Pining for Pudding at Allegro's (3942 Spruce St.) Who knew they had dessert? We all know Allegro’s has phenomenal white and barbecue chicken pizzas and exceptionally oily, cheesy and delicious chicken sandwiches. Now prepare yourself for the latest surprise: Allegro's sells dessert. We got the chocolate cake ($3.50), carrot cake ($3.50) and rice pudding ($2.75). The chocolate cake was decent; we were served a large slice that tasted just like what you would expect at your local diner. The cake was not too dry but it was a little too sweet for my taste. The carrot cake was a stand out. It had a soft, dense texture and was not overly nutty. The cream cheese frosting complimented but did not overpower the cake. Again, the portion was large and we were able to savor every last bite. The rice pudding, though, was incredible. There was an ample amount of cinnamon, and the pudding was neither too hard nor too soggy. I hate raisins and was pleased to find the pudding was sweet and flavorful without the addition of the leathery, mushy texture of dried grapes. Dessert at Allegro's should be overlooked no longer. The next time you stumble in at 1 a.m. or are placing an enormous Monday Night Football order, add a couple slices of cake or a helping of rice pudding
Cupcakes and Lunch at Artisserie (3421 Walnut St.) For a chocolate shop, Artisserie has a surprisingly wide variety of non–dessert options, including a handful of lunch specials. Both of the available specials (one of which comes with a mini cupcake!) include Artisserie’s lunchtime staple — the panini. Your options include grilled vegetables, pecan crusted chicken, smoked turkey and Italian, plus a combination of side salads or soups. I opted for the pecan–crusted chicken, which was described as having granny smith apples, Gorgonzola cheese and an apricot–mustard spread—all between fresh ciabatta bread. Sadly, they forgot the apple portion of my sandwich and were out of lettuce (part of the side salad deal), forcing me to get pasta salad. In the end, I ended up with a carb–heavy, somewhat mediocre, but filling lunch. On the plus side, my lunch came in a nifty reusable Tupperware container that made the just ho–hum lunch well worth it. If you ever accidentally wander back by Hill in the future and decide to pop over to Artisserie, I’d recommend sticking to their candy bar–like hot chocolate and hand–dipped Belgian waffles.
