Update 6/23/08: Dessert Truck has moved to Third Avenue and St. Mark’s Place
Maybe Dessert Truck is the future for the entrepreneur. Worried about high rent? Slow business? Get yourself a truck and keep your options open. The real stroke of genius, though, is that the truck appears at roughly 6pm, right about when most bakeries close and cravings for gourmet sweets kick in.
Novel “mobile food concept” aside, a dessert truck is only as good as its confections. And there’s some relatively high-quality ones to be had here, all packed in tin foil cups, with spoons for street-eating, and costing $5. There’s also a few unexpected touches–rotating specials, and oddballs like goat-cheesecake, and chocolate bread pudding with bacon creme anglaise.
In fact I was pretty pumped for the bread pudding, a favorite dessert of mine, but one that’s hard to evangelize because so many places do it badly. The version from Dessert Truck was surprising–instead of having a chunky, bready texture, it had the even consistency of a half-baked chocolate cake, with a bacon anglaise that tasted only of cream. It was chocolatey all right, but didn’t really hit the bread pudding mark, as far as I’m concerned. The chocolate mousse was redeemed by its creamy peanut butter center and caramel corn topping (a nice, junky touch). However, the slow-baked apples with cranberries, puff pastry, and whipped cream was like a light, cinnamony pie in a cup; and they do a very classic creme brulee–nicely caramelized, crackable crust over smooth custard dotted with vanilla beans.
Despite a few criticisms, I did scrape ALL of my foil cups clean. I may even smell a franchise opportunity here (Dessert Truck is the result of a mind-meld between a pastry chef and an MBA). What NY neighborhood couldn’t use their very own grown-up Mr. Softee?
A review of all six Dessert Truck desserts on Serious Eats
Dessert Truck, the corner of Third Avenue and St. Mark’s Place
6pm-12am every day
Note: Dessert Truck is usually closed when it’s raining. Check their web site if in doubt.
Comments
-
Man, that’s better than my can’t-miss-mobile-dining scheme of buying an Ice Cream Truck and going to every jam-band festival concert. Stoners + Ice Cream = Money in the Bank. Plus I get to tell people “I sell Ice Cream and go to rock concerts” when they ask me what I do for a living.
-
Well, well, if it isn’t King Ed Ra. You could also have a nice sideline in cigarettes, rolling papers, and hemp jewelry, not to mention a sweet ride.
-
Having a dessert truck or ice cream truck business is a great investment. Everybody loves dessert especially ice cream. It’s definitely a good business.