Being an adult is super stressful. We’re constantly expected to “pay our bills on time” and “do our own shopping” and “talk to our partners about not blacking out at children’s birthday parties.” And sometimes it just all gets to be a little too much. Don’t you want the simple joys of an endless summer? Of biking all over the neighborhood and having adventures? Of chasing the ice cream truck down the street with wild, panic in your heart, afraid that the ice cream man wasn’t going to stop? Of being on a trampoline and hitting the perfect “double jump” that sent you soaring so high that you felt pretty sure you knew what being an astronaut felt like?
I know I miss all of those small pleasures. And as I stare down the barrel of a glass of green juice because sigh, that’s what adults (in LA) are supposed to eat…. I miss the foods of my childhood. I miss ice cream sandwiches, and Lucky Charms, and plain cheese bagel bites (because as long as pizza’s on a bagel, you can eat pizza anytime). They all seem so far away now. Like I’m the Little Match Girl staring in the warm window of my childhood. It looks so beautiful and cozy with my nose pressed against the chilled pane. While, in the meantime, I’m outside in the snow, my cold, broken corpse to be found in the morning by a random passerby.
Which is why I love this list of restaurants with desserts that are inspired by our childhood favorites! Because while we may not be able to go back to childhood, we can recapture just a little bit of that magic with the familiar tastes of childhood. (Or by drinking salamander blood in the ocean under a full moon.)
Tiramisu Pops-Sophia’s
(Austin, TX)
This delicious looking dessert features mascarpone, coffee, and house-made lady fingers served with a whimsical push-pop presentation and topped with an edible flower.
Cereal Cheesecake-Dough
(Tampa, FL)
Dough, the whimsical bakery in sunny Tampa, FL, transports guests to the days of their youth with their Cereal Cheesecakes, made with favorite childhood cereals like Fruit Loops.
Chocolate & Amarena Cherry Sundae- Vince Young Steakhouse
(Austin, TX)
Vince Young Steakhouse kicks the traditional cherry sundae up a notch with the use of imported Italian Amarena cherries, featuring house made chocolate and cherry ice cream layered parfait style with brownie bits.
Gelato Cookie Sandwich-Doc B’s Fresh Kitchen
(Chicago, IL)
Doc B’s Fresh Kitchen serves a unique twist on the traditional cookie sandwich using delicious gelato for its creations.
Nutella Pizza-City Winery
(Nashville, TN)
This City Winery dessert is topped with house-made marshmallows, Dulce de Leche, raspberries, and hazelnuts. It’s like a chocolate s’more pancake #KidLife4Eva.
7 / 10 Split-Pinstack
(Plano, TX)
An over-the-top take on a classic childhood dessert, the ice cream sundae. This dish features layers of brownies and chocolate chip cookies, topped with nine scoops of ice cream (three chocolate, three vanilla and three strawberry), whipped cream, chocolate sauce, a pair of bowling pin shaped sugar cookies and a cake pop.
Spiced Pumpkin S’mores-Halifax
(Hoboken, NJ)
Made with graham cracker shortbread, milk chocolate ganache and house made charred marshmallow, and plated with cranberry puree and butternut squash chips.
Shiba Scream-Shiba Ramen
(Emeryville, CA)
This treat uses Fenton’s Creamery ice cream and places it in crispy, hand-made-in-Japan, baked mochi monaka shells. This is pure upscale ice cream sandwich fusion.
