Azucar

Azucar is a Cuban style patisserie. Newbie that I am, I didn't know what that meant and what to expect from their desserts. But, I read a positive review of the place (forgot where) and decided to check it out with Charlie. You guys and gals know him as clayfud, I'm sure.

I love taking dessert photos when there's plenty of natural light to work with. Sometimes I find it more fun snapping pictures than eating the desserts.... Weird. I know.



Though I love peanut butter, I've never had a pb bar until I tried one at Azucar. It was definitely not what I expected. Dark n creamy chocolate aside, I didn't really like the peanut butter portion of the dessert. Found it to be a "watered down" and much too sweet peanut butter. Not my thing at all. I was hoping for more roasted peanut flavors. Admittedly, I've only had a total of two pb bars to this date so I don't know jack.

I DO, however, know that a fork is ill-suited to cut through the pretzel crust. If you must order this item, ask for a hefty, sturdy serrated knife.

roflmao.

El Diablo- chocolate mousse, chocolate cake, cocoa nib touile.

Okay now we're talkin'! The thick choco cake and mousse were so luxuriously decadent I felt naughty just eating it. This dessert is not for the faint of heart. Each bite bombards your tastebuds with loads of dark chocolate. It's a good idea to have a palate cleanser like tea/coffee/sparkling water/another non-chocolate dessert if you decide to order this beast. Dark chocolate's presence is extremely dominant and your tastebuds will be begging for a breath of fresh air.

Chocolate Cupcake with Peanut Butter Frosting

Will of Eclipse Chocolat has pretty much spoiled me when it comes to cupcakes. I have yet to find someone who can 1-up him. Been to Sprinkles (pretty good), Cupcakes Squared (underwhelming), and other big players. Still like 'em better at Eclipse. This cupcake was alright. I'll give it high marks for looking pretty, though. The cake was not chocolatey enough and the frosting reminded me of a peanut butter frosting I had from Mrs. Beasley's. So-so.

The Divina- white chocolate cake, raspberry-passion fruit, cream merengue.

The cutie who took my order recommended this one and I'm real glad I asked her to pick a dessert for me. G'damn just look at that. It tasted as good as it looks. And just to clarify, I found it very aesthetically pleasing, so if you think it's ugly than my previous statement just doesn't quite work... The Divina was quite a relief after the Diablo. Flavors are very well balanced here and while the Divina is a tad sweet for my taste, the subtle acidity from the raspberry and passion fruit filling in the cake really help keep sweetness levels in check. I can see a place like Extraordinary Desserts loading this baby up with loads more sugar.


At $5.75 per dessert ($2.75/cupcake), I can't quite justify the expense especially when better desserts can be found at places like Cafe Blanc. Then again, Cafe Blac is all the way in Costa Mesa... Overall, Azucar is above average since I haven't seen or tasted anything here that blew me away. Check out Azucar if you're in the neighborhood but keep in mind that they close at 6pm Mon-Sat. and Sun. at 5pm. I'm still on the fence about this one so I'd love to hear about your experiences.




Azucar
4820 Newport Avenue
San Diego, CA 92107
619.523-2020