New York restaurant goers love to exercise their sweet tooth when they go out for a professionally prepared meal—as such, NYC establishments would be well served to satisfy that indulgence with cutting-edge dessert options.
Dessert is a crucial add-on to a meal. It can expand revenue and further enhance customer experience, while also increasing the likelihood of a return visit. There are scores of NYC restaurants that do justice to the dessert course. Some eateries are taking a minimalist approach, while others are going full old school with tableside dessert carts.
In this blog, we highlight a handful of the sweetest and most decadent morsels in the New York restaurant scene, and mention the crucial kitchen equipment that makes it possible.
Ferdi
A deep reverence for Italian culture and cuisine permeates the newly opened Ferdi in the West Village. Aida Scarpati and chef Fernando Scarpati—siblings and business partners—make the familial traditions of Italian food come alive, with shareable plates, fresh pasta, and an Italian wine program. One of the most exceptional features of the restaurant exists on the dessert menu—Gelato for Two. Here, the staff rolls out the nostalgia with a dessert cart and prepares the dish tableside. The preparation sees vanilla bean ice cream treated with liquid nitrogen, then married to ricotta cheesecake, sweet and sour pears, and huckleberry sauce.
Crucial Kitchen Equipment: To achieve this show-stopping tableside specialty, Ferdi uses a Kitchenaid Countertop Mixer. But don’t mistake these units for the at-home retail version. Sam Tell carries commercial Kitchenaid units for heavy-duty gelato-making and much more.
Bad Habit/Caleta
What started as a hobby during the pandemic has blossomed into a fully fledged ice cream headquarters by day and a savory small plates source by night. The two-faced restaurant—Bad Habit (ice cream) and Caleta (small plates and drinks) opened in the East Village recently helmed by partners Jesse Merchant Zuñiga and Javier Zuñiga. The buzz about Bad Habit surrounds the quality of the ice cream and the innovative flavors—which include peanut stracciatella, olive oil, roasted banana with coffee caramel, and more.
Crucial Kitchen Equipment: Bad Habit necessitated supplies to make its transition to beer- and wine-serving Caleta as seamless as possible. As such. Sam Tell equipped them with all of their wine glasses.
Al Coro
Located in the former Del Posto space in Chelsea, Al Coro is a lively Italian fine-dining restaurant with charm to spare. On its dessert menu, the eatery transforms time-honored traditions into newly minted sweet treats. Desserts mimic the antipasti format, with bite-sized morsels taking the place of heavy, belly bloating fare. The menu features mini tartufa alla fragola with vanilla mascarpone and strawberry cardamaro caramel; delicate Sicilian brioche sections topped with fennel gelato and cantaloupe granita; and a poppable lemon verbena meringue. Then there’s the rich chocolate crostata with espresso gelato and a balsamic drizzle for those that desire an eruption of pure decadence for dessert.
Crucial Kitchen Equipment: The small plate dessert concept at Al Coro requires tasting portion-sized serving equipment. This is an element that Sam Tell can help our restaurant customers select with free sampling and expert recommendations.
Tops Diner
For this next entry, we’re leaving New York for the diner capital of the world—New Jersey. Nestled in East Newark since 1942, Tops Diner is a restaurant staple and an essential part of New Jersey food history. Along with all of the diner classics one might expect, Tops also rings the bell on the dessert menu. The Tops Diner Bakeshop slings pies, pours milkshakes, slices cake, and scoops ice cream for an array of sweets that is both classical and eclectic. From banana pudding and baklava to their world famous hot fudge sundae, dessert at Tops Diner is well worth the trip across the Hudson River.
Crucial Kitchen Equipment: The sheer volume and array of dessert options at Top Diner created the need for versatile mixing equipment, which is why we equipped the restaurant with a Hobart Floor Mixer for high-volume batters and doughs.
Extend your customers’ stay with top notch desserts! Contact your Sam Tell sales rep to stock up on all the essential dessert equipment!
