6 Red-Flag Desserts That Pastry Chefs Would Never Order At A Restaurant

DNY59 via Getty Images Pastries and pies, cookies and cake, tarts and treats … these “dessert stomach” goods are a gift from culinary science we can thank pastry chefs for. Yet “if it’s a smaller middle-of-nowhere restaurant, I’ve learned it’s usually it’s not made in-house because most restaurants can’t afford to have a pastry chef on payroll,” said Claudia Martinez, pastry chef for Michelin star-awarded Miller Union in Atlanta. Restaurants with pastry chefs may offer upscale interpretations of the traditional favorite, and Geist admitted, “If the cheesecake is made in-house or by a local bakery, I have a hard time saying no!” But that’s still not a failsafe. Crème Brûlée “Crème brûlée is one dessert I never order,” said Daniella Lea Rada, the executive pastry chef for Signia by Hilton Atlanta’s five dining outlets. “Underwhelming, lacking in creativity, too sweet and usually frozen,” Martinez dismissed, and Lea Rada said she is repulsed by “soft crust, super sweet lime curd, and artificial essence.” To Geist, it’s simply “not something to choose if you want to eat products made fresh from scratch.” Poorly Garnished Desserts Everybody loves a dollop of whipped cream … right?