Dessert is equally hit-and-miss, but for $2.95, L'Academie's students can practice on me as much as they like. Tart lemon strudel is outstanding, crumbly topped and capped with a scoop of nut-studded ice cream. Bread pudding warrants repeat forkfuls, the fat, doughy cube speckled with golden raisins and ladled with chocolate sauce.
But the Viennese chocolate cake is dry and one-dimensional. A lemon pineapple brûlée is too runny and it looks weird, too, the caramelized custard presented in a hollowed out pineapple rind.
Adventures aren't always enjoyable -- thankfully, it was my neighbor who suffered the iced tea spilled down her back at Sam's Cafe. I didn't get much of a thrill the time a Hooters waitress dumped a plate of chicken wings down my back. And it was difficult to appreciate having a margarita dropped in my lap at Macayo's.
L'Academie, though, is worth any risk. Yes, you'll likely experience a few hiccups, but overall, this student-prepared food deserves an A grade.
