Decadent Desserts: Veniero's Pasticceria and Caffe Est. 1894 Our Coverage Sponsored by Fresh Origins
Pistachio Chocolate Tulip Cup-Peachy's favorite
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Everybody's working for the weekend and we thought we'd end the week on a particularly sweet note (New York Rangers, feel free to make it even sweeter in a couple of hours!) and officially kickoff our column, Decadent Desserts. We searched high and low all over Manhattan and we believe Veniero's is master of this medium! Nothing bad can happen on Friday the 13th when you are surrounded by such sweetness.
Owner Robert Zerilli has got quite the dessert menu and we look forward to meeting him. His family started Veniero's in 1894. A 20-something year veteran of Veniero's, Lilly a manager helped us and she was a total peach!
The only way this could be better would be if you were eating it out of The Stanley Cup:
To fully appreciate Veniero's, we suggest totally skipping dinner and just eating dessert. You will not be able to eat only one of their hits and you're going to want one of everything you see. What you actually consume is between you and your stomach. Here's what we tried in our inaugural visit....Peachy's favorite was the Pistachio Chocolate Tulip Cup-Pistachio cream in layers of vanilla sponge and chocolate syrup, filled inside a dark chocolate cup. This genius combination has tremendous flavor that is just pure wow. And we love green. The flavor of the pistachio cream, though subtle, is genuine and true to the pistachio nut. The presentation with the crunch of the cup and the spongy cake is super luscious. This is like the green light at the end of Daisy's dock in Gatsby terms. The Pistachio Chocolate Tulip Cup is just sublime.
Finding your favorite dessert is a journey like finding your favorite shoes-beaucoup de convincing choices! We also tried the Tri-Chocolate Mousse. Why pick one chocolate mousse when you can have 3? Three decadent layers of milk chocolate, white chocolate and dark chocolate dance across your chocoholic palate like Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire! You'll love this too.
Fruitti Di Bosco is inviting with raspberry chantilly cream topped with three kinds of fresh berries! Just ideal for summer and dusted with lovely powdered sugar we believe.
Pie tart in apple appealed to our All-American inclination and the butter pastry tart was filled with delicious apples and served warm. This is a solid basic done in an extraordinary manner. We'll have to try this a la mode~!
To us, carrot cake is a highly underrated dessert. This was super moist and decadent with fresh carrots, walnuts, raisins, cinnamon, allspice and topped off perfectly with fresh cream cheese frosting. Just perfect.
This did not initially jump out at us, but now that we've had it and loved it you need to know that the Camillia is truly a star. It's one of the newer items, complete with alcohol. Yellow sponge soaked in raspberry liqueur is divine decadence surely sent from the Gods. Layered with seedless raspberry jam which is the right touch of sweet tartness, whipped cream infused with Godiva white chocolate liqueur and topped with marzipan, the Camillia will strike you. You will be convinced you died and went to heaven at first bite. Overall, this is a highly balanced piece. The marzipan layers that surround the cake are aesthetically pleasing and so delicious. The blending of each of these flavors together along with the gorgeous presentation make this a magnificent dessert. And super original as well. Who would need a wedding cake?
Next in the batting order was New York Cheesecake! Topped with the freshest strawberries and blueberries, this is gluten-free and sets the standard for New York Cheesecakes. The texture is perfect: firm and not squishy like inferior cheesecakes. The richness boasts a subtle, delicate flavor that is not too sugary.
It's also quite photogenic!
A cannoli is a staple, and it's a Veniero's favorite.
The crispy cannoli shell filled with luscious ricotta cream, chocolate chips and citron bits. The inside is vanilla and those bits are pistachio! Clearly they were reading up on Peachy's favorite color and her fascination with being Irish. The filling was so great you'd eat it on its own, and the pistachio bits are a lovely highlight.
The fruit tart, similar to the Fruitti Di Bosco, is another spectacular choice. The pastry tart is lined with raspberry jam, filled with custard and topped with mixed fresh fruit. It seems like a fruit bowl in miniature excellence to us! Amazing choice.
If you like dessert, we suggest you head for 342 East 11th Street, where you will find Veniero's!
Last but not least, you cannot pass go or collect $200 without trying the Tiramisu which is also like heaven on earth. Sponge soaked espresso and Tia Maria liqueur with marscapone cheese is just delicious, forkful after forkful. The cocoa dusting on top is just delightful and the creaminess makes it absolutely wonderful. We counted five layers and this is the best Tiramisu we've ever had.
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More of what your little heart desires but did not fit in Peachy's stomach this time:
