Dessert Favorite: Payard's Patisserie (NYC)

Pictured is the Chinon, one of the delicious signature pastries found at Payard's Patisserie on Lexington Ave., between 73rd and 74th St. After lunch at Orasy, we decided to take a brief stroll around the neighborhood, and as the snow started to fall, Payard's was the place that came to find for refuge. As usual, it was packed with early-afternoon snackers who've heard of this place's reputation for finely made desserts.

The Chinon, according to www.payard.com, is made of pistachio dacquoise, with wild cherries on a chocolate wafer. Sounds fancy? It damned well tasted great. Pistachio and cherry combination is a must-try for everyone who has a sweet tooth. Despite my expanding waistline, I also ordered the Japonais (milk chocolate mousse, yuzu citrus cream, and sacher biscuit) - initially while munching on the outer edges of the Japonais I thought it was too "chocolatey", but when I got nearer to the core it was totally different! The citrus flavor provided a perfect complement to the sweet mousse, and the taste was quite heavenly, a verdict shared by my two friends.

With the display cases containing a multitude of tempting desserts, and the pictures on the menu all looking so delectable, it was hard to make a decision on which pastries to choose. Perhaps repeated visits have to be made to sample the full range of offerings at Payard's. In the meantime I shall content myself with drooling over their website's pics.