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Dessert bars Flourish...

tan319

By tan319
in Pastry & Baking

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tan319

tan319

Posted
Posted

New York Times article

Is saying Pichet Ong will be opening 'PONG' in the fall ( he will also be having a dessert cookbook published by the end of the year.) in Manhattan

Sam Mason, the pastry chef of wd50 in NYC will be opening his own Tapas, desserts and drinks bar/restaurant in the SOHO section of NYC .

These ideas have been in the works for a long time, Mason talking about it as long ago as 12/03 (Fader magazine) and Ong has had perhaps as much savory restaurant experience as pastry.

Along with Will Goldfarbs 'Room 4 Dessert' dessert bar which opened in November (?) ((Look for a FOCUS feature on him soon)), this concept looks like it's ready for more action.

I'm all for it.

Good Luck to all!

Sam Mason website

Pichet Ong website

2317/5000

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alanamoana

alanamoana

Posted
Posted

i think in the new york forum, they're discussing how many "dessert only" restaurants manhattan can support. i believe it can support a few more...but it does depend on the quality and what they have to offer.

from what i have heard, room 4 dessert seems to offer a great bar atmosphere as well as the desserts that he's serving being delicious.

i only went to chikalicious once, but it has its place as well. i thought that they could do a better job with the menu with regard to changing it more frequently and such.

so it depends on pichet and sam to put something out there that hasn't been done or to repackage it in a way that is appealing to a broad audience. i think it is great that pastry chefs are getting their due.

it is about time

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nightscotsman

nightscotsman

Posted
Posted
Neil, can you send the title of the article.  I dont have a log in for NYTimes but I can go through a school site if I know the title.

It's on a page of short blurbs called "Off the Menu" dated May 17th.

The story at the top of the page notes the opening of Guy Savoy in Vegas (which is where I'm working now. :smile: )

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ludja

ludja

Posted
Posted (edited)

tan319, I can't remember if you are back in Albuquerque, but what about the success of the local "Flying Star" chain? While they also have other non-dessert food, they seem, in some ways to almost feature themselves as a dessert place and seem to be different than a typical coffee shop or bakery in concept.

For people not familar with Flying Star, they feature a daily array of desserts, which I believe are made "in-house" and that range from things like Coconut Cream Pie, cheesecakes to various cakes and tortes. They also, of course, had a full coffee bar.

http://flyingstarcafe.com/index.htm

edited to add: I know this is different in style and scope than the high end experimental, plated items offered at the "dessert bars" you started this thread with. I just thought it was another interesting version of the phenomena and one that could spread to many other markets beside large urban centers like NYC.

Edited by ludja (log)

"Under the dusty almond trees, ... stalls were set up which sold banana liquor, rolls, blood puddings, chopped fried meat, meat pies, sausage, yucca breads, crullers, buns, corn breads, puff pastes, longanizas, tripes, coconut nougats, rum toddies, along with all sorts of trifles, gewgaws, trinkets, and knickknacks, and cockfights and lottery tickets."

-- Gabriel Garcia Marquez, 1962 "Big Mama's Funeral"

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tan319

tan319

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted

I don't meant to seem contrary, ludja, but 'Flying Star ' represents everything I hate about bakerys, patisserie.

Something like their Sattellites, if they had a bar and wanted to take it a step up or 5 might work.

I've sometimes thought about talking to them but they've gotten a bit big, etc.

A place like La naru hati could be awesome...

I'm looking around, have been for a few years now.

Know any "secure" investors???

:biggrin:

2317/5000

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ludja

ludja

Posted
Posted
I don't meant to seem contrary, ludja, but 'Flying Star ' represents everything I hate about bakerys, patisserie.

Something like their Sattellites, if they had a bar and wanted to take it a step up or 5 might work.

I've sometimes thought about talking to them but they've gotten a bit big, etc.

A place like La naru hati could be awesome...

I'm looking around, have been for a few years now.

Know any "secure" investors???

:biggrin:

:smile: Well, I admit that they don't exactly sell my style of desserts as well. (The only thing I've sampled a few times is their coconut cream pie.) Interesting idea about the Satelilites. Since they only serve coffee and pastry it could be an opportunity to offer a cleaner, more elegant style of dessert.

I wish I knew some secure investors! I might be tempted to make a career change and open a Viennese coffeehouse/bakery. Think that would sell in Albuquerque? :smile: I"m not sure it would fly in the Bay Area although NYC has a little burst of Austrian patisserie offerings. (I guess these all really come down to one guy, Gutenbrunner)

Sorry to muse and post off topic!

"Under the dusty almond trees, ... stalls were set up which sold banana liquor, rolls, blood puddings, chopped fried meat, meat pies, sausage, yucca breads, crullers, buns, corn breads, puff pastes, longanizas, tripes, coconut nougats, rum toddies, along with all sorts of trifles, gewgaws, trinkets, and knickknacks, and cockfights and lottery tickets."

-- Gabriel Garcia Marquez, 1962 "Big Mama's Funeral"

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alanamoana

alanamoana

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Posted
I"m not sure it would fly in the Bay Area although NYC has a little burst of Austrian patisserie offerings.  (I guess these all really come down to one guy, Gutenbrunner)

You're right about Gutenbrunner...ludja, i think a viennese coffee house would be great in SF!! of course it would depend on where it is located, but somewhere you can have sidewalk seating...wow, it would be great.

but i guess there are already a lot of french pastry places like tartine, etc...darn...

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Salli Vates

Salli Vates

Posted
Posted

I was much more partial to Chikalicious than Room 4 Dessert. Chikalicious was also the very first dessert bar in NYC.

i think in the new york forum, they're discussing how many "dessert only" restaurants manhattan can support.  i believe it can support a few more...but it does depend on the quality and what they have to offer.

from what i have heard, room 4 dessert seems to offer a great bar atmosphere as well as the desserts that he's serving being delicious.

i only went to chikalicious once, but it has its place as well.  i thought that they could do a better job with the menu with regard to changing it more frequently and such.

so it depends on pichet and sam to put something out there that hasn't been done or to repackage it in a way that is appealing to a broad audience.  i think it is great that pastry chefs are getting their due.

it is about time

Salli Vates

Salli Vates' NY Food Page

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tan319

tan319

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted
I don't meant to seem contrary, ludja, but 'Flying Star ' represents everything I hate about bakerys, patisserie.

Something like their Sattellites, if they had a bar and wanted to take it a step up or 5 might work.

I've sometimes thought about talking to them but they've gotten a bit big, etc.

A place like La naru hati could be awesome...

I'm looking around, have been for a few years now.

Know any "secure" investors???

:biggrin:

:smile: Well, I admit that they don't exactly sell my style of desserts as well. (The only thing I've sampled a few times is their coconut cream pie.) Interesting idea about the Satelilites. Since they only serve coffee and pastry it could be an opportunity to offer a cleaner, more elegant style of dessert.

I wish I knew some secure investors! I might be tempted to make a career change and open a Viennese coffeehouse/bakery. Think that would sell in Albuquerque? :smile: I"m not sure it would fly in the Bay Area although NYC has a little burst of Austrian patisserie offerings. (I guess these all really come down to one guy, Gutenbrunner)

Sorry to muse and post off topic!

Don't get me wrong, I eat as much junk or more than anyone, sweetwise.

As far as what would fly, in ABQ or anywhere for that matter?

I think anything has a chance just about anywhere if presented well and put in a sensible place.

If one reads the NYT article about Sam & Pichet and know NYC at all, you can see exactly what the crowd COULD be like, notwithstanding Sam & Pichets fame, etc.

For me, IF I did something I want a mixed crowd, as many young as older (early 20s on up)

It bums me that dining out becomes more & more of a provenance (SIC) of people in their middle to late middle ages and I think the kind of places these folks will open will appeal to all.

Not that I remember the whole age thing EVER being that pronounced in NYC.

To the contrary.

I think a young person would blow their transportation $ or even rent to eat at a great place, to experience a great place, in NYC.

I was guilty of that a few times! :biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:

2317/5000

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