If you're a foodie like me and you live in NYC, you must, must, MUST make your way to St. Marks Place in downtown Manhattan if you haven't already. Some of the city's hippest eateries and bars line the street, and the tight quarters add to the charm. The various restaurants, bars, and lounges each add their own unique flavor to the St. Marks atmosphere, which undoubtedly is consistent with food, fun, and camaraderie. One of the sweeter teeth in the mouth of this lively street is Spot Dessert Bar, located at 13 St. Marks Place.
Spot is well-lit and more spacious than some of the other eateries nearby. We were seated fairly quickly despite the people waiting ahead of us, probably because it moves pretty fast when you're only eating dessert. Our waiter was extremely pleasant and accommodating, even when I struggled to select one of the delicious-sounding drink options, which I didn't expect to be the hard part. He was attentive to my desire for something refreshing and recommended a house favorite, the Homemade Mango Soda. It's made with mango puree, a fruity foam, and a scoop of what must have been the mango sorbet. I stirred it with my straw until it was pretty well-blended and did everything I could to not finish it before my dessert came out... It's almost a dessert in itself, and definitely a justified favorite. My partner in crime had a bubble tea that was also very refreshing. Plus, who doesn't love bubble tea?
We ordered two tapas from a selection of about nine. There was a nice range of flavor profiles, from creamy to fruity to green tea-y. After losing my mind for a few minutes trying to decide on the two, we finally settled on the Golden Toast and The Harvest, the latter being my friend's favorite. The Harvest is basically a flowerpot of cheesecake served with raspberry sorbet and a milky tea and topped with crushed Oreo "soil." Delectable.
My favorite part of the night by far was the Golden Toast. It's a thick piece of sweet, toasted bread that's crisp on the outside and soft and almost spongy on the inside. It's pretty much covered with melted butter and it's perfectly delicious by itself. But they don't serve it alone. Alongside the toast comes a hefty dollop of whipped cream, strawberry halves, and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. YES. I made it an art form to create over-sized bites for me and my friend that had a taste of everything. I didn't want to share, but he was paying, so I felt obligated. LOL! To be fair, he let me taste The Harvest too, even though it's his fave. Thankfully, he stopped me from guiltily lapping up the melted ice cream/butter concoction like a satisfied kitten--though I was.
Spot also sells cupcakes, cookies, and macarons. I'm definitely going back before summer's end to try at least a macaron, and I had my eye on the pumpkin cake tapa, with caramel and condensed milk or some other combination of deliciousness. Spot Dessert Bar is a sweet spot whose plates and drinks undeniably deliver (beyond) satisfying treats.
