From greasy take-out diners to elegant fine dining, Bloomington offers a wide scope of restaurant choices for students with varying budgets.\nBut for those with a well-developed sweet tooth, whose eyes might wander to the back of the menu before even glancing at the appetizers or main courses, dinner is just a precursor to the most important part of the meal: dessert. \nWhether looking for a quick sugar-fix with your coffee or a full-out decadent dessert, students can find local restaurants catering to confectionary cravings with a variety of traditional and unconventional selections. \n \n
Scholar's Inn - 717 N. College Ave.
\nIf variety is the spice of life, Scholar's Inn provides more than enough flavor. Offering over 20 dessert options, this wine bar-turned-restaurant has not forgotten its roots, said manager Alex Tachtiris. \n"When we first started we were a wine bar with desserts and appetizers," he said. "And because we were known for them first, we wanted to be faithful to that." \nRanging from $6 to $8 for single dessert portions, the menu \nfeatures classic desserts, such as \ntiramisu, crème brûlee, cheesecake, bread pudding and carrot cake. \nFor the more adventurous palette, items like the Caribbean custard -- a coconut-infused cream with rum -- or peach kuchen -- a peach pastry based on a recipe used by Tachtiris' grandmother -- provide an opportunity to try something unique. \nSenior Marcie Fry, a waitress at Scholar's Inn, said she is partial to the bête noir, a flourless chocolate cake.\n"I love chocolate, and it's chocolate, chocolate, chocolate," she said. "A lot of it is in the presentation. They look pretty and they taste even better." \nWhile the restaurant emphasizes presentation of its desserts, the decor also exudes a similar confidence. With brightly-colored walls, high, painted ceilings and a softly lit indoor seating area, Scholar's Inn can provide an ideal setting for a date. A more casual outdoor seating area provides a more comfortable atmosphere for those interested in a good meal with a less "romantic" feel. \nFor couples looking to spend about $15 for a tasty dish, the menu also includes dessert flambé for two or a fondue tower with cake, fruit and pecans for dipping. The flambe, which is ignited when brought out to the table, can also provide a degree of excitement to an otherwise ordinary evening.
Café et Crepe - 316 E. Fourth St.
\nSugar addicts looking for something different will find a welcome alternative at Café et Crepe. \nCafé et Crepe's design is simple: lunch, dinner and desserts, all in crepe form. Hamid Maidi, who opened the restaurant just over a year ago, said the restaurant is a popular destination for customers looking for coffee and dessert. \nNestled in a cozy locale on Fourth Street, Café et Crepe provides exotic food in a casual, cafe-style setting. \nThe most popular of the dessert crepes include the Cloud Nine, filled with strawberries and bananas and garnished with cream sauce, and the Nutella, which stuffs a crepe full of the popular hazelnut chocolate spread, Nutella, and macadamia nuts. Those looking for something a little more traditional can also take comfort in a hot apple pie or poached pear crepe. \nIn addition to being simple, the desserts are relatively affordable, priced between $2.95 and $5.25. \nJunior Breanne Anderson, who started working at Café et Crepe two weeks ago, said the originality of the desserts is a drawing factor.\n"It's just not something you can have anywhere else in town," she said. "They're really fun to serve because people's faces just light up."
The Copper Cup - 1400 E. Third St.
\nNot everyone looking for something sweet wants to shell out a lot of money or time. The Copper Cup, a local coffeehouse with two locations in Bloomington, provides customers with an assortment of inexpensive pastries.\nCustomers can sit at a table to read or work on homework in the casual cafe atmosphere or gaze out the window from a bar-stool seat. \nBarista Eric Anderson, whose favorite treat is the Oreo Boulder Brownie, said the café created its own, slightly healthier dessert. \n"We're the only place that sells oat cakes, which is our only product made locally," he said.\nMade with oats, butter, flour and other "all natural" ingredients, oat cakes come in three flavors.\nIn addition, the café has seven types of brownies, eight types of cookies, five types of muffins, three types of biscotti, croissants, scones and Rice Krispie treats. \nPricing varies, but desserts at The Copper Cup usually run between $1 and $3.
Truffles - 1131 S. College Mall Rd.
\nIn addition to traditional desserts, such as cheesecake and crème brûlee, Truffles provides diners with a unique culinary opportunity by providing new twists on classic favorites, typically priced between $5 and $7. \nBlending artistry with taste, the chocolate mousse is whipped up and housed with black cherries in a decorative chocolate shell. \nThe restaurant makes its sorbets and ice creams in-house and in an unusual variety of flavors, including prickly pear cactus. Carrie Keel, a waitress at Truffles, said her favorite dessert is the gingerbread with fresh berries.\n"It's interesting … It's sort of a classic Midwestern dessert, but it's hard to come by," she said.\nCustomers can also have their sugar cravings extinguished with a dessert martini. At a slightly higher price, usually between $8 and $9 (half-price on Wednesdays and Thursdays), options like the Chocolate Martini, made with white and dark chocolate Godiva liqueurs, and the Mintini, made with mint liqueur and chocolate vodka, are often good choices for those looking to have both a drink and dessert. \nThe dimly lit restaurant, which provides a posh, upscale atmosphere, is a popular date spot, cook Bob Adkins said, and a common stopping point for couples on their way to a movie down the street. But be sure to call ahead -- reservations are recommended. \nAdkins said the cooks take between five and six hours to prepare most of the desserts at Truffles in-house, opting for fresh ingredients over prepackaged dishes. He said preparing a dessert dish requires more time and effort than people realize.\n"It's pretty exact. A lot more exact than working with meat, fish or vegetables," he said. "It takes a lot of practice"
