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I like sweets. A lot. And as someone who eats a lot of sweets, I also have strong opinions about which ones are good and which ones less good. In this page, I have laid out my favorite places for sweets of all sorts all over the world. There are, of course, lots of other good, even very good, places to go, and I mean no disrespect by not including them. But life is about choices, and the pastries and sweets listed here are mine.
The apex of pastry experiences is, without a doubt, the French pastry. The French approach combines strong, clear tastes with exquisitely delicate construction. These pastries are created as small, self-contained confections. Because of their size, they don't overwhelm you (they also have the added virtue of being comparatively inexpensive -- at the best places, a pastry rarely costs more than $8) but they contain a complete haute-cuisine experience in themselves. I first learned to love these pastries while a student in Philadelphia at a pair of institutions: Mademoiselle de Paris and Au Fin Palais. Sadly, both of my pastry alma-maters are now gone.
Not surprisingly, ground central for great French pastry is Paris. For those, like me, who prefer the more traditional pastries (Opéra, Fraiserie, St. Honoré) the best patisserie and tea shop is the old line mainstay Ladurée. If, on the other hand, you are like my partner and prefer the more modern adventurous pastries (which introduce new tastes into the classics, like salt with chocolate or Asian flavors), run to Pierre Hermé. Beyond that, I have a deep fondness for Gérard Mulot as a first rate provider of patisserie, viennoiserie and chocolates.
Outside of Paris, there is much great French pastry to be had. I am a fan of Le Nôtre -- no doubt they have a Paris branch, but I know them from a lovely experience in Cannes. In Montréal, I like Patisserie de Gascogne. Tokyo also has a few branches of Pierre Hermé, not to mention outposts of various pastry and dessert places in the basements of department stores like Takashimaya.
In the U.S., there are a few places I know with great French pastry. In New York, there is Payard Patisserie, which feels as much like a traditional Parisian instituion as possible on the upper east side. There is a fancy restaurant in the back, but I prefer the café tables up front where you can easily inspect all the choices before ordering. In L.A., my favorite place is from the more adventurous school, Jin's Patisserie. It has charming garden seating and the pastries are creatively pleasing meldings of traditional forms with Asian accents. And in my hometown of Columbus, OH, there is my own pastry life-line, the lovely Pistacia Vera .
Not everywhere can, or chooses to, make French pastry, and there are many other noble and wonderful desserts out there. In Boston, I love Burdick's (I'll return here in the chocolate section, but its Gugelhupf cake is not to be underestimated). In New York, Once Upon a Tart has great madelines (and also terrific sandwiches). For viennoiserie (classic French baked goods like croissants, brioche, and chausson au pomme) Bouchon bakery in the Time-Warner center is a great place to drop by, and in the financial district, Financier is nice. For cookies plain and simple, you can't beat those from Philadelphia's Famous Fourth Street Deli (and their cookie outpost in the Reading Terminal).
Ice Cream, of course, is a topic all its own, but two places I know transcend to another level. The first is Michael's Frozen Custard in Madison, WI. I've seen many places claim to have frozen custard, but few are fit to lick the boots of what Michael's has. Personally, I order the chocolate every time, but they tell me other flavors are terrific too. The second is Jeni's Ice Cream in Columbus, OH. She makes unique ice cream flavors that surprise, astound, and most importantly, work (let's hear it for goat cheese dried cherry and pear riesling). And alongside the special flavors are always a set of stunning favorites like dark chocolate gelato and honey vanilla.
Chocolate is obviously a central component to many great desserts, but chocolates are a different kind of a creature. Currently, my favorite chocolates come from Gail Ambrosius in Madison, WI. She starts with perfect, creamy truffles and brings in strong, intense flavors including fruits, herbs, and teas. Another great place for bringing in strong flavors, especially fruity ones, is Burdick's in Cambridge. They also have some spectacularly good hot chocolate. Payard in New York also has superior hot chocolate as well as terrific chocolates, and in L.A. Boule has a good selection of chocolates.
Any great restaurant will have at least good desserts. Here, I'm focusing on places that are fun to drop in to just for dessert (which isn't meant to be a dis on their real food -- these places are phenomenal at every level). In New York, I like to go to the Nougatine bar at Jean Georges in the Trump tower on Columbus Circle. You don't have to dress fancy to go there (though they really don't like tennis shoes) and you don't need any reservations to hang at the bar; if you go late enough, you can usually even grab a table. Jean Georges created the molten chocolate cake and it is better here than anywhere else. In Boston, I love Number 9 Park (which is not coincidentally located at 9 Park st. on the commons). This place also has a no-reservation bar & café, though you sometimes have to wait a bit for a place to sit. The desserts here often incorporate unsual elements (sweet potatoes, rose flavoring) but I have always felt well rewarded for trying something a little out of the ordinary.
