[Photo: Kathy YL Chan]

The Chocolate Olive Oil Loaf ($3.75) at Abraço isn't a new creation. We just never got around to talking about it because we're so obsessed with the plain Olive Oil Cake. You can't go wrong with the original—dense and incredibly moist with a subtle soft savory edge. The top and sides are browned just right, giving it an almost nutty flavor, with a golden, tender-crumbed interior. This chocolate version has such an intense chocolate flavor that it distracts a bit from the olive oil element. But it's there, slowly chasing in after that dark, cocoa- and chocolate-rich bite. Now if only they'd do a swirled olive oil cake, half chocolate and half original!

Abraço

86 East 7th Street, New York NY 10003 (map)
abraconyc.com

About the author: Originally from Honolulu, Kathy YL Chan writes A Passion For Food, where she chronicles her eats and travels adventures between Hawai'i, New York and beyond. She firmly believes that there is always room for dessert.