The Resy Guide to Holiday Desserts in Philadelphia

James Beard Award-winning Chef Jeff Michaud celebrates Italian food heritage by weaving together high quality ingredients to make Nonna-style comforts. So when you’re looking for upscale takes on homemade Italian desserts, Osteria is the place.  Year-round, you can’t go wrong with scoops of gelati and sorbetti or a traditional tiramisu.  But come the holiday season, locals flock to Osteria for the panettone.  The classic panettoni are in short supply but you can still place an order for Michaud’s new dark chocolate and cherry panettone.  Pro tip: Michaud’s secret menu has a gianduia and hazelnut panettone, a flavor combo that rivals Ferrero Rocher, but it’s in very limited supply, so place your order, like, yesterday.

Who doesn’t love a good collaboration project? The Wayward partnered with the donut titans at Federal Donuts to develop their take on the classic French croquembouche — a tower of donut bites filled with a decadent crème pâtissière.  For added sweetness and theatrics, it comes with warm caramel drizzled on top. It’s a holiday dessert as tasty as it is fun.

The Love teaches us that you don’t have to sacrifice comfort for elegance. And dessert is equally bold, bringing in complementary flavors and textures to create a wow factor. The apple marzipan tea cake incorporates a sage and brown butter crumb which adds a bit of warmth to the marzipan’s almond flavor along with a bit of texture, a different take on a holiday cake.  The Bee Sweet sundae celebrates the hardworking honeybee with a honeycomb chamomile ice cream and crunchy honeycomb toffee.  You can order to go here.

Cry Baby Pasta is all about Italian classics, and though they’re known for being a spot for pasta and wine, they deserve a shoutout for their desserts. Standards include a mascarpone cheesecake topped with tart blackberries that are balanced with hint of peppery mint from the basil sugar, as well as a chocolate hazelnut torte, because now is the time of year for chocolate. But keep an eye out for weekend dessert specials.

The dessert menu at Little Nonna’s doesn’t stop at baked goods like hazelnut cannoli and tiramisu.  It doesn’t even stop at classic Italian water ice.  Little Nonna’s also offers “liquid dessert” in the form of a zesty South Philly made limoncello, and a sparkling wine and vodka cocktail with blood orange basil sorbet.  And there’s a generous list of dessert wines, cordials, and amaro for diners wanting to end their meal with a traditional grappa, anise-flavored sambuca, or nutty amaretto.

One of Gullifty’s points of pride are the desserts which have been made by scratch in house by pastry chef, Dennis Hunt, since 1982. Like an old-school diner, they’ve got a rotating menu of 25 pies, cakes, and cheesecakes all of which can be accompanied by a scoop of homemade ice cream.  You can order a dessert from a limited selection on the menu, or ask for a whole pie or cake to take home — just let them know 24 to 48 hours ahead of time.

From the hulking burger served with salty Lebanon bologna and smoked gouda cheese, to the mountain of Ripp fries topped with brisket and jalapeños, the dishes at Ripplewood are loaded. Same goes for the desserts. The Brookie combines the best parts of a brownie and a chocolate chip cookie, and serves them together in a hot skillet.  They even make their own version of a Snickers bar, a tall dulce de leche with peanut butter and caramel. As this is a season of indulgence, it seems they get us.

Fond is the passion project of husband and wife duo Lee Styer and Jessie Prawlucki.  While Styer is conceptualizes inventive dishes with global influences, Prawlucki, a pastry chef, is dreaming up comforting desserts.  Try the apple tart, seasoned with cardamom, which adds a festive edge to the tart’s walnut streusel.  For chocolate lovers, Fond offers a rich dark chocolate pudding served with a mildly salty butterscotch sauce and topped with whipped cream. And right now, there are molasses spice cookies, too. Order here.

This charming restaurant tucked away in a garden off Washington Square Park is the perfect little urban escape, especially when it comes to dessert.  Though the weather is getting chilly, the space — and the desserts — are quite cozy and warm.  Apple crisp is served warm with a toasty oat crumble and topped with a chai-spiced ice cream that melts into the crisp.  There’s also a molten chocolate cake oozing with peanut butter ice cream and raspberry sauce.  The hot buttered rum is sure to warm you inside and out. It’s made from tart local cider spiced with cardamom. All of it, yes, also available to go.