Desserts Worth Saving Room For

Nonna Rosa's tiramisu -- lady fingers soaked in espresso and a touch of rum, layered with mascarpone cream, and finished with a heavy hand of good cocoa. Set overnight so the layers meld together properly. If you have had tiramisu before and thought it was fine, have this one. You will recalibrate. Most Ordered

Vanilla bean panna cotta, set just firm enough to hold its shape, served with a tart raspberry coulis and fresh berries. Clean, not too sweet, and the kind of dessert that feels like a reasonable decision even when you are already full.

Two cannoli shells filled to order -- not sitting pre-filled in a case going soft. The shells are fried here. The filling is fresh ricotta sweetened with honey and folded with dark chocolate chips and candied orange peel. They are filled when you order them, not before.

A dense, flourless chocolate cake with 70% dark chocolate and espresso, served warm with vanilla gelato and a dusting of sea salt. The salt sounds like a cliche until you taste how much it changes the chocolate. Rich enough to share, but most people do not.

A scoop of house-made vanilla gelato in a small bowl, with a double shot of hot espresso poured over it at the table. You eat it immediately before it melts. Simple, perfect, and the right way to end a meal if you want something sweet but not heavy.

Two scoops of house-made gelato. Flavors rotate -- usually pistachio, stracciatella, and something seasonal. Ask your server what is in the case tonight. The pistachio uses real Sicilian pistachios and has been a permanent fixture since they opened it to popular demand.

A rotating selection of Italian cheeses -- usually Taleggio, aged Pecorino, and Gorgonzola naturale -- served with local wildflower honey, fig jam, and toasted walnuts. For the table that is not sure if they want sweet or savory to finish. The answer is both.