CHEESECAKE in New York: Chikalicious Dessert Bar

SADLY, CHIKALICIOUS DESSERT BAR IS NOW CLOSED.

The big argument about cheesecake is whether you like dense, heavy New York-style or light and creamy Italian style. The debate is solved at Chikalicious with a style all its own.

Thre’s no denying that this dessert bar is one of my favorite places in the city. Perhaps my favorite place. The pastry chef, Chika Tillman, offers up a three-course dessert tasting in a very sleek and modern bar room. Her husband Don, presides over the front of the house and always makes you feel welcomed and comfortable.

I’ve been coming here for years and have had this cheesecake many times. It’s one of two items on the menu that never changes, regardless of the season. Cheese never goes out of season.

Her cheesecake is served as a stark white orb floating on a mound of shaved ice. The ball is composed of fromage blanc and topped with a healthy pour of creme anglaise. There is no cream cheese in site.

What really shocks you about the first spoonful is how light this is. The texture is much closer to whipped cream than it is to cake. But there is that unmistakable rich tang that you expect from cheesecake – it’s just presented much more delicately. It also doesn’t leave you feeling like you just ingested a block of cream cheese. Rather, you just inhaled the most beautiful, delicious cloud in the world.

So Chikalicious removes itself from the argument of heavy and dense vs. light and creamy by making a cheesecake like no one else. And it wins every time.

Does Chikalicious have the best cheesecake in NY? It’s certainly not New York-style, but it’s probably something even better. It gets a 10 out of 10.