A sticky subject

Sticky TOffee Pudding

Dessert crazes are often a little mystifying, but woe to the restaurant that tries to defy them.  Deep-fried Twinkies-Snickers bars-etc. didn’t really stretch from carnival to fine dining, though a few chefs tried them. But is there any place, with any kind of cuisine, that escaped the molten chocolate cake craze? Diners demand them, no matter whether they’re good — a magic moment when your fork hits the liquid middle — or bad. Chocolate sludge, anyone?

The latest is a spate of sticky toffee puddings. I first saw this English sweet in Boston at Croma, the offshoot of a Manchester, England, spiffed-up pizzeria. It made no sense on this menu of salads, pizzas, and a few pastas. But then the place didn’t make much sense anyway — nice design, good patio and nothing much else to recommend it. Croma is long gone.

But the sticky toffee pudding has migrated all over the place — to Sportello in South Boston, another odd perch. To Le Patissier at Troquet  in the Theater District, and at the Sherborn Inn with Robert Fathman  (who also did a deep-fried Twinkie at the now-defunct Anthem near North Station).

As you might be able to tell, this dessert doesn’t do it for me — too sticky, too sweet  and usually the cake part gets overwhelmed by the toffee part.  The Le Patissier version by Sarah Woodfine which includes a date puree does sound promising, though.  But I protested the ubiquitousness of the flourless, molten chocolate cake in many reviews, and it’s still going strong. Maybe, dessert-wise, I’m missing something. Can anyone enlighten me?