Tonight was full of sweetness!
As you may remember, my friend Laurel got engaged over Fourth of July weekend and tonight a group of Laurel’s closest friends and family (girls only!) got together at The Dessert Lady in downtown Orlando to celebrate.
The bride to be is sitting at the head of the table, in case you were curious about the star of the evening.
I’ve been to The Dessert Lady with my mom, sister and Ryan before so I knew we were in for an indulgent night of delicious desserts.
Laurel, our friend Cherayne and I split a sampler platter so we could try a bunch of the different desserts.
Our platter included:
- Peanut butter pie
- Oreo cheesecake
- Chocolate zuccotto
- Chocolate chip tiramisu special
The chocolate zuccotto stole the show! It was basically a dome of dense chocolate cake (almost brownie-like) that surrounded white and dark chocolate mousse. The cake was then topped with chocolate ganache icing that I wanted to marry.
All of the desserts were so rich. Though I’m in the camp of people who don’t believe that there’s such thing as a dessert that is “too rich,” about an hour after dessert, my stomach started talkin’ to me. I’m feeling a bit crampy at the moment and think I’ll blame the cheesecake. My relationship with peanut butter and chocolate is much too strong and solid for me to blame those desserts for taking me down.
I’m pretty sure that The Dessert Lady created my dream restaurant. A restaurant full of decadent desserts? Genius idea. Though I have absolutely no interest in ever owning my own restaurant, if I was going to do so, I think a dessert-only place would be the best fit. I’d also have self-serve frozen yogurt on tap that you could serve with any dish.
A seafood restaurant that serves lots of shellfish would be my runner-up restaurant.
Questions of the Evening
- If you were going to open your own restaurant, what kind of food would you serve?
- What would be your specialty dish?
Steph @ A Life without Ice Cream says
A friend and I have always semi-joked that we should open up an alternative type restaurant in our very small hometown. When I was first dairy free she used to help me come up with ideas to modify recipes. Between the 2 of us we haven’t met a recipe we can make dairy free 😛
Laura @ Laura Lite says
Awww, what a lovely way to celebrate! Looks so yummy.
Gen says
Awesome celebration!!! Those desserts look fabulous! 😀
Bethany says
that restaurant sounds like my dream come true!! honestly, if I opened up a restaurant it would be strictly desserts. there is nothing like that where I live….I wonder if it would even work?
Leanne (Bride to Mrs.) says
A place that only served appetizers 🙂 my specialty would be spinach dip… my fiance swears that I have the best spinach dip evah! 🙂
Lizzy @ runbakerace says
That looks so delicious. She stole my restaurant idea too 🙂 My second runner up with would be a tea time restaurant.
Becki says
A sustainable shakes and fro-yo shop! Everything will be natural, organic and locally produced/ in season, and good good good for you!
Hillary says
My dad (who works in food service) and I talk about this all the time. We’ve actually toyed with the idea of opening up either a coffee shop/bakery or an ice cream shop (because there are surprisingly few of either of these in our little corner of Maryland!)
Bee Goes Bananas says
I would love to open a creperie and serve all typea of delicious dessert crepes!
Stephanie @ StephSnacks says
Oh good thing there is NOT a dessert lady in my town… I would be a balloon!
Jessica @ Sushi and Sit-Ups says
I’ve been wanting to go to the dessert lady! But usually when I’m over that way, I had just stuffed my belly at Ceviche and don’t have room for dessert. I always thought it would be neat to open a dinner theater that had a plated dinner and showed old black and white movies. My dad and I love watching old movies together, so it’d be so nostalgic for me.
Claire says
I would own an organic wine/vegan cheese specialty restaurant!!
Holly @ The Runny Egg says
I’d blame the cheesecake too! And I’m with you — I love desserts but sometimes there is such a thing as “too much dessert!”
If I opened up my own restaurant it would be a breakfast only place — eggs, pancakes, biscuits/gravy, etc — I love breakfast foods so much!
Hope says
What an amazing restaurant! All of those desserts look amazing! 🙂
Hilliary Wolfe @ Happily Ever Healthy says
The desserts look delicious!
I think if I were to open my own restaurant (which is a dream of mine) I would want to serve all my favorite comfort foods. I would definitely serve homemade banana pancakes (one of my favorites). With of course a good scoop of peanut butter for dipping the pancakes in!
Holly says
I love the goodie bags that you made 🙂
& if I were to open a restaurant it would be all about baked goods! I wish it were easier to open one, because I would do it TODAY..but there are so many bakeries & they go out of business so quick.
But I would have the healthy options, along with the not so healthy options 😉
Erica @ For the Sake of Cake says
I’d love to serve desserts! And the ones you enjoyed look amazing!!!
Jodi says
That “dessert platter” is a great idea! I wouldn’t have wanted to share!
If I could open my own restaurant, I would only serve Italian food! Yummm…..pizzas, pastas, gelato! ‘Nuff said!
Laura (Cookies vs. Carrots) says
Your little goodie bag is so cute! All of those desserts look amazing! You woke up my sweet tooth way to early in the morning!
Lyndsi @ Lyndsi and David says
ahhh…. looks so good! We love to cook but I always want something sweet and it seems weird to go to a restaurant for just dessert (unless it’s an ice cream or fro yo shop). A local dessert-only restaurant would be awesome!
Gen says
Yummy! the desserts look fabulous! If I had a restaurant, that would be more like a bakery, I have a certain preference for sweets ^^
kate says
ah! these look like they were made to be made by you!
http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2011/07/peanut-butter-ice-pops-recipe.html?utm_source=Serious+Eats+Newsletters&utm_campaign=ac32dbf2d3-Serious_Eats_Recipe_Newsletter_July_13_2011&utm_medium=email
Megan @ On the Road Again says
A restaurant that serves tons and tons of luscious desserts? I need to get to Florida, stat!
I always imagined opening my own Beatles-themed restaurant (kind of cheesy, I know, but I seriously love The Beatles). All of the food would be themed in terms of their songs (Strawberry Fields Salad, or Yellow Submarine Sandwich). Now I just have to figure out how to a) cook, and b) get all of the rights from Sir Paul.
Katy @ RunKatyRun says
If I were to open up a restaurant, I would open up a pie shop. My specialty would be a toss-up between pecan pie (my fiance’s favorite) and apple pie with a teensy bit of cheese in the crust. =o)
Alaina says
I’ve been told by my colleagues that I should open up a bakery. But if I were to open up a restaurant, I would open up a Quebec style restaurant. There would be split pea soup and tourtiere on the menu. Yum! 🙂