I love chocolate (who doesn’t?) and I love dessert (esp. under $5) and now I love the Dessert Truck.

8th St and University Place
Closed Monday. Tuesday - Sunday: 6PM until closing

Here at Design Scouting, when we’re not thinking about design chances are we’re thinking about food, so today we interrupt our regular design-casting for a culinary segment.

I’d heard major New-York-Foodie-Hype about Artichoke Basille pizza (328 E. 14th St., nr. First Ave) and being a staunch Grimaldi’s fan from my days of living literally across the street, I was intrigued. So, last night I bundled up (it was freezing here in the city) and went to 14th street and 1st avenue to scout it out. I’d heard horror stories about the line on the weekends, and figured if it was really bad I’d bail. But I only had to stand in line for about 15 minutes. I picked up a slice of their signature artichoke and spinach (which has been getting all the Chow.com raves) and a square Sicilian slice ($2.50 to $3.50). It is pretty awesome pizza — unpretentious, greasy, delicious, layered and profoundly satisfying. I liked the Sicilian the best (salty and almost fried) and Tim like the artichoke and spinach (creamy and unique favors). Neither approach the alchemy of the thin crust wonder that is a Grimaldi’s pepperoni pizza, but, if you’re walking by, and the line is short, jump in. It’s worth it.

Note: there is no place to sit, it’s really a take out place.

(Photo via nymag.com)

I had a delicious afternoon — a pedicure with M. (beyond long overdue), followed by tea and cupcakes at a bakery, the Amai Tea and Bake House, M. had found. M. has a way of finding the perfect places and then sharing them. It is a gift, this ability.

As a working woman in NYC, I eat a lot of cupcakes — on birthdays, at wedding and baby showers, on the good days, on the bad days — someone is always walking by my office with cupcakes from a new bakery. I’ve tried them all: babycakes, sage, crumbs, magnolia, buttercup, sugar sweet sunshine, out of the kitchen. I have to say the Amai chocolate cupcake with peanut butter frosting was the best cupcake I’ve ever had. While cupcakes are a subjective pleasure, I judge mine on three criteria: 1) “cakiness” of the cake, 2) the quality of the frosting, 3) the ratio of said cake to said frosting. If any of these three are out of balance, I won’t rave about it.

This one had perfect frosting — creamy, full of flavor, not too sweet. And, my god, it was peanut butter frosting. Think about that. The cake was chocolaty and moist, — delicious cake in its own right. Finally, the ratio of frosting to cake was perfect. I didn’t run out of either.

The shop, Amai Tea and Bake House, is both cozy and elegant — I loved the pink Cole and Son “woods” wallpaper  in the back nook, and the grey/brown of the walls.

The shop is owned by Kelli, of the blog Lovescool fame. I hadn’t ever read her blog until eating her cupcakes, but, I think you’ll enjoy both. For those of you in NYC, head to 16th and 3rd. For those of you elsewhere, her online shop is here.