Without pomp or pretense, the plain wood and glass façade of Heaven Sent Desserts quietly occupies the slightly disheveled corner of University and 30th Street in North Park. Upon entering, the austere red wood chairs and tables, and an enormous canvas depicting a tiger clothed in a navy business suit, are reminiscent of an alternative coffee shop more than a fancy dessert parlor - that is until your eye catches the pristine display of extravagantly festooned cakes, tarts, and pastries.
It was 4:30pm on a weekday afternoon, and I was eagerly anticipating Heaven Sent Dessert's Christmas Delight, a holiday happy hour special beginning November 1, that runs daily from 3pm to 6:30pm. Choose between three selections of desserts, and pair with your choice of coffee, tea, or hot chocolate, for $6. Bring a friend and you're eligible for the Double Delight, priced at $10 for two. Considering the usual prices of $7-9 for a slice of the exquisite pastries, the Christmas Delight seemed a delicious steal. I quickly appraised the choices of eggnog cheesecake, pumpkin and pecan Pie, or pumpkin cream cake encased in the immaculate window display. In the mood for something light, I settled on the basic Pumpkin Pie and coffee.
The pie was delivered on a long, rectangular plate, patterned with swirls of caramel sauce, and dusted with cinnamon on the side. Served chilled, the crust had a moist, rather than flaky, consistency and the filling was firm and pudding-like. Nutmeg and pumpkin teased the tongue, coupled with the side of caramel and cookie dough crust to create a delicate spicy flavor. The coffee, on the other hand was less impressive. Slightly sour and clearly stale, I took one sip and ordered a Tahitian tea instead to complement the pie. For all the coffee shop décor, Heaven Sent Dessert is still a cake shop at heart.
Before getting up to leave, I picked up a store pamphlet that lay on the table, revealing the history of Heaven Sent Desserts. The owner, Lachlan Oliver was a US Air Force medic who had been sent to Iraq several years ago. On the long, uneventful days spent in service, Oliver and a certain friend would always talk about how they missed American desserts. After returning to the US in 2005, Oliver opened Heaven Sent Desserts as a tribute to his fallen comrade, and fellow dessert lover.
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