Spring Break
Boston-area Finale provides a sweet escape for foodies
by Caroline Hughes
Arts | 3/3/09
Posted online at 8:17 PM EST on 3/2/09
The word finale usually evokes a play's final show-stopping number or the last soliloquy in a Shakespearean tragedy. In terms of Boston cuisine, however, Finale refers to a fantastically chocolatey experience that occurs inside what I think is the best dessert restaurant in the United States.
Finale has redefined the relatively new culinary experience of a dessert restaurant. It is a sort of hybrid between bakery and restaurant at which dessert is the most prized course of the evening. At Finale, the dinner and lunch menus include light fare like soups, salads and small entrée portions to ensure plenty of room for the final course. The food dishes often leave a bit to be desired-my soup has been lukewarm and my sandwich dry-but Finale more than makes up for an average kitchen with its unbelievable desserts.
For some, the climax of the Finale experience occurs when they bite into the "Molten Chocolate," an explosion of chocolate cake that is melted on the inside and fluffy on the outside. Others prefer the crème brulée or various other choices, including Finale's versions of Boston cream pie and cheesecake. The crème brulée and molten chocolate are specialties of the house, but in my humble opinion, why go to a renowned dessert restaurant and order the same flamed sugary, puddingy dish available at any French restaurant? Stick with their original creations, like the chocolate cashew tart with blackberry cabernet sorbet on the side.
Dessert plates are served with various accompaniments, like chocolate embossed with the Finale logo, crispy chocolate wafers and sugary walnuts. Additionally, Finale offers "sharable desserts" that include sampler plates and delicious chocolate fondue (they provided grapes for my melted chocolate, a strange but tasty combination). To add to the experience, there is a mirror over the pastry chefs' station, at which copious amounts of fruit and chocolate are, quite visibly, transformed into glorious desserts. Though it is more striking and enjoyable in my opinion to see the, well, finale of the dessert-making process, sometimes the very sight of the ingredients stimulates the palate. Continuing with that idea, pictures of berries and of chocolate decadence adorn the walls of Finale, creating an omnipresent feeling of deliciousness. Decorations come in brown, white and red, evoking (what else?) chocolate, coconut and berries.
Finale has redefined the relatively new culinary experience of a dessert restaurant. It is a sort of hybrid between bakery and restaurant at which dessert is the most prized course of the evening. At Finale, the dinner and lunch menus include light fare like soups, salads and small entrée portions to ensure plenty of room for the final course. The food dishes often leave a bit to be desired-my soup has been lukewarm and my sandwich dry-but Finale more than makes up for an average kitchen with its unbelievable desserts.
For some, the climax of the Finale experience occurs when they bite into the "Molten Chocolate," an explosion of chocolate cake that is melted on the inside and fluffy on the outside. Others prefer the crème brulée or various other choices, including Finale's versions of Boston cream pie and cheesecake. The crème brulée and molten chocolate are specialties of the house, but in my humble opinion, why go to a renowned dessert restaurant and order the same flamed sugary, puddingy dish available at any French restaurant? Stick with their original creations, like the chocolate cashew tart with blackberry cabernet sorbet on the side.
Dessert plates are served with various accompaniments, like chocolate embossed with the Finale logo, crispy chocolate wafers and sugary walnuts. Additionally, Finale offers "sharable desserts" that include sampler plates and delicious chocolate fondue (they provided grapes for my melted chocolate, a strange but tasty combination). To add to the experience, there is a mirror over the pastry chefs' station, at which copious amounts of fruit and chocolate are, quite visibly, transformed into glorious desserts. Though it is more striking and enjoyable in my opinion to see the, well, finale of the dessert-making process, sometimes the very sight of the ingredients stimulates the palate. Continuing with that idea, pictures of berries and of chocolate decadence adorn the walls of Finale, creating an omnipresent feeling of deliciousness. Decorations come in brown, white and red, evoking (what else?) chocolate, coconut and berries.
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