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If you’re looking for the full experience of a rich ambience and mouth-watering, decadent desserts, drop by Bailey’s Chocolate Bar, located in trendy Lafayette Square.

Most desserts here are built around chocolate, and some are infused with Bailey’s liqueur. The restaurant’s famous “Bailey’s Chocolate Brownie” is served gooey, warm and ready to be devoured. The brownie is cut generously and topped with vanilla ice cream flavored with Bailey’s liqueur and caramel sauce. The flavors of decadent chocolate, dulce de leche and smooth, creamy Bailey’s is heaven on a plate.

Bailey’s extensive menu also features several mocha and coffee flavored options, as well as standards like crème brulee, banana splits and bread pudding. For the especially ambitious—or just plain hungry—couples out there, the “Lovers Plate –Aphrodisiacs–Tastes for Two” is almost profane in its indulgence. For $20, you and a partner can share a platter loaded with cherry chocolate mousse, three kinds of truffles, caramelized banana, strawberries and nuts. The plate is served with mead, as well as a warm spiced dark chocolate sauce and a white chocolate lavender sauce for dipping. Ay carumba!

For a St. Louis Favorite:
Ted Drewes Frozen Custard
6726 Chippewa St. Louis, MO 63109

Ask any St. Louis native where to find the best frozen custard in town and you’re bound to hear a resounding “Ted Drewes!” Though Ted Sr. originally started his custard business in Florida, the operation is a landmark in St. Louis and has been since its opening in 1941. With 70 years of experience, this place knows its custard.

Whether you opt for a “concrete” or a specialty, you won’t be disappointed. A “concrete” consists of vanilla custard mixed with flavorings and tasty treats—ranging from abaco mocha to mint to Heath Bar, to name a few of my favorites. The three available sizes range from $2.10 to $4.50 in price, making Ted Drewe’s a frugal choice for fiscally responsible patrons out there.

In honor of these autumnal months, I would recommend the seasonal specials, especially for those who have tried the simple concretes before. “The Great Pumpkin” is pretty much every Thanksgiving-lover’s dream—Ted Drewes takes vanilla custard and an entire piece of pumpkin pie and mixes them together to create a deliciously tempting Thanksgiving treat anyone will enjoy.

For Coffee & Cake:
Park Avenue Coffee
1919 Park Avenue St. Louis, MO 63104

Though generally served as a coffee cake rather than a post-meal dessert, Gooey Butter Cake is another St. Louis original, whether baked at home, bought at the grocery store or purchased by the slice at the Lafayette Square favorite, Park Avenue Coffee.

If you’ve never tried this delectable treat, an original gooey butter cake recipe is comprised primarily of butter, sugar, cream cheese and yellow cake mix, topped with powdered sugar. The consistency is similar to that of a lemon bar—in a word, gooey.

Though an “original” gooey butter cake is heavenly, the bakers at Park Avenue Coffee have taken this St. Louis classic to the next level—or, rather, the next 73 levels. That’s right—Park Avenue Coffee has added 73 different flavors to their “Mom’s Traditional” recipe, ranging from berry explosion to espresso chip to white chocolate macadamia nut cookie dough. Seasonal options include eggnog, cranberry walnut and cranberry orange—and, of course, pumpkin.

Though this may sound like a sugar overload, even to the most ambitious sweet tooth, the flavors are subtle and not overwhelming. While delicious, the white chocolate raspberry, which the barista dubbed a customer favorite, did not vary too drastically from the lemon blueberry—it had a hint of white chocolate and raspberry but I wouldn’t distinguish it as its own unique flavor.

Nonetheless, the consistency of gooey butter cake is key, and Park Avenue’s got it down pat. Park Avenue Coffee can bake any flavor for you in advance, and the in-store flavors vary day-to-day.

I recommend taking your “dessert” and a cup of coffee out on the back patio or across the street into Lafayette Park to admire the fall foliage—what could be better?

FroYo, on the Delmar Loop, has been a Washington University staple for more than two years. However, newcomer Chill, which opened this past April southwest of campus on Wydown Boulevard, might be giving FroYo a run for its money. Both Chill and FroYo operate under the same business model—self-serve, low-fat frozen yogurt with toppings priced by the total weight of your cup. Each charges 40 cents per ounce and offers roughly the same cup sizes. (For the really hungry, FroYo does offer an additional XL cup.) Both change the flavor options weekly and offer seasonal specials like pumpkin and white chocolate.

Student Life took to the frozen-yogurt gauntlet to determine, once and for all, which yogurt parlor reigns supreme.

Locations
While FroYo is centrally located on the Loop, Chill took a bit longer to find—but after one MapQuest search and a seven-minute bike ride, I was there. It’s pretty much a straight shot down Wydown, but for the directionally challenged, this could be a problem. It’s also located a little out of the way, while the Loop is more frequented by students.

Who has the edge? FroYo.

Atmosphere
Here’s where the two restaurants are most different. FroYo’s walls are brightly colored, and the shop is filled with modern decor and white lacquered accents. The space is filled with activity, and pop music flows fairly loudly from the overhead speakers. The outdoor seating leaves something to be desired—it’s close to the street, and cleanliness seems to be a bit of an issue.

Chill, on the other hand, opts for a more subdued feel. The shop is sparsely decorated and has a modern and sterile aesthetic. Even the outdoor seating looks like it was pulled straight from an IKEA catalog. Its atmosphere is more conducive to studying or a quiet conversation, and is, if nothing else, far cleaner than FroYo.

Who has the edge? Chill.

Toppings
The choice of toppings at the two places is nearly identical. You have your standard Oreo crumbs, gummy bears, cookie dough, etc. FroYo offers more fruit toppings—with a total of eight versus Chill’s five—which change by the season. Chill, however, has homemade caramel and hot fudge syrups in their stead. As this is more a matter of personal preference, neither store comes out on top.

Who has the edge? Toss-up.

Yogurt flavors
Here’s where it gets complicated. FroYo has a greater number of flavors: 12 to Chill’s 10. Most of the offerings at FroYo are fruit based; highlights for me were tart mango, blueberry and the original tart. The yogurt base is creamier and tends to melt at a slightly faster rate.

When it comes to flavors, Chill opts for more unique, gourmet combos. From blood orange to cake batter and biscotti, simply put—it’s delicious. For those of you from Los Angeles or New York City, Chill’s flavors might remind you of the yogurty tartness of Pinkberry.

Who has the edge? Chill.

Winner: Chill

In my opinion, Chill wins by a hair. While the offerings themselves are, for the most part, comparable, the cleanliness at Chill, along with the more unique flavors, seals the deal.

Upon arriving at Fountain on Locust, I thought I was standing outside a classic French chocolaterie. From the architecture and inviting sign advertising to their ice cream and classic cocktails, everything maintained a distinct French flair.

Once inside, I was astonished by the culture war that Fountain on Locust presents: The interior was very art deco—from the paintings to the light fixtures to the bar itself—yet, over the speakers, I heard Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, James Brown and Jefferson Airplane.

We sat at one of the central round tables and glanced at the menu.

To start things off, I ordered the Fountain Flower Tea for Two, designed especially for those on dates. What you get is two snifters of hot water, inside of which is a handmade tea-roll and two pieces of chocolate of your choice. Here’s the fun part though: If you let the tea-roll sit for long enough, it eventually opens up, inside of your glass, into a flower. This is a very cute and enjoyable item for couples.

The dinner choices are limited to pizzas, sandwiches and salads, the majority of which offer a slight spin on the status quo.

For example, the sandwich that I ordered, the Royal Grille, is described as an adult grilled cheese, consisting of both cheddar and mozzarella, on grilled whole wheat bread with Fuji apple slices.

The sandwich was not bad, although I felt that the apples were nearly invisible, making it taste like a regular grilled cheese with a different texture. I believe this dish certainly has potential, but it just needs work on the execution.

My date ordered the Famous Birdseed Salad, but instead received the Fountain Salad. The server was very apologetic for the mix-up, and allowed us to keep both salads for the price of the cheapest one, which, as someone who reviews restaurants, was an excellent opportunity for me to garner more information on the available dishes.

The Fountain Salad is a rendition of the classic grilled chicken salad, with the addition of diced apples and dried cherries. Served with some Parmesan cheese, this salad was a winning combination of flavors. One of the most important aspects of this dish was its reasonable serving size—not small enough to be insulting but just enough to allow room for whatever else one wanted next.

The Famous Birdseed Salad was quite remarkable actually. Its name comes from the sunflower and pepita seeds, along with other nuts and fruits, that are combined with mixed lettuce. What made the dish so special, however, was what was resting on top: a single, large slice of apple that had been bruléed. For those of you who don’t know what this means, a light coat of sugar was sprinkled on top of the apple and then caramelized with a kitchen-sized blowtorch. It was a dessert in and of itself and certainly worth the trip.

After all the dishes were finished, we finally got the chance to look over the extensive dessert options: from classic sundaes, milkshakes, malts and ice cream cones (including the World’s Smallest Ice Cream Cone for $0.79) to Fountain on Locust’s Specialties, which were more appealing.

From all the options, including the Standing Banana Split, the Nutty Irishman and the Bearcat, we eventually chose the Dark and Sinister and the Supreme Cream Puff.

After waiting a few minutes and enjoying the unique atmosphere, both desserts arrived.

The Dark and Sinister was a tall glass filled with rich chocolate ice cream, topped with marshmallow sauce and a single chocolate coin. Do I really need to say that it was delicious?

The Supreme Cream Puff was not overshadowed by its name. It was a huge baked cream puff shell filled with vanilla deluxe ice cream and topped with hot fudge.

Fountain on Locust offers a pleasant atmosphere, unexpected entrees and astounding desserts.

Final Thoughts:

Guy’s Perspective: For a fun, romantic and not terribly expensive date (the entire meal cost $40), this is the place to come.

Gal’s Perspective: Ladies, for any chocolate craving or just a place to go hang out with some friends, you’ll never be disappointed here.