Welcome to Best Bites, a series where we celebrate not a whole restaurant or menu, but one specific and amazing dish or drink. These items have something to say and we are listening. Keep reading for a dessert that is seriously worth finding across metro Phoenix. Dig in!
Crunchy, caramelized, sweet and satisfying all describe the pear upside-down cake at Tesota.
This fluffy dessert is a winner and the perfect finale to an eclectic meal enjoyed on the comfortable patio of this uptown Phoenix restaurant.
Tesota is the latest concept from chef and restaurateur Doug Robson. Known for his Mexican restaurants Gallo Blanco and Otro Cafe, he expanded his reach with the globally inspired Tesota which opened at The Newtown shopping plaza last spring.
The restaurant features dishes from around the world. Customers can pick a through-line and opt for an Italian meal with wine, pizza and pasta. Go all-American with a beer, wings and a cheeseburger. Travel through Asia with rice paper dumplings and Yakisoba noodles. Or shake things up and order a little of each cuisine.
Whichever path you take, make sure to leave room for dessert. The items change seasonally and cocoa-dusted tiramisu is the latest addition to the menu. The creamy, layered dessert is an excellent rendition of the classic.
But on a recent visit to the covered patio, the pear upside-down cake blew us away. The bottom of the cake, which would have actually been the top as it was baked, was blackened and looked almost burnt. But after one taste, it became clear that it actually was caramelized to perfection. The crisp, dark layer became a sturdy, caramel crust to hold up the light, fluffy cake. On the top, which was originally the bottom of the pan, a layer of sliced pears added juiciness, texture and fresh sweetness to the party.
You can order desserts a la mode at Tesota. But the cake comes with a vanilla whip that tastes like fluffy, unfrozen ice cream, so the addition isn't needed.
Underneath the large slice, a drizzle of creamy dulce de leche adds even more rich, caramel flavor, perfect for scooping up with each forkful of fluffy cake and sweet pears.
With its colorful dining room, great cocktails and wine list, mix and match menu and stellar happy hour, we're fans of Tesota. But this dessert truly takes the cake.
