A short cab ride from the Lower East Side to the Upper East Side brought us to Serendipity3 for some late night dessert. Serendipity 3 is somewhat of a New York City landmark, frequented by locals, celebrities and tourists alike, on a daily basis. And most of them flock here for Serendipity 3’s signature drink, the Frrrozen Hot Chocolate.
I first heard of Serendipity3 when the movie Serendipity, starring John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale, came out in 2001. Then, a couple years later, Oprah mentioned that Serendipity3’s Frrrozen Hot Chocolate, was one of her “favorite things”. Now, if The Oprah mentions it on her show, isn’t America supposed to listen? Of course, we do!
Maybe it was the sappy chick flick that got Serendipity3 on my “things to do” list… Or maybe the thought that consuming the Frrrozen Hot Chocolate could possibly qualify me to be considered one of The Oprah’s best friends… Who knows? All I know is that on one night, during my New York City trip, we ended up at Serendipity3 for dessert and I will regret it indefinitely.
Entering Serendipity3 was like stepping into a different time and place. And personally, not in a good way. Some may consider the place adorable, whimsical and quirky. But to me, it seemed as if an antique shop threw up and the housekeeper quit 2 years ago and no one brought it upon themselves hire a replacement. It was tacky, old, musty, dingy, dusty and it made me wonder if we made the mistake of coming here for dessert in the first place. But I think that’s the look that they were going for, regardless of how unappealing it might be for some people.
We got there at 11:00pm on a Wednesday night and were greeted by an hospitable host, and that was one of the very few highlights of the evening. Within 5 minutes or so, we were ushered to our table in the upstairs dining room, even though there were many tables available in the main dining area downstairs.
We were then each handed an oversized menu that listed over a gazillion items available. We came for dessert and locating the desserts on their overly busy menu was truly a task. But we conquered, found where they were located, and decided on the Frrrozen Hot Chocolate and the Lemon Ice Box Pie.
Frrrozen Hot Chocolate
Of course we had to order this. It’s what brings all the boys to the yard. It’s their signature chocolate drink. Imagine a hot chocolate slushy and that’s what the Frrrozen Hot Chocolate basically is. A chocolate granita, so to speak. Why “hot chocolate”? Because that’s what it tastes like, hot chocolate, only it’s not hot, but frrrozen, sort of.
The Frrrozen Hot Chocolate is served in a huge goblet and topped with a mountain of whipped cream (which I enjoyed) and a light dusting of chocolate shavings. To consume this chocolate treat, they give you two straws and a spoon. I don’t know… Maybe it was meant to be shared, which is why they gave us two straws. Maybe it should be enjoyed with a spoon, which was odd because the thought of consuming this dessert like soup was just bizarre.
I expected this chocolate treat to literally oooooze greatness, but it was merely sublime. It’s totally overrated and something that can definitely be duplicated at home. Which I did. By accident. And without having to purchase the overpriced mix that they sell in their gift shop. And mine was better.
Lemon Ice Box pie
Sitting delicately on a light graham cracker crust was the most delicate of lemon or citrus pies that I have ever tasted. The lemon filling was light and creamy and quite refreshing. The lemon flavor was wonderfully balanced with the creaminess that it was not so overpowering or “hit you over the head and smack you between the eyes” pucker-inducing. It was fantastic! I could probably eat an entire pie of this and not even feel guilty.
This, I truly enjoyed and wished that I had ordered one for myself. I had a tiny forkful of this from my dining companion’s plate and if my manners didn’t take precedence, I would have graciously accepted his offer for me to take another bite. Then, I would have taken another and another, until there was nothing left for me to do but lick the plate, which I probably would have done, with no shame. But I didn’t, because graciously, I declined a second bite, to my detriment. Tucking my tail between my legs, I finished my sorry ass excuse of a dessert, and internally sulked the rest of the time we were there.
Would I go here again? If I take the hospitable host and the Lemon Ice Box Pie out of the equation, ABSOULUTELY NOT. Their signature drink was overrated and sub-par and their bus staff sucks ass, which explains the “Help Wanted: Busser” sign that greeted us in the front window as we were entering the restaurant.
I hope that they find a busser that has a little more tact and customer service honed into him, unlike the one that attempted to clear our table before we were even done, then blatantly clicked his tongue at us and rolled his eyes as we told him that we were not done yet. This was brought up with the manager and our comments and concerns were merely brushed off, with the guilty busser standing there with his hand on his hip, waiting for us to leave.
We did and we won’t be back.
Happy Spooning and Forking….
*****
Serendipity 3
225 East 60th Street
New York, New York 10022
Phone: 212.838.3531
