Feature

The Sweet Stuff

Best Desserts

Flying Star Café

Dessert? Um, yes, please. We'll have the éclair. No, wait, warm raspberry-peach pie à la mode. No. A slice of the fruit tart. Actually, make that bread pudding. Wait—we've got it! Tiramisu. ... Or how about we just get all of the above? You don't need us to tell you Flying Star is the best place for desserts; you already know. (CC)

2) Cupcakeology

3) Cravin’ Cookies ... and More!

Best Chocolate Confections

Theobroma Chocolatier

Chocolate-covered strawberries, Oreos and kiwis, dusted truffles, and a hefty chunk of milk chocolate molded to look like a pizza can all be found at this mom-and-pop shop. Chuck and Heidi Weck know what they're doing with this most important of culinary delights—the chocolate’s crackling-crisp on the outside and gooey on the inside. What more could you ask for? (CC)

2) Chocolate Café and Bakery

3) The Candy Lady

Best Cupcakes

Cake Fetish

Cupcakes aren't just bite-size (or five-bite-size) cakes, they're tiny little works of gastronomic art. Some are dense and moist, almost muffin-like, topped with whipped, multicolored caps. Others are airy and delicate, glazed with sugar and speckled with tasty accoutrements. According to our readers, Cake Fetish's baking brush is best. (CC)

2) Cupcakeology

3) Tie: Slate Street Café, The Grove Café and Market

Best Cookies

Cravin' Cookies ... and More!

Is there any better treat than a sweet, crumbly cookie? Really, they’re perfect. Since there’s no limit to the shapes, sizes or flavors they can be baked into, there’s bound to be one for everyone. Cravin’ Cookies takes the possibility factor and runs with it. Its bite- and full-size cookies are deceptively cute, but one mouthful reveals just how serious this place is. Packed with chocolate chips, slathered with frosting or doused in sprinkles, Cravin’ never skimps on the good stuff. And it doesn’t shy away from bold concoctions like fiery red-chile-chocolate cookies. Take that and dunk it, Oreo. (MT)

2) Flying Star Café

3) Tie: ABC Cake Shop, Golden Crown Panadería

Best Frozen Desserts

Ecco Espresso and Gelato

Not only does gelato have less calories than ice cream, at Ecco it comes in flavors like habanero-strawberry, plum, cantaloupe, chocolate-lavender and, of course, stracciatella. And you get it in cute, colorful cups with tiny spoons. (CC)

2) Chillz Frozen Custard

3) Cold Stone Creamery