All kinds of DC restaurants are offering unique versions of homespun desserts to herald the start of summer and bring back childhood memories.
At Majestic, pastry chef Rebecca Willis bakes thin chocolate wafers and layers them with a rich mousselike cream for an upscale spin – and a lighter take – on the classic ice-box cake. Willis also serves an authentic chocolate egg cream made with Fox's U-bet syrup.
Comet Ping Pong dishes up old-fashioned ice-cream sundaes dripping with hot fudge and peanuts (or smothered in fresh fruit purées) that go perfectly with its campy interior, which recently won a national award from Hospitality Design Magazine. True to its name, there are Ping-Pong tables in the back room, so pick up a paddle and burn off some of those calories.
The Oval Room's new pastry chef, Joy Ludwig (ex NYC's Jean Georges), harkens back to her Midwest roots and its decidedly down-to-earth banana custard tart with a glammed-up version featuring caramelized bananas and a rich chocolate crust that's served warm.