Sarah Milford | Flickr

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?