National Dessert Day October 14

Casa Gabriela - Buñuelos Tower (courtesy photo)

National Dessert Day is Tuesday, October 14, and several San Diego restaurants offer fun, sweet treats for the dining experience. National Day Calendar says “While we know when to celebrate, the exact origin of National Dessert Day remains a sweet mystery…National Dessert Day is perfectly timed to celebrate the cozy, comforting flavors of autumn.”

Barrio Logan’s newest restaurant, Fonda del Barrio, offers the Flan de Elote – traditional Mexican custard infused with corn and finished with blackened caramel. It’s the perfect ending to a meal of ancestral Mexican cuisine from Executive Chef Eduardo Baeza. The restaurant is open Tuesday – Sunday beginning at 4:00 p.m. Reservations can be made via OpenTable here.

La Jolla icon George’s at the Cove presents a dessert menu from Pastry Chef Anna Adams that includes the Sticky Toffee Cake with salted vanilla brown butter ice cream, caramel sauce, and pretzel crumble. Adams was inspired to bake at a young age while visiting her uncle’s bakery in Ruiz, Nayarit, Mexico. She began working at Georges as an intern in 2015.

Casa Gabriela in La Mesa Village offers a wide arrange of desserts from Executive Chef Gaby Lopez, including the Buñuelos Tower that features cinnamon sugar-dusted deep-fried tortillas, spicy piloncillo, and vanilla ice cream. Other options include Boysenberry Cheesecake Flautas, Roasted Coconut Flan, and Chef Gaby’s Famous Tres Leches.

Duck Dive, in Pacific Beach features a Sweet Endings menu you can’t pass up, especially on National Dessert Day! You’re sure to love the Chocolate Chip Pazookie, served with a scoop of ice cream, or the Tableside S'mores, which serve either two or four people. Or opt to celebrate with the Churros con Caramel, caramel filled churros with chocolate sauce and a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

North Park’s The Original 40 Brewing Company recently added a dessert option to its elevated brewpub menu, and it’s a classic brownie with vanilla ice cream. The sweet treat is topped with whipped cream and chocolate drizzle, and Head Brewer Kyle Fjalstad recommends pairing it with Dark Down, a 5.3% ABV black lager.

At downtown’s The Smoking Gun, be sure to save room for its delicious lineups of dessert including a Milkshake, served in your choice of vanilla bean, caramel, or chocolate flavor, with whipped cream and a cherry. You can even spike it with bourbon for an extra kick. Or go for the Root Beer Float, made with Stubborn Root Beer and vanilla bean ice cream, the Cheesecake with sour cream topping and mixed berry sauce, or the iconic Skillet Cookie – a fresh-basked chocolate chip cookie, vanilla bean ice cream, chocolate syrup, caramel syrup, and a cherry.

Courtesy of Alternative Strategies