Eat Cetera

<em><a href="http://colormekatie.com">Katie Sokoler</a>/Gothamist</em><p></p><strong>Compose Dessert:</strong> This intimate Tribeca restaurant and bar serves dinner for just ten guests a night at the elegant chef's counter, where an 8- to 10- course tasting menu changes daily according to market availability. It's a bit of a commitment—the whole shebang costs $120, with cocktail pairings for an extra $80—but we've heard very good things about fastidious chef Nick Curtin (Noma). If you want to check the place out with going whole hog, <a href="http://gothamist.com/2010/12/02/compose_tribeca_photos.php">Compose</a> is now offering a dessert tasting menu for visitors with a late night sweet tooth. Curtin's recruited his Noma colleague Micah Phillips, who's also worked at Blue Hill at Stone Barns, Locanda Verde, and Jean Georges. Not exactly a lightweight. <p></p>The tasting itself moves from savory dessert interpretations into the sweet. $40 gets you three courses and a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mignardises">Mignardise</a>; right now the preliminary menu looks like this: <ul>t<li>Course 1: Roots - Beet Sorbet, Candied Parsnip, Carrot Cake, Maca</li>t<li>Course 2: Chocolate - Caramelized White Chocolate, Milk Chocolate, Dark Chocolate</li>t<li>Course 3: Milk - Burnt Milk, Milk Jam, Milk Crisp</li>t<li>Mignardise: Hazelnut Cake with Salted Chocolate Ganache and Brown Butter</li></ul>And for an extra $20, you can add cocktail pairings. You can stop always stop by Compose just for cocktails without a reservation, but the restaurant encourages guests to call ahead for the dessert tastings. <p></p><em>77 Worth Street; (212) 226-1444</em>

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Katie Sokoler/GothamistCompose Dessert: This intimate Tribeca restaurant and bar serves dinner for just ten guests a night at the elegant chef's counter, where an 8- to 10- course tasting menu changes daily according to market availability. It's a bit of a commitment—the whole shebang costs $120, with cocktail pairings for an extra $80—but we've heard very good things about fastidious chef Nick Curtin (Noma). If you want to check the place out with going whole hog, Compose is now offering a dessert tasting menu for visitors with a late night sweet tooth. Curtin's recruited his Noma colleague Micah Phillips, who's also worked at Blue Hill at Stone Barns, Locanda Verde, and Jean Georges. Not exactly a lightweight. The tasting itself moves from savory dessert interpretations into the sweet. $40 gets you three courses and a Mignardise; right now the preliminary menu looks like this: tCourse 1: Roots - Beet Sorbet, Candied Parsnip, Carrot Cake, MacatCourse 2: Chocolate - Caramelized White Chocolate, Milk Chocolate, Dark ChocolatetCourse 3: Milk - Burnt Milk, Milk Jam, Milk CrisptMignardise: Hazelnut Cake with Salted Chocolate Ganache and Brown ButterAnd for an extra $20, you can add cocktail pairings. You can stop always stop by Compose just for cocktails without a reservation, but the restaurant encourages guests to call ahead for the dessert tastings. 77 Worth Street; (212) 226-1444

Gothamist

<strong>Cold Stone Creamery Heats Up:</strong> Starting today, Cold Stone Creamery is introducing a line of plated hot desserts. Remember your New Year's Resolution? Neither do we—all we remember is slipping on some ice and falling in a snowbank in the freezing rain during our <a href="http://gothamist.com/2011/02/02/why_this_ice_storm_is_not_shatterin.php">walk to work this morning</a>. You know what would really cheer us up? Chocolate Lava Meltdown. This bad boy is made with warm chocolate cake filled with hot fudge and topped with vanilla ice cream, fudge, whipped topping and shaved chocolate. <a href="http://www.nrn.com/article/cold-stone-creamery-adds-hot-desserts">Nation's Restaurant News reports</a> that the other three belly-warming treats, which each cost $4.99, are as follows: <ul>t<li>Brownie A La Cold Stone with warm chocolate brownies, vanilla ice cream, whipped topping, caramel, hot fudge and pecans.</li>t<li>Churro Caramel Crave with churros rolled in cinnamon and sugar, vanilla ice cream, caramel and whipped topping.</li>t<li>No Fair Funnel Cake dusted with powdered sugar and served with strawberries, vanilla ice cream, strawberry puree and whipped topping</li></ul>Here's their <a href="http://www.coldstonecreamery.com">website</a>, which shows <a href="http://www.coldstonecreamery.com/google/stores/store_locator.aspx?q=10003">all their NYC locations</a>. Do with this information what you will.

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Cold Stone Creamery Heats Up: Starting today, Cold Stone Creamery is introducing a line of plated hot desserts. Remember your New Year's Resolution? Neither do we—all we remember is slipping on some ice and falling in a snowbank in the freezing rain during our walk to work this morning. You know what would really cheer us up? Chocolate Lava Meltdown. This bad boy is made with warm chocolate cake filled with hot fudge and topped with vanilla ice cream, fudge, whipped topping and shaved chocolate. Nation's Restaurant News reports that the other three belly-warming treats, which each cost $4.99, are as follows: tBrownie A La Cold Stone with warm chocolate brownies, vanilla ice cream, whipped topping, caramel, hot fudge and pecans.tChurro Caramel Crave with churros rolled in cinnamon and sugar, vanilla ice cream, caramel and whipped topping.tNo Fair Funnel Cake dusted with powdered sugar and served with strawberries, vanilla ice cream, strawberry puree and whipped toppingHere's their website, which shows all their NYC locations. Do with this information what you will.

Gothamist

<em>The Night Market in DUMBO (<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/39390062@N06/4661314116/in/photostream/">Todd Leong's Flickr</a>)</em><p></p><strong>Luckyrice Festival:</strong> Last year's inaugural <a href="http://www.luckyrice.com/">Luckyrice festival</a> was a surprise blast; the multi-day celebration of Asian food and culinary culture brought together some of the most talented chefs in town (David Chang, Anita Lo, Pichet Ong) for events like dumpling-making workshops, discussions on Buddhist ethics and food, and plenty of food and cocktails. It also sold out completely, which is why we're letting you know that tickets go on sale tomorrow (Thursday) for the May festival, which goes down at various venues and lasts a week. <p></p>Highlights include a collaborative Chinese banquet dinner at Daniel created by Daniel Boulud and Susur Lee, an opening-night Asian-infused cocktail party at the Bowery Hotel, the Night Market under the Manhattan Bridge Arch in DUMBO (that was fun last year), and a Japanese cocktail and sake "soiree" with Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto. (High rollers may also be interested in the pre-party Omakase dinner hosted by Morimoto, for $250.) Once again, proceeds from the festival will benefit City Harvest; all the <a href="http://www.luckyrice.com/">details here</a>.

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The Night Market in DUMBO (Todd Leong's Flickr)Luckyrice Festival: Last year's inaugural Luckyrice festival was a surprise blast; the multi-day celebration of Asian food and culinary culture brought together some of the most talented chefs in town (David Chang, Anita Lo, Pichet Ong) for events like dumpling-making workshops, discussions on Buddhist ethics and food, and plenty of food and cocktails. It also sold out completely, which is why we're letting you know that tickets go on sale tomorrow (Thursday) for the May festival, which goes down at various venues and lasts a week. Highlights include a collaborative Chinese banquet dinner at Daniel created by Daniel Boulud and Susur Lee, an opening-night Asian-infused cocktail party at the Bowery Hotel, the Night Market under the Manhattan Bridge Arch in DUMBO (that was fun last year), and a Japanese cocktail and sake "soiree" with Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto. (High rollers may also be interested in the pre-party Omakase dinner hosted by Morimoto, for $250.) Once again, proceeds from the festival will benefit City Harvest; all the details here.

Gothamist