Article by Briana Diver
Photography by Fitz
Picks by Briana Diver with input from the Southern Grit Staff & Contributors
I was stoked to get this assignment until I gained five pounds trying every made-from-scratch dessert I could get my hands on in Virginia Beach. It’s okay; I can break out the old maternity pants for a breather.
Ironically, the top three sweet treats I chose were made by three adjacent restaurants: Esoteric, Commune and Hearth. Some may view their proximity to each other as a competitive threat. I don’t. I liken them to the Three Amigos – offering us a plethora of locally-grown, seasonal goodies.
Seasonal Sweet Crepes from Commune
I’ll begin with Commune who came in at number three for their seasonal sweet crepes. I’m intrigued with Commune. I’m told that the owner’s original idea was to open a crepe shop. However, that idea developed organically (no pun intended) into one of the Beach’s best spots for a local, organic brunch. So, thank you, Kevin Jamison, for not boxing yourself in.
Strawberry Sweet Crepe at Commune
The strawberry season ended somewhat early this year I believe, so, rather than the strawberry crepe that my editor “strongly encouraged” me to try, I had the current ice cream crepe made from buckwheat flour, which gave it a bit denser consistency. It was topped with chamomile butter, caramel, a honey drizzle and lemon balm ice cream, oh, and a little, edible pansy (Yes, I ate it. Yes, I felt like a goat).
The Strawberry Sweet Crepe being made
There was supposed to be brittle in the center but it melted before being served. This hiccup didn’t affect the flavor though it would’ve been nice to have had some crunch on the plate. Their flexibility with it (referring to it as a caramel sauce) reminded me of my few (feeble) attempts at painting, in which I learned to go with my mistakes and let the painting reveal itself on its own terms. This sweet crepe was like fine art. A Masterpiece. So, if it’s all that, why not first place? Well, in conjunction with what some might deem it’s overly-sweet factor (albeit, the lemon balm ice cream did help to mellow that), it was the number of flavors competing that made me feel like each ingredient was crying to me: “Always a bridesmaid, never a bride.”
Executive Chef at Commune, Barry Smith
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Passion Fruit Tart from Hearth
I‘ve always liked fruit tarts. They remind me of fancy hotel tea-time in Washington D.C. with my Aunt Rita, getting my first glimpse into the sophisticated life I chose not to live. Hearth’s tart was untraditional in a few ways and comes in at number two.
Passion Fruit Tart at Hearth
The first thing that set it apart was the filling – a passion fruit curd. Rather than transporting me to an English Garden with white-glove tea service, I was being spoon fed by a pool boy on the beaches of Jamaica. Both the taste and consistency were luxurious. This exotic “pudding” was sprawled out on a bed of French pastry.
The Passion Fruit Tart being made
I had the opportunity to be there during the photo shoot of Temple Bell making the tart from scratch. It was interesting to see the dough being pressed into the tart pan and then topped with marbles. In chef-speak, they are pie weights – but they’re definitely marbles. It was a step I was unaware of in the process of making the perfect pastry shell. Temple proved to be as passionate about his product as the outcome would suggest. He laughed, “Hey, how many people do you know who carry a spare rolling pin in their truck?” That would be none, sir.
Pastry Chef at Hearth, Temple Bell
The distinguishing component of this tart is the “toasted marshmallow” topping. It’s actually the beginnings of a Swiss butter cream, one which is untraditional in its own right for the use of the whole egg. Temple opted for this modification since he is working with limited counter space and the tedious process of separating the egg whites requires more bowls, utensils, etc. What you end up with is a bruleed meringue. And let me tell you something, as I told co-owner of Hearth, Clint Compton: “If you ever need to rekindle that spark with your girlfriend, paint her with that marshmallow stuff and lick it off.” That’s how good it is. Finished with crumbled graham cracker and sprinkled with sea salt, my only suggestions for this dessert would be to add more crumble for crunch and fresh fruit for acidity.
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Sweet Potato Donut from Esoteric
Quite frankly, the note I scribbled after savoring my first bite was: “It’s the mother fucking bomb.” Of the three desserts, this was the only one I finished. The flavor, definitely not the texture of the donut, reminded me of an elevated funnel cake. Which I love! It’s nostalgic and dependable. The texture though – oh lawd! The donut practically melted in my mouth like cotton candy. And did Walter White make the sugar they’re coated in, or what, man?
Sweet Potato Donut at Esoteric
I asked my bartender what he thought of the ice cream and was pleasantly surprised when he said he wanted to swim in it. I can understand that, and I’d happily belly flop in after him. It was ultra-creamy and the brown sugar did not overpower the donut, rather it complimented it perfectly (enter the choir of angels).
The Sweet Potato Donut being made
The plate was finished with a caramel sauce that married it all together and reminded me of the caramel sauce that cloaked my childhood favorite: apple cake from Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. This dessert was playful but refined. Simply the best – created by pastry chef, Michelle Felipe!
Pastry Chef at Esoteric, Michelle Felipe
The tricky part about reviewing and ranking food is the outcome of the review depends on who’s eating. I encourage any and all true foodies in Hampton Roads to create a Facebook or Meet-Up event to check out each of the desserts selected and rank them for yourselves. That would be fantastic! That’s what joining us for an honest conversation over food is all about. Regardless of your personal rankings however, I believe you would agree these desserts, respectively, are playful, sexy and complex.
For more on Esoteric visit HERE
For more on Hearth visit HERE
For more on Commune visit HERE
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The Faces Behind The Sweets
Michelle Felipe Esoteric
Photo by Fitz
Michelle Felipe started cooking as a tot in her Nana’s kitchen. She wasn’t a picky eater at that age, but once she was old enough to understand the components of some of her native Filipino cuisine, she became a little more discerning of what she stuck her fork in, or as she put it: gummy things aren’t her jam. Her father, and biggest inspiration, is an executive chef for Squaw Valley Ski Resort. Clearly, it’s in her genes.
I was surprised to learn that Michele’s original plan was to be a landscape architect. However, she discovered her passion for baking in 2012 and ended up going to a New York trade school for pastry baking (for that, we thank her). Along this journey, she was fortunate to meet celebrity chef, Barret Beyer, of Hell’s Kitchen Season 11 and The Food Network. He took a leap of faith when he asked the young and inexperienced Miss Felipe to help with a demo he was working on. She didn’t let him down. Michelle still goes to Chef Beyer for advice and even to assist with the occasional event. I didn’t hear her call him Yoda, but I’m pretty sure she does in her head. she has now been baking professionally just over three years.
Michelle loves to craft and her biggest projects are dream catchers; she received her first one from her Nana, with whom she was very close, so it makes for a meaningful project. When asked what she would do if she had to choose an alternate career, she said she’d love to be a home economics teacher. Sorry, babe, you’re stuck with us because we’re stuck on your Sweet Potato Donut.
Temple Bell Hearth
Photo by Fitz
With a name like Temple, he was bound to stand out. That he does. He’s been cooking for five years now. It was something he was always curious about and wanted to learn more, so he switched careers and went to culinary school. Temple has always been drawn to breads, desserts and other things my waistline is drawn to. His baking is not influenced by anyone in particular. Rather, he is inspired by evoking a sense of comfort in what he creates.
Like Michelle, Temple does not remember being a picky eater as a kid (I’d love to ask his mom or dad what they have to say about that). The only thing he definitely remembers not liking is the gristly part of steak. Hold the cartilage, please. Temple also had a few different careers prior to finding his perfect job as a chef: he has a degree in Engineering, and he worked in Real Estate for fifteen years. If he couldn’t be a chef, the only other career he’d want is to be a professional golfer.
A perfect day off for Temple involves spending time with his wife, Jess, and their son, Tre. He is looking forward to the day the three of them can play golf together; Tre’s still a little too young for that. There’s always Jungle Golf, Temple.
Ishiah White Commune
Photo by Diver
Ishiah is the head Baker at Commune. She makes all of their breads, croissants, cupcakes, cookies, cakes and pastries for the front display case. She is also responsible for all crepe and waffle batters, the drink sorbets and the entire dessert menu with changing ice cream flavors. The breads and croissants all use a sourdough starter and consist of an overnight ferment to further develop the flavor. Just like their food menu, the ice cream flavors are based on what ingredients are available in the moment. Currently, they have eight flavors: corn, watermelon, peanut butter, cucumber, cantaloupe, coffee, dulche de leche and basil. I didn’t know there was such a thing as corn ice cream; see why I love this place? Speaking of corn, if you get a chance to try their Corn Cookie with Jalapeño Glaze – do it!
Paired with some of the desserts are the jellies that she also makes. They’ve done a crepe with strawberry jelly and whipped cream and now have a sorghum waffle with corn ice cream and blueberry jelly poured over the top. Customers have the option to get a side of cantaloupe jelly or fig preserves with their croissant. What can’t she do?
Ishiah is the oldest of seven kids. Food has always been an important part of her life. She says, “It feels very natural to work in a larger scale kitchen now.” She wasn’t a picky eater as a child either. She couldn’t be. Her mom wasn’t going to make seven special meals for everyone – if you didn’t like what was for dinner that night, sorry. Good for you, Mom of Ishiah!
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