Dessert is always a luxury. However, there is a line, when that cherry on top of the dessert becomes just plain over-the-top.
Miami, a town known for extravagance, is so indulgent in sweets that we are actually leaving out the Guinness World Record-holding $1,000 Golden Opulence Sundae at Serendipity 3.
Now for the list we might be able to afford to sink our sweet tooth into.
5. La Bamba at Toro Toro
La Bamba ($20 for two people) is a sweet melody of dulce de leche, strawberry ice cream, cream cheese mousse, almond cookie crumbs, and drizzles of a caramel, vanilla and berry sauce all encased in a chocolate shell. When the dessert arrives to the table it gets the red carpet plastic tablecloth rolled out. This sphere of dessert is dropped onto the table where it explodes. You are then encouraged to eat with your hands, using the chocolate shell shrapnel to scoop up the innards. This item debuts on menus today, Valentine's Day, where it will remain as a permanent item.
4. Deep Fried Bread Pudding at Crackers Casual Dining
Bread pudding is already a splurge as it contains carb-loaded bread, creamy milk, eggs, sugar and is bejeweled by nature's candy: raisins. At Crackers, their bread pudding ($4.95) is sliced into squares where each pillow is then deep fried until golden brown. It is something that you should only be able to get once a year at some state fair, but this is served year-round. Need more? It is topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and drizzled with caramel sauce.
3. Nutella Pie at Lucali
Just when you thought that there couldn't be a more glorious flavor combination than chocolate and hazelnut, someone decided to put it on a pizza. The Nutella pie ($15) at Lucali combines this spread of the gods with their pizza making sensibilities. The crisp crusted pizza is dusted with powdered sugar, smeared with Nutella and topped with ricotta and fresh mint. Leave the flour dust, mozzarella and basil leaves with the more expensive entrees. This is dessert and it is serious.
2. Carnival Fun Cakes at Barton G.
It's pretty elaborate when a dessert needs props. While other desserts may be satisfied with a sweet that invokes a childhood carnival memory, Barton G takes you there. The carnival fun cakes ($36) comes with a duck shooting game. Powdered sugar dusted golden funnel cake, reminiscent of carnivals and boardwalks, are paired with chocolate, strawberry, caramel dipping sauces and fresh whipped cream. No need to play the game, you are already a winner.
1. Chocolate Delight at Icebox Cafe
A dessert mixed with another dessert inside of a dessert is way better than a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma. The chocolate delight (8.95) at Icebox Cafe features a cheesecake brownie inside of chocolate mousse filling, layers of chocolate cake and chocolate ganache. It is a happy ending for any chocoholic and it was featured on Oprah as the best cake in America.
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