Sugar Rush: New Lunch Desserts from M. Wells Dinette

[Photographs: Niko Triantafillou]

There are two desserts at M. Wells Dinette by Pastry Chef Bethany Costello that you may not have had anywhere else. The first is a time-sensitive parfait that you have eat as soon as it's served to you, or else it collapses like an old souffle. The second looks like a standard ice cream cookie sandwich, but is far lighter—and contains no ice cream.

The Wild Ginger Parfait ($10) is served in a large, shiny, brandy glass. On first glance it looks like someone simply mixed some partially whipped meringue with some blueberries. After your first spoonful, though, you realize that it's not meringue but rather a light foam made from wild ginger. In addition to poached blueberries there are crunchy clusters of oats mixed with brown sugar which provide the perfect match to the wild ginger. Wild ginger (provided by M. Wells' Forager) has a much more subtle flavor than the ginger root that most people are familiar with. And because much of this dish is comprised of foam, it makes for a perfect light lunch dessert (the only time the cafe is open).

The frozen nougat sandwich ($5) consists of two cookies with a light, semifreddo-like filling inside. In this case the filling is meringue made with honey that's been folded into whipped cream. Sweet and crunchy honey-dried fruits and nuts are suspended inside the mild frozen nougat. As with the parfait, this dessert makes for a light dessert that will leave you satisfied but not feeling full.