TWO NEW WINSOME DESSERTS AT SAILS

AND I THOUGHT IT COULDN’T TOP THE CHOCOLATE SOUFFLE!

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Sails Restaurant in downtown Naples gives me a hundred reasons to stop in on any given day – killer martinis (ask for Beluga vodka), the Peppered Tuna Rossini, the wild mushroom tagliatelle, an iced bin full of seafood direct from the seven seas, the Little Joe filet mignon, so much warmth, so much excellence.

Last visit, I discovered yet two more new reasons. Desserts. I’ve always been a sucker for Sails’ soufflé: not just any chocolate, but Valrhona chocolate from Hermitage, France. Grand Marnier, crème anglaise and vanilla bean ice cream made daily in-house. Oh mon dieu! The chocolate soufflé has been on the menu for some time, but the house recently tweaked it to its current splendor.

I never imagined the Sticky Toffee Pudding stood a chance against it. An elevated spin on the Australian sticky date pudding, it’s like a mini bundt wallowing in brown sugar caramel studded with candied pecans. The same vanilla ice cream tops the warm cake, melting and streaming into its nooks and crannies. Gooey, rich, multi-dimensional, ultimately tempting me beyond the one bite I had vowed to limit myself.

Because I still had to try the new Champagne Cake, compelling with its unusual use of grapefruit, one of my favorite flavors. Grapefruit jam and fresh grapefruit top the champagne-spiked cake; Earl Grey mousse tops that with a side of grapefruit sorbet. It somehow manages refreshing and multi-dimensional with every bite.

I’m not declaring a winner in this battle for my confection affection. That’s up to you to decide.