restaurant in Monroe, LA.
Shelley
February 23, 2012The Tomohawk Barbecue Restaurant in North Vancouver, British Columbia serves up a delicious Banana Cream Pie. A must try!
Chris S.
February 23, 2012Creme Brulee at Green Gateau, Lincoln, NE. Creamy goodness!
Sparrow
February 23, 2012My favorite was the “Floating Island” at a little French place which has since closed… It was a fluffy square of the lightest meringue imaginable, floating in the center of a bowl filled with creme anglais, sprinkled with toasted almond slivers and drizzled with caramel.
Amy @ What Jew Wanna Eat
February 23, 2012I had a key lime cheesecake in Miami that I still dream about!