NYC's 8 Best Shareable Desserts
Oversized, overflowing and overindulgent. Sharable desserts in New York City have long been a staple, from summer sundaes to the warmest winter fondues. Grab your whole crew - and a ton of spoons - to pig out on these sharable desserts in NYC. By Sarah Shaker.
Ready for a sundae as showy as the lights in nearby Times Square? Colossal Brownie Sundae at Buca Di Beppo is layered with 12 decadent chunks of freshly-baked brownies and six scoops of vanilla bean and chocolate ice cream, topped with caramel and chocolate sauces then buried in mounds of whipped cream and a cherry.
Macarons are the new cupcakes in the world of trendy, handheld desserts. This Macaron Cake is made of almond vanilla sponge cake layered with chocolate mousse, coated with dark chocolate and decorated with macarons. The newly opened Pomme Palais from acclaimed chef Michel Richard also has an array of specialty holiday cakes for sharing including Snowman Vacherin, a white meringue snowman wrapped up with a sugar scarf and marzipan-chocolate hat and Orange Crème Brûlée Cheesecake, a creative twist on classic cheesecake and flan. At Villard Michel Richard, also in the Palace, make sure to share the Celebration Cake, covered in a hard chocolate shell.
What better way to seal the deal with a lover or business partner than with tempting chocolate? At The Standard Grill go ahead and end your meal with The Deal-Closer, bittersweet chocolate mousse topped with fresh whipped cream, made to satisfy two. This dessert is served with two mini spatulas for a fun cheeky way to enjoy the mousse.
We already love the creatively topped cereal doughnuts at The General, but it's pastry chef Thiago Silva's assorted frozen treats that have our whole table satisfied at once. The General's Freezer features Raspberry Yogurt Pops, PB & J Ice Crream Sandwiches, Chocolate Chip Cookie Sandwiches and assorted popsicles. It may be chilly out, but these shared sweets are delicious all year round.
Whether you're dining in the Theater District among tourists or are seated with locals on the Upper West Side, this popular family-style Italian restaurant can always provide the sweetest ending to your meal for all of your guests to enjoy. The Titanic is a gigantic sundae made with six whopping scoops of ice cream, whipped cream, caramelized fruit, hot fudge sauce and an entire Chocolate Torta.
New Yorkers can't get enough pizza, so why not have slice for dessert? Max's Chocolate Chunks Pizza is topped with melted milk and white chocolate chunks and a choice of two toppings from crunchy hazelnut bits, bananas, peanut butter or roasted marshmallows. This sweet pie can be ordered by the slice, half or whole to share with your whole table. Max Brenne is also known for their selection of sharable fondues and waffles.
Known for their wild brunch parties filled with champagne and dolled up New Yorkers dancing on tables, the fish bowl style cocktails aren't the only thing worth sharing with your crew. Dig into Bagatelle's Sundae piled with four scoops of Neapolitan ice cream, fudge brownie squares, bruleed bananas, chocolate sauce, salty peanut caramel, vanilla marshmallows and chocolate meringue.
Cake and ice cream lover? You don't have to wait until your birthday to enjoy this combination at Sugar and Plumm. Earthquake in a Fishbowl layers chocolate caramel cake, key lime pie, brooklyn blackout cake, new york cheesecake, butterscotch pudding, vanilla chocolate and dulce de leche ice cream, topped with whipped cream.
Sarah Shaker is the founder of the blog Bright Lights, My City.