Buffalo Rising Online

Jun 3rd 2007, 8:30am By Christa Glennie Seychew

There isn't a single item at Sweet Tooth that doesn't tempt the taste buds, regardless of the time of day. The other morning I was in the area and decided to pop in despite the early hour.

I have been to Sweet Tooth a number of times, and though I miss them at their former site near West Utica, I am thrilled to see the difference that they have made in their new location. Not only is the shop itself quaint, but in the evening it has introduced a family friendly element to the once slightly foreboding intersection of Allen and Elmwood. When I first moved to Elmwood 14 years ago, I never pictured a day when I would take young children to the center of Allentown for ice cream at 9pm on a Friday night.

Despite my previous visits and the exposure I have had to their wide selection of sweets, since taking this position at Buffalo Rising, I have learned that one of the best things to do when writing a post is to go in and ask any business what they do best, or what their customers love most. That way, I try things that may not be within the range of items I would normally choose.

On this particularly sunny morning, I posed that question to Sweet Tooth employee Angela Marino. She told me that the Chocolate Decadence Cake is one of the most popular items in the case. I was looking for something a little lighter, a sunny morning didn't seem right for a rich, dark slice of cake (though I could be wrong). The Strawberry Layer Cake was her next suggestion, and now I know why.

Its name is quite misleading in the sense that its simplicity truly downplays the beauty of this creation. The moist, delicate yellow cake presented an ideal density and flavor, supporting and enhancing the other ingredients very well. Fluffy whipped cream acted as the icing, and being only slightly sweetened, offered a nice contrast to the bright, tangy strawberries. Mini chocolate chips peppered the outside of the slice, their subtle bitterness and firm texture were a perfect complement to the otherwise airy dessert.

Sweet Tooth's Strawberry Layer Cake can be purchased in a “mini” size round serving eight or less for $24, or in a larger size for $40. If you cannot, however, wait for a special occasion requiring an entire cake, a single slice awaits you.

Sundry baked goods, Althea's chocolates and a plethora of ice cream offerings make Sweet Tooth a great place to stop during a casual stroll on a summer evening (or morning!).

Sweet Tooth, 94 Elmwood, 14201, 884.2520, call for hours

photo by Christa Glennie Seychew