Always take your baker's advice (because we all have a baker we frequent, right?), even if she points you to a behemoth slab of something as dully named as Dream Cake.
Rich yellow cake base slathered in a buttery brown sugar and toasted coconut icing renders the whole dish more of a cupcake than a birthday cake.
This is every foodie's wet dream. And it lives in the Danish Pastry House.
During midterms it can be hard to leave campus long enough to track down great guilty pleasures. But don't worry, there's no need to neglect your hankering for quality baked goods - they're closer than you think. Loads of Tufts students have seen the pleased pastry patrons lounging in the café-style tables outside this Boston Ave. and Winthrop St. corner location without ever actually going in. This means too many a junior has gone abroad without ever realizing there's some pretty decent lattes, ice cream and cr??pes (yeah, sweet and savory, you know the drill) to be had this side of Diesel, JP Licks, and Mr. Cr??pe.
Open before the dining halls and until 9 p.m. most nights, there's no reason not to give it a shot. Bring your whole Tilton floor, maybe bribe your RA with a slice of 'kringle' (or for the less adventurous, bear claws work too).
If Martha Stewart Living and Maxim teamed up on a pastry special, the lemon square would be the cover shoot. Crumbly on the outside, it boasts a smooth lemon filling that is respectably lemony without being too thick. Writing this column took us on a three-hour sugar blitz after which Winston exclaimed (in the so embarrassingly gleeful kind of voice that only the Danish Pastry House could inspire), "My body is buzzing!"
If you're looking for a carb fix but sugar doesn't do it for you, don't worry, "the House" has it covered. Their bakery offers classic French baguette and crusty Italian hearty six, nine- or 12-grain breads, and six different types of rolls to choose from. Check out the cranberry walnut boule. It'll blow your mind.
We aren't suggesting that a ritualistically eaten lemon square or pecan sticky bun and something off their smoothie list could serve as lunch, but the 'Pastry House' moniker certainly belies some hidden 'real food' treats. If you can get past the raspberry-chocolate scones and hefty peanut butter cookies to the meal-time selections, more power to you.
As much as we all love the monopoly-money that is Dining Dollars, you may be tempted to whip out your real cash for a panini - especially if, unlike us, their apricot, ham and cheese, or asparagus quiche isn't really your idea of study food. Most-Appealingly Named definitely goes to the Glorified Grilled Cheese: Granny Smith apples, Vermont cheddar, and caramelized onions. These Danes' menu selections really run the gamut of bistro vegetarian and classy carnivorous, and we can't wait to try the pesto goat cheese or prosciutto passion sandwiches.
No need to trek to the North End for some deliciousness. We're not interested in writing a critique that's pure-praise, but it's pretty difficult to find something negative to say about these guys. In truth, the actual Danishes are sub-par, but this is more a testament to how high they set the bar with the rest of their pastries, and now we know where to go to get a good 'smorkage' for breakfast. Yeah, we don't know what that is either.
If you want to take them out to dinner, email Winston.Berkman@tufts.edu or Charlotte.Bourdillon@tufts.edu
