THIS MONTH, THE EARTH YIELDED STRAWBERRIES, and chefs got inspired. Local fields have been blushing with berries all month, so we couldn’t resist a May taste test of strawberry desserts. There was a lot to choose from. Readers nominated restaurant creations ranging from strawberry soup to something called strawberry Napoleon. On a sunny Saturday, a panel of testers traversed Hampton Roads sampling a trio of wildly diverse offerings. This is what they found.
First stop on the strawberry dessert tour: Bergey's Breadbasket Bakery & More. This barn-shaped eatery with twin silos out back is just 600 feet from Brookdale Farm's Chesapeake strawberry fields and owned by the same family that for decades ran a dairy.
Even before testers spied the sign out front that proclaimed "Strawberries from patch to pie!" they anticipated a grandmotherly treat.
Inside, the scattering of tables were practically full, and a steady stream of regulars ordered ice cream made right in the store and sandwiches on fresh-baked bread.
Testers were seated, and soon, medium-tall slices of pie packed with a mosaic of glistening berries arrived on plain white plates. A generous dollop of freshly whipped cream topped the wedge.
The appearance earned big, big scores, getting Bergey's off to a stellar start.
This being strawberry season and all, testers wouldn't tolerate less-than-perfect berries and generous amounts, too. Bergey's didn't disappoint in this category.
"Fresh, ripe and loaded into the pie shell," tester Theresa Morse said.
Others agreed and particularly liked the high berry-to-gel ratio. All that led to another round of stratospheric scores in the strawberry category.
Joy Morris, Bergey family member and co-owner of the eatery, said the pie crust is formed and rolled by hand using an old family recipe. Her 82-year-old mother, Mary Bergey, still helps make the pies.
"We pick all the berries. We wash all the berries. We cap the berries and handmake the gel," she added. (When the strawberries are gone, they'll switch to blueberry pies, then peach.)
One bite of the slightly salty crust and the sweet-and-tart filling and testers were hooked.
"Unfortunately, there's not a Bergey's in Norfolk," tester Victoria Snyder noted.
So Bergey's earned another round of near-perfect scores for taste.
The berries were firm, the gel smooth, and there was nary a soggy spot in the crust. All this earned yet another round of perfect or nearly perfect scores for texture.
With the value category to go, Bergey's appeared to be a contender for the top spot, no matter what came next.
Pies here are $16.49 for the whole pie and $3.49 for a slice, value scores lagged a little behind the others.
"The price is a little steep, but what isn't these days?" Snyder said. "For the quality of this pie, it's worth it."
Next up: Just Cupcakes, a newish gourmet cupcake bakery in the Hilltop section of Virginia Beach.
Inside Just Cupcakes, the d ecor is sweet yet sophisticated - bright white with fuchsia accents and pink-tinged rosebuds atop white cafe tables.
Ten flavors of cupcakes, from "Pucker Up, Buttercup" to "Frankly, Scarlett," were posted on a sassy sign on one wall, and a case of hither-to cupcakes beckoned nearby.
Testers came for the " Seriously Strawberry" cupcakes, and they arrived on plain white plates with crunchy muffin tops peeking from beneath a generous piping of light pink, strawberry-flecked buttercream icing.
Owner Carla Hesseltine believes in accessorizing her cupcakes with a bit of flair - sprinkles, frosting designs and even flowers. Accordingly, scores for appearance stacked up near Bergey's.
Hesseltine told testers the strawberries arrive fresh each day from Henley Farms in Virginia Beach. (She'll switch over to blueberry cupcakes when strawberry season ends.)
Testers found the flavor of strawberries to be mild in the cupcake itself and slightly more pronounced in the icing.
"The strawberry flavor is evident," tester Kim Cortez said, "but it's not heavy with strawberry flavor."
Scores for strawberries settled in a bit behind Bergey's.
Just Cupcakes prides itself on being an absolutely-from-scratch operation, using the highest-quality ingredients. Testers found no hint of artificial anything in the dusty-rose-colored cake.
The sweetness of the cupcake and the buttercream icing - while pleasant- dominated the strawberry flavors, which led to solid scores for taste but left Bergey's in the lead.
The cupcakes gained ground for texture. Testers described the cake itself as "moist," "light and fluffy" and the icing as "smooth, light and whipped to perfection." Two testers found the texture flawless.
"Just perfect," Morse said. "A nice, crunchy top and soft, melt-in-your-mouth interior."
Cupcakes here are $3 each or $33 for a dozen. Testers deemed them a special-occasion treat.
With one dessert to go, value scores - while above average - landed Just Cupcakes solidly in second place.
Our testers had plenty of time to digest during the 45-minute drive from Virginia Beach to downtown Suffolk, home of the Wonton Napoleon, the most-nominated dessert in this month's taste test.
It's the second time a taste testing crew has visited Sushi Aka. The restaurant won top honors in The Virginian-Pilot's sushi roll contest years ago.
The restaurant has a quasi-industrial feel, with soaring ceilings and exposed ductwork. Brick walls are painted black and red, and the atmosphere is one of Zen-like composure.
Chef-owner Michael Hart stood flashing his knife behind the long sushi bar, and even though the restaurant had just opened for dinner, nearly every table was taken.
A round of Wonton Napoleons arrived shortly after we ordered, and before they hit the table heads turned as other diners wondered at what we had found.
The stacked dessert on a plain white plate combined fried wonton squares dusted with cinnamon sugar, mascarpone mousse, fresh sliced strawberries from Bennett s Creek and a strawberry sauce. The corners of the wontons were bent slightly upward, evoking the image of an Asian tea house.
Throughout the day, appearance scores had been stellar. But Sushi Aka bested them all with a round of perfect scores, something rarely seen in six years of taste tests.
"Superb presentation," tester Irma Naugle said.
Then, another round of perfect scores in the strawberry category.
"Bright red, juicy and satisfying," Morse said.
"Full of strawberry flavor," Cortez added.
The tally was almost as high for taste, with three perfect scores and one just shy of perfect. Testers loved how the flavor of the lightly sweetened mascarpone mousse combined with the sweet-tart strawberries and the whisper of cinnamon from the wontons. The balance seemed perfect.
Sushi Aka had eked ahead of Bergey's pie.
But when testers evaluated the Wonton Napoleon for texture, it fell behind Bergey's. The creamy mascarpone mousse contrasted nicely with the crunch of the bubbled, crisp wontons. Testers only wished the strawberries were firmer.
With the value category to go, it was still a close race. Wonton Napoleon is $8, which some testers thought was a bit high. But the uniqueness of the dessert, they unanimously agreed, made it worth the price and drive.
Sushi Aka stretched into the lead.
"Innovative, imaginative, creative," Morse said. "A welcome change to the combination of flavors we are all used to. It's mandatory that you try this."
Wonton Napoleon at Sushi Aka
239 W. Washington St., Suffolk
(757) 934-2235, closed Sundays and Mondays
SushiAka.com
Price: $8
Score: 98
What they said:
“Amazing! The sweet mascarpone and the fresh, perfectly ripe flavor of the strawberries work so well together. And the wontons add another level of flavor with the cinnamon and sugar.” – Theresa
“Nice blend of crunchy with soft. … The balance between the three distinct flavors is great.” – Victoria
“Wonderful taste. … A light dessert that is not too sweet.” – Kim
“Definitely worth the drive. Try for yourself; you’ll love it!” – Irma
Strawberry pie at Bergey’s Breadbasket Bakery & More
2207 Mount Pleasant Road, Chesapeake
(757) 546-9225, closed Sundays
BergeysBreadBasket.com
Price: $3.49 a slice, $16.49 for the whole pie
Score: 92
What they said:
“Made with TLC – and all of the berries are local and sweet.rdquo; – Irma
“The slightly salty crust, the sweet filling … and the lightly sweetened cream beaten in-house complement each other nicely. A perfect treat!” – Theresa
“The texture is perfect: The berries are firm, and the crust is flaky. Perfect homemade pie!” – Kim
“Take a day trip with the family to pick berries, and then treat yourselves to a slice of pie.” – Victoria
‘Seriously Strawberry’ cupcake at Just Cupcakes
616 Hilltop West Shopping Center, Virginia Beach.
(757) 425-1010, open daily
JustCupcakes.net
Price: $3 per cupcake, $33 per dozen
Score: 80
What they said:
“These look beautiful, like they’ve been taken out of a magazine.” – Kim
“The cake was light and fluffy – just ideal. And the buttercream was smooth, light and whipped to perfection.” – Victoria
“Simply sweet with a subtle flavor of strawberries in the cake and flecks of strawberry in the buttercream.” – Theresa
“The cupcake was crunchy on the outside, with good flavor and texture. I like that she uses fresh strawberries.” – Irma
Strawberry desserts earned points in five categories: appearance, strawberries, taste, texture and value. Testers’ scores were added and averaged to arrive at the final score.
Kim Cortez
37, Chesapeake
Occupation: Safety specialist with the Navy and co-owner of Fresh Batch Jams
Nominated: Homemade cheesecake topped with her Strawberry Champagne Jam
On strawberry desserts: “I have wonderful memories of picking fresh strawberries with my grandmother and taking them back to her kitchen and making a simple dessert. With fresh-picked berries, there is no need for a complicated recipe – they shine alone.”
Irma Naugle
76, Virginia Beach
Occupation: Office manager, Virginia Beach office of Legal Aid
Nominated: The Cheesecake Factory’s cheesecake with strawberries
On strawberry desserts: “At age 75, I went strawberry picking for the first time. The sweetness of fresh-picked strawberries can’t be beat.”
Theresa Morse
24, Chesapeake
Occupation: Culinary student at Tidewater Community College
Nominated: Her Strawberry-Lemonade Cheesecake, “which is sweet and tart and absolutely fabulous!”
On strawberry desserts: “I love strawberry desserts because of the simplicity of the main ingredient. Strawberries are very versatile and can be mixed or mashed into almost anything."
Victoria Snyder
33, Norfolk
Occupation: Home day care owner and operator; taught a workshop on how to judge baked goods for the Virginia Association of Fairs
Nominated: Strawberry cupcakes by Katy Haithcock at cupcakelady28@gmail.com
On strawberry desserts: “I take my kids every year to pick strawberries, which we freeze and then use all year in everything from smoothies to grilled shortcake to jelly. Strawberries are one of a few fruits that everyone in our family enjoys.”
CRAB CAKES: It’s been more than five years since we put local crab cakes to the test, so let’s see who serves the best in 2010. Know of a restaurant that serves a great one? Send us the name of the restaurant and the city where it’s located. Want to be a tester? Send us your name, age, city of residence and the reason(s) why you’d be a great crab cake tester. Submit nominations and tester applications by calling our Taste Test line at (757)446-2334, or send an e-mail to taste.test@pilotonline.com The deadline is June 7.
Photos by Thomas Slusser
Lorraine Eaton, (757) 446-2697,lorraine.eaton@pilotonline.com
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