Flaming Desserts

[anita l.]

My husband and I are visiting DC at the end of August, and the trip overlaps his birthday. He has a bizarre fascination with flaming desserts. Are there any restaurants in the District that have them on the menu? Price is no object!

(It would be even better if I could outdo the year we were at the late Terrance Brennan's Steakhouse in New York, which had TWO flaming desserts on the menu!)

Thanks in advance,

Anita

[Jacques Gastreaux]

Oceanaire makes a baked Alaska with the flame-on capability.

And welcome to DR. com, Anita.

Edited July 19, 2005 by Jacques Gastreaux

[anita l.]

Oceanaire makes a baked Alaska with the flame-on capability.

And welcome to DR. com, Anita.

Thanks, Jacques. That sounds perfect! I'll call them to make sure the little blowtorch is working when we're there.

The where to eat in DC folder has some great ideas! Now, if only more places lit stuff on fire. . .

[Monica Bhide]

Hey welcome to the forum! I am sure you will get some good answers here!

[Craig Erion]

I thought that flaming stuff was not allowed in DC, as in breaking fire code. No flare behind the bar, no flare in the dining room!

[Jacques Gastreaux]

I thought that flaming stuff was not allowed in DC, as in breaking fire code.  No flare behind the bar, no flare in the dining room!

They must not have gotten the word at Oceanaire.

[Stretch]

A friend of mine once accidentally set himself alight at the bar at Tuscana West. The bartender calmly put him out with the seltzer hose and comped him another sambuca. Fire codes were not invoked.

[Barbara]

I thought that flaming stuff was not allowed in DC, as in breaking fire code.  No flare behind the bar, no flare in the dining room!

Then the Washington Hilton must not have gotten the word, either. Their banquets used to feature the dimming of the lights and waiters carrying flaming baked Alaskas above their heads. I think the tourists and conventioneers were impressed.

[goldenticket]

I can't speak from personal experience, nor do I have any idea about the quality....BUT I do recall seeing on Rachael's Ray's $40 a day show that the Hotel Washington Sky Terrace does cherries jubilee and/or bananas foster (or flambe, as it says on the foodtv website). You can't beat the view, even if the food isn't great (most of it isn't) but dessert might be OK.

Here's the link to that episode:

DC on $40 a day

You might want to call ahead - I just looked at the Sky Terrace dessert menu and there's no mention of flambe anything.

[Craig Erion]

I'm starting to get the feeling that I was given misinfo at my prior job to pass on to guests who complained that our "baked alaska" was not aflame.

[Pete]

Restaurant Eve has a tasty Apricot Baked Alaska on their Tasting Room menu right now. Highly recommended.

[CitrineDC]

It's not dessert, but why not try the flaming cheese fondue-like appetizer available at most Greek restaurants. (Sorry, I can't remember the Greek name of it.) It's some type of hard Greek cheese, to which alcohol is added and then fired up table side.

I order it at the Greek Taverna place on Penn in Capitol Hill about a year ago. It was quite spectacular, and everyone in the room stopped their conversations! Too bad the cheese wasn't of higher quality, but it was still worth it for the show.

Edited July 22, 2005 by CitrineDC

[Al Dente]

It's not dessert, but why not try the flaming cheese fondue-like appetizer available at most Greek restaurants. (Sorry, I can't remember the Greek name of it.) It's some type of hard Greek cheese, to which alcohol is added and then fired up table side. 

I order it at the Greek Taverna place on Penn in Capitol Hill about a year ago. It was quite spectacular, and everyone in the room stopped their conversations! Too bad the cheese wasn't of higher quality, but it was still worth it for the show.

That's Saganaki. It's made with Kaseri cheese. Easy to do at home if you want to make something dramatic.

[CitrineDC]

That's Saganaki. It's made with Kaseri cheese. Easy to do at home if you want to make something dramatic.

Thanks! I'll probably leave it to the pros. Or try it at someone else's place...

[JPW]

That's Saganaki.

OPA!!!

[oliveDC]

I had a flaming banana dessert at Bangkok Bistro in Georgetown one night a while back. The rest of the meal was unmemorable though. If they still serve it, it wouldn't be a bad walk from a dinner at say Mendocino Grille or Pizzeria Paradiso.

[ustreetguy]

They make Crepes Suzette tableside at Les Halles on Pennsylvania Avenue.

[jasonc]

I can't speak from personal experience, nor do I have any idea about the quality....BUT I do recall seeing on Rachael's Ray's $40 a day show that the Hotel Washington Sky Terrace does cherries jubilee and/or bananas foster (or flambe, as it says on the foodtv website).  You can't beat the view, even if the food isn't great (most of it isn't) but dessert might be OK. 

Here's the link to that episode:

DC on $40 a day

You might want to call ahead - I just looked at the Sky Terrace dessert menu  and there's no mention of flambe anything.

I bet she giggled and chortled like an idiot.