Dessert menu, please?

Are there sit-down restaurants that you would go out of your way to just for the dessert? When I’m in Berkeley, I would stroll down Shattuck for Herbivore’s coconut ice cream and rhubarb pie. When I’m in Houston, I would drive 2 hours to College Station for Eccell‘s bread pudding. Crazy, you say? Well, I blame Beverly for recommending Eccell, I blame my parents for spoiling me, and most of all, I blame myself for sometimes being unreasonably particular about food.

Tucked away at the west end of University, Cafe Eccell is a posh little resto: black wooden table, old brick walls, just enough sunlight through the simplistic rectangular windows to connect the quiet world it contains with the happening streets it sees. Its staff is cordial. Its setting would suit the more respectable guests for a casual lunch. However, I had no memories of its lunch entrees and I don’t intend to create new memories of them. However, I do vaguely recall having a good slice of key lime pie, so when Beverly suggested the strawberry tart, I felt complied to give it a try.

I must admit it looks nothing like my imagination. I thought a strawberry tart would be like… a cake with tart strawberries, but no, Eccell’s strawberry tart is an almond lace cookie shell, a lot of whipped cream, and, at least I got this part right: lots of tart strawberry (They were tart. I couldn’t detect any “apricot glaze” as advertised on the menu ‘cept for its shine).

It’s good. The cookie shell has an addicting chocolate chew to it.

Just for variety, we got the apple bread pudding, too, which we unanimously agreed to be a good call. Those sticky burnt corners. The spongy middle. The crunchy apple slices. There just isn’t a better thing.