Forget tapas, entrees, and apps—life’s too short
to save the sweets for last.

By Sofia Voltin

Dessert? Gross.

A new addition to the Portland food scene serves up one-of-a-kind desserts, signature cocktails, and a dash of facetiousness. Gross Confection Dessert Bar experiments with flavors, techniques, and textures on the corner of Middle and Exchange Street.

“I was working at Fore Street when I came up with the idea for the name,” says chef and owner Brant Dadaleares. “I took photos of delicious food and posted them on social media with the sarcastic caption ‘gross.’ It became my moniker.”

On a recent visit during happy hour, we pored over the dessert selection while sipping on prosecco (a $5 deal at happy hour). “Every week or so we switch up the menu,” Dadaleares says, “but we have a few staples such as the Coconut Macaroon and the Brown Butter Panna Cotta. We’re best known for the Gross Confection Mess.” We ordered all three, along with the Pistachio Profiterole, and kicked off our indulgent banquet with another after-dinner snack—the locally sourced Charcuterie Board. The pickles satisfied our daily vegetable requirement, right?

We devour every last bite on all five plates. No regrets. My friend’s still dreaming of the chewy Coconut Macaroon. “I love the addition of passion fruit. It’s just a bit sour to counter the sweet stuff.” I’ve set my sights on the Crumb Bruleé for next time. “It’s always on the menu,” Dadaleares says, “but we regularly change the flavors. Right now, it’s a Lavender Chamomile Custard with Chocolate Crumbs.”

“Pear and fall fruits will be coming in October,” Dadaleares says. “Customers can look forward to cider and mead flavors, maybe something like a mead sabayon. I like pumpkin, too, so long as it’s not in a latte.”

Chocoholics, rejoice!

The Bar of Chocolate on Wharf Street has been a dessert go-to for almost 15 years. It’s the stop we make when we want to drink our sweets, preferably with a splash of booze. The dessert martinis ($11) come in many forms: Key Lime Pie, Espresso, Peanut Butter, or Chocolate Caramel with a Chocolate-Dipped Rim. If that’s not your speed, they also serve reliable gourmet desserts such as the lauded Blueberry Pie, Carrot Cake, and Créme Bruleé. “There aren’t a lot of changes made to the menu. We already make about 20 different desserts (and whenever I remove one I hear about it), but we do make specials,” says chef and owner Sarah Martin. “I’ll be making pumpkin cheesecakes this week. ‘Tis the season!” So order a slice of cake and raise your glass—it’s time to treat yourself.

Sweet Mascots

Did you hear the buzz? It’s coming from 390 Congress Street. The Press Hotel, in collaboration with Honey Exchange, care for 4 beehives on their roof with panoramic views of Portland—it’s the first time I’ve ever been envious of a bee.

“I shouldn’t, but I think of them as pets,” says apiarist and executive chef Josh Berry. “The bees travel up to a two-mile radius around the hotel, collecting nectar from the cherry blossoms of City Hall, the flowers on Eastern Promenade, and the dandelions popping up through the pavement.” The 80 to 85 pounds of honey collected this year provide the zing (not the sting) for some delicious desserts at the hotel’s UNION restaurant.

Case in point—the Honeycomb Semifreddo. Made of white chocolate honeycomb with malted cream, vanilla crumble, mandarin orange gel, and bee pollen, this dish is the bee’s knees. “The Semifreddo will be leaving the menu soon—it’s more of a summer dessert,” says Berry. “But we will have another honey-based dessert to follow. I’m not sure what yet, but it will be more appropriate to the season. We’re waiting for inspiration to hit.”

The dessert menu is short and sweet but curated to appeal to all tastes. “The Carrot Cake Swiss Roll is my favorite. It’s the most savory of the desserts,” says the Press Hotel’s Karl McElligott. The Union M&Ms ($7)— a small plate of macarons, madelines, and meringues—is just right to satisfy a sugar craving. “The whole dessert menu here is the best I’ve had my entire life,” says bartender Isaac Beaupre. “I recommend the whipped cheesecake ($9). It’s made from scratch and served deconstructed.” Union restaurant is keeping dessert altogether local, and altogether sweet.