"This dessert is the funk!"
No, Short Order has not let the cast of Jersey Shore in on our dining research. The most popular dessert at upscale, Coral Gables fusion eatery Caffé Vialetto is named "the Funk." And rightfully so. The other most ordered sweet item is called "the Bomb."
The Funk ($9), is the signature dessert at Vialetto. It's a jazzed-up version of your grandmother's tiramisu. The treat is prepared with ladyfingers drenched in light coffee, mascarpone, and Heath Bar Crunch. And it's plated in a rich concoction of blueberry sauce and condensed milk.
The clever name makes it fun to order. But the combination of textures that compose the Funk make it, well, the funk. The smooth, cheesy base hits your palate first. Then the crunch of the Heath Bar explodes and mixes with the fruity sauce. It's sweet yet not repugnant, the kind of after-dinner dish that induces spoon-licking and plate-scraping.
The Bomb is also topped with Heath Bar Crunch and immersed in a shallow puddle of blueberry sauce. But its main component is a double-layered chocolate cake. The Bomb is delicious, yet it's trumped by the Funk.
Caffé Vialetto is well hidden. Patrons enter via a shadowy alley. Inside, original art decorates the walls of the 50-seat establishment. Well-groomed servers are knowledgeable and attentive. And the only items named in urban slang are the desserts. Part owner Marcelo Chopa says the Funk was named by one of his first customers in 1999. While Chopa was serving the yet-unnamed plate to the patron, the gentlemen asked what exactly he was about to devour. Chopa said, "It's a light, kind of a funky tiramisu." The man took a bite and replied, "No, this is the funk."
Caffé Vialetto
4019 Le Jeune Rd., Coral Gables
305-446-5659
