Ok, so the previous reviewer hit all the nails on the head when it comes to giving you a visual description. So I will spare you the repetition. I moved to San Diego about 6 months ago and a good friend of mine from home, who lives here too, forced me to go to Extraordinary Desserts (ED, for the sake of this review!). Now, forcing me to eat chocolate isn't a very hard thing to do, but forcing me to pay $7.95 for chocolate can be difficult.Pricing
This place offers GREAT desserts, don't get me wrong. But the prices are a bit high. And being a pastry chef myself, I can tell you that yes, she uses high end ingredients, but worth $7.95 a slice? Probably not. A piece of cake will range from about $5 to about $9. If you are more interested in a fruit tart, scone, brownie or cookie, you can pick one up for about $3 or $4. Coffee and Tea on the otherhand go for around $3.95 for a small cup. That's even more than Starbucks!
Cake Decorations
Each slice of cake will be served to your table with decorative sauces, fresh flowers and usually a piece of edible gold leaf. Personally, I think her flowers are gorgeous and a very nice touch, but the gold leafing can get out of hand. I think Karen has found a way to make chocolate undesireable to me, and that's very hard to do!
Menu
The menu varies from night to night, but some of my favorites are the Torta Misu - similar to Tiramisu but with cake layers instead of lady fingers; 23 1/4 Chocolate Cake - Layers and layers of chocolate yumminess, if only it didn't have a stupid piece of gold leaf on it, I'd say it was perfect! But honestly, everything at ED is wonderful, you really can't go wrong!
Ambiance
The place is very small and filled with tons of tables and tiny booths. The booths have the smallest benches imaginable. I'm talking like 10" deep. That's not very comfortable when it's in a U shape and supposed to seat 4 at a table. Then why don't I sit at a table, you ask? Well, the chairs at the table are even worse! They're made of bamboo and have these awfully placed bamboo pieces that hit you at your hips when seated. These tend to dig into the average sized individual, making the dining experience not so enjoyable. Her triangular shaped dishes full of rock sugar are creative though. And the place does give off a zen type feel, but I wish the seating was more comfortable.
Overall Opinion
Karen Krasne has quite a business going. She's got the best dessert place in San Diego, but only if you are grading on taste. If the prices were a bit lower, the seating more comfortable, and less tacky plate decorations, I would give her 5 stars! Don't get me wrong, I still take everyone I know to ED and would recommend it to everyone, despite these tiny flaws.
Recommended:
Yes
Kid Friendliness: No
Vegetarian Friendly: Yes
Notes, Tips or Menu Recommendations Torta Misu, 23 1/4 Chocolate Cake, Fruit Tarts
Best Suited For: Trendy Crowd