Best Boozy Holiday Desserts in L.A.
Homemade sweets are great, of course, but there are a number of outstanding desserts at restaurants and bakeries across the city that can't be missed. What's even better is that all of the ones below feature a touch, or in some cases a much heavier helping, of booze. 'Tis the season for an edible tipple.
Salt & Straw
240 North Larchmont Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90004
(323) 466-0485
www.saltandstraw.com
Salt & Straw continues to churn out unique flavors every month, and December means the ice cream shop has fashioned its versions of holiday classics. Peppermint Cocoa, Mincemeat Pie and Butter Roasted Chestnut are a few of the newest additions, along with Bourbon Pecan Pie and Spiked Butterscotch Eggnog. The last two are sure to make you feel warm and fuzzy. You can only snag these special flavors through December 20th. In the meantime, eat all the scoops you can handle.
Manhattan Beach Post
1142 Manhattan Avenue
Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
(310) 545-5405
www.eatmbpost.com
M.B. Post just added a new dessert to its winter menu that pairs two fruits with a buttery, nutty topping. It's a warm apple and pear cobbler with housemade rum raisin ice cream. A mini mass of bubbling pome fruits under tender, walnut-studded topping arrives at the table in a ramekin perfectly sized for one. Move fast if you want to spoon up the melting, raisin-dotted ice cream on top.
Pitchoun Bakery
545 South Olive Street
Los Angeles, CA 90013
(213) 689-3240
www.pitchounbakery.com
Pitchoun plays with the flavors of seasonal fruits and mulled wine to create perfect little winter macarons. Each bite is a mix of fig, warm spices, orange and a little spiced wine. The macarons at this downtown French bakery are as authentic as you can get. Buy a couple, or a couple dozen, to keep you company on a cold night.
Playa Provisions
119 Culver Boulevard
Playa Del Rey, CA 90293
(310) 683-5019
www.playaprovisions.com
There's nothing else like milk and cookies that will make you think of that royal jolly man, Santa Claus. Pop into Playa Provisions' "hidden in the back" whiskey bar, Grain, for bourbon milk and chocolate chip cookies. The fresh-from-the-oven cookies are appropriately gooey on the inside and crisp along the edges. The sweetened milk is an adult paradise of bourbon and vanilla. This is the milk and cookie pairing you need to experience.
Baltaire
11647 San Vicente Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90049
(424) 273-1660
www.baltaire.com
Baltaire's dessert menu offers up a decadent bread pudding with a kick. It's a buttery, bourbon-laced croissant bread pudding topped with a quenelle of whipped cream. Savor every spoonful of the velvety pool of crème anglaise under the pudding. If for some reason you end up with leftovers, the fact that this sweet treat utilizes croissants means it will be perfect for breakfast too.
The Pikey
7617 Sunset Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90046
(323) 850-5400
www.thepikeyla.com
The Pikey's chocolate pot with whiskey cream and brandy snap is just like the classic, chilled French pudding, but with a little something extra. You've got booze dished up two ways--cool and creamy whipped cream, then a sweet and crunchy shard of cookie. This pot plays with texture and flavor in a way that will have you feeling the holiday cheer.
Messhall Kitchen
4500 Los Feliz Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90027
(323) 660-6377
www.messhallkitchen.com
Messhall Kitchen's dessert menu includes an item that combines two of the best pie contenders out there. It's a hunking slice featuring two distinct layers - creamy, spiced pumpkin on the bottom and crunchy, chewy pecan on top. Sitting oh so near is a sweet, spiked bourbon sauce made for drizzling over each bite.
The Nice Guy
401 North La Cienega Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90048
(310) 360-9500
www.theniceguyla.com
The Nice Guy takes an Italian classic that you'll find all year long and cranks it up a notch with the addition of booze. Their tiramisu creme brûlée is a torched sugar bomb that's packs a punch in the custard. And it's quite a bit of a buzz too, along with the necessary hits of espresso and chocolate . Mascarpone and chocolate shavings sit right on top, making it as pretty as it is delicious.
Hache LA
3319 Sunset Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90026
(323) 928-2963
www.hachela.com
Drink your way into the holidays with this beer float from Hache LA that would only be best served in a goblet. It's a spiced chocolate chip and fig frozen custard floating in Bear Republic beer black stout. This after-dinner treat is definitely a rush perfect for any dessert-loving lush.
