Dessert Truck Works (NYC)

Although the Kogi Truck may have popularized gourmet food trucks in Los Angeles and may be the first of the LA food truck fleet to set up a brick and mortar restaurant (see: Chego), well, folks, New York had already beaten us on both of these culinary fronts.

The Dessert Truck first hit the streets of NYC in 2007, serving haute, gourmet sweets to the masses. This past January, however, the owners bid adieu to the ex-postal truck and opened a storefront on the Lower East Side called Dessert Truck Works, which offers the truck's full menu and then some.

I was very impressed by how beautiful all of the pre-prepared desserts in this case were. Although I've never needed arm-twisting to eat my sweets, something about cute desserts particularly demands that you eat them.

Just look at those gorgeous macarons! I ordered a lemon-raspberry one to-go. Unfortunately, I can comment only on the flavor--not the texture of cookie itself--because it got smooshed in the fridge. (For the record, I enjoyed it).

The menu at Dessert Truck Works strikes the perfect balance between familiar and comforting and innovative and adventurous. Take, for example, the warm molten chocolate cake, which everyone has eaten, but, when you factor in the olive oil ganache, you're in a whole 'nother dessert ballpark.

If ever there is creme brulee on a menu, I will order it. I was particularly interested in sampling their take on the dish with fresh vanilla.

Although the vanilla creme brulee ($6.00) was enjoyable, the vanilla flavor was quite mellow, and this was, as a result, not as different from traditional creme brulee as I had hoped. This, however, did not stop me from leaving next to nothing left in the generous cup.

J ordered the warm chocolate bread pudding with bacon custard sauce ($6.00), which intrigued both of us.

This is undoubtedly the prettiest bread pudding to ever reach my palate. With its chocolate wing and edible dessert truck logo, it looked too good to eat--well, almost.

Even the tiniest bite of this dessert packed an incredible punch, with a unique marriage of sweet and savory flavors that put my tastebuds to work trying to figure them out. While eating, I felt like Remy in Ratatouille as he sees colors and shapes as he eats. Although I enjoyed my few bites, the bacon flavor was ultimately too strong for me to have ordered and enjoyed this dish by myself.

There is little not to love about a gourmet dessert shop with reasonable prices located right in Party Central, NYC that's open 'til midnight on weekends. I hope to make a stop during my next visit to New York to try the goat cheese cheesecake and brioche donut holes!

Dessert Truck Works

www.dt-works.net

6 Clinton St.

(Between Houston St. and Stanton St.)

New York, NY 10002