Who doesn't like cream? Freshly whipped, thick and barely sweetened is how I prefer it, whether it's topping off a lush banana cream pie at Blue Smoke Bake Shop or served atop the chocolate mousse from Buvette. But it's excellent in all forms, including at Otto, where you get straight-up cream in the form of the Huckleberry-Mascarpone Cream Gelato. Break out the spoons! More

At Smith & Mills in Tribeca, Grapefruit Brulee ($8) is a hot weather savior. It's an effortless dessert (on your part that is), as they've removed the grapefruit from the shell. More