Best Places in U.S. with the Best Old-Fashioned Desserts

[PAWriter]

I'm working on a story for a national travel publication that wants a short piece on old-fashioned desserts: who's got the best and where can we go to eat them? I'm thinking of items such as red velvet cake, baked Alaska, Bananas Foster, apple pie/cherry pie, Lemon Meringue and maybe even, although it feels a bit done to death, cupcakes. I'm also up for suggestions and would love some input. I don't have much space, and I need to geographically balance the results, but I'm looking for obvious and somewhat obscure--places the locals love and take their friends to when visiting-- to create a varied list. Award-winning desserts are also welcome for consideration! Thanks!

[vtnewbie]

Sugar cream pie in Indiana

[Caralien]

You really ought to see the traditional cakes at the Madonna Inn--candy coloured, fluffy, and enormous (a single slice is enough for at least 3 people). The Inn is a destination in itself, with unique and kitschy rooms.

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Madonna Inn
100 Madonna Road, San Luis Obispo, CA 93405

[Veggo]

The dessert room at Bern's in Tampa is worth checking out online. It's by reservation, and you get you own round booth and you choose your after dinner music. Their single serving hot apple pie with macadamia ice cream is ambrosia, and I'm sure many others I have not tried are as well. Interesting coffee selections, and liquers that go back to the Jeffersonian era, literally. I had an 1862 Madeira with my pie, very pleasant.

[Jacey]

Baklava in Dearborn, MI

[demigodh]

For the obvious side of the list: Baked Alaska was invented at Delmonicos in NYC. Cheesecake at Juniors in NYC.

[qwertyu]

Cabot's in Newton, MA is legendary for its huge, old-fashioned sundaes...I've never seen anything like them. They have one called the Dentist Disaster that is just that-- full of candy!

[PAWriter]

thanks, everyone. this has been helpful. i'm now hungry--but that's no surprise...

[turqmut]

I didn't think anyone could make a better lemon meringue pie than my mom, but I was wrong. Try the Rock Springs Cafe in Black Canyon City, AZ-may 60 minutes north of Phoenix.

[Bob W]

There are still many old-school bakeries in Providence RI that make real whipped cream cakes. Very unhealthy and very delicious!

We had a cousin who brought a whipped cream cake whenever he came to our house for supper. I almost got sick of whipped cream cakes, but it never happened.

[buttertart]

If ice cream is included, you can't do better than Lagomarcino's in Moline, IL (the original, a real early 20th century soda fountain/candy store) and Davenport, IA (the branch). Old-fashioned homemade ice creams (last times there had rhe black raspberry, which was wonderful), semi-forgotten sundaes like the Tin Roof - salted peanuts and chocolate sauce on vanilla ice cream...wonderful homemade chocolates. A family business for over 100 years. Our first stop on arriving for family visits and our last stop on the way to the airport. http://www.lagomarcinos.com/

[FarFar]

Durgin Park in Boston, MA for indian pudding, a new england favorite from colonial times made with cornmeal and molasses

[ktmoomau]

A really good pie place is a place called The Cabin in West Virginia near Franklin on 250 I believe, maybe 33 but I think it is 250. Their meringue pies are REALLY good old-fashioned.

You might look at The Smith Island Cake from Smith Island, MD too. There was an old thread about cake origins you should look up, I think it was resurrected recently should be on the first couple pages here that might give you some good info.

[PAWriter]

thanks for the tip about the other thread. this whole project is more interesting than the space i'm allotted to write about--classic scenario--but i'm having fun learning about all these places!

[eebbjj]

On the way from San Francisco to South Lake Tahoe: Apple Hill for caramel apples, apple doughnuts and apple pie: http://www.applehill.com/ (I recommend High Hill

)

San Francisco: Bi-Rite Creamery: http://biritecreamery.com/
Incredible banana splits and ice cream, but the combinations are a little updated (e.g. bananas are caramelized, and the most popular ice cream is salted caramel).

[paulj]

Pie Town, NM?

You could crib ideas from J&M Sterns, Road Food.

I've also come across a web site that sought out the best pies around the country.

[PAWriter]

do you have the url for the pie site? thanks for the reminder on the sterns.

[paulj]

Here's the 'Pie Weve Eaten' website
http://www.roundamerica.com/pie-list.htm

I first came across this while looking for restaurant information on Lynden, WA, a town near the Canadian border with a strong Dutch heritage.

[PAWriter]

wow. that web site is something else! thanks for sharing. some of the choices are not quite pie, but it's an interesting catalog nonetheless.