Desserts Are Dead. Long Live (Whimsical) Desserts!

The realities of operating a high-end restaurant during an economic downturn have pushed some chefs to trim the dessert menu. (Diners who needed to downsize both waistlines and expense accounts didn’t help matters.) It didn’t take pastry chefs long to get the hint: many have fled to launch their own bakery ventures. But that doesn’t signal the end of decadent desserts, according to the experts. It’s simply a matter of recognizing the different varieties of dessert customers. In Washington, D.C., restaurants, the strategy is to “recapture the attention of dessert-wary diners” by offering a sweet course with flair and “whimsy”, changing the options frequently and targeting dessert-avoiders with “straightforward” after dinner treats.