In The Suisse Shop's nearly 27 year history, European pastries have been their specialty, offering an authentic product made with the highest quality ingredients available. We sampled a beautiful array of cakes, pastries and cookies during our visit, here are a few of my favorites:
Chocolate Decadence Torte - This comes as close to chocolate cake perfection as one can get. The cake has a delicate texture with deep rich chocolate flavor and the butter-cream frosting's impossibly smooth texture make for the perfect finish.
Pumpkin Walnut Pound Cake - Normally, i can take or leave things that fit into either the "pound cake" or "pumpkin" categories, but this was really tasty. The pound cake highlighted the delicate flavor of the pumpkin, allowing the spices to play a supporting role in the background - right where they belong.
Sugar Cookie - The sugar cookie is the bar by which i judge baking. so simple and yet so easy to get wrong. The Suisse Shop's sugar cookie is just slightly chewy, having the perfect amount of body that plays well against the light and heavenly icing. Not one hint of the overly sugary "so sweet it will make your mouth ache" some sugar cookies can be guilty of (I'm looking at you Cheryl's Cookies).
Suisse Almond Torte - If The Suisse Shop had a signature item, this would be it. And signature worthy, it is. The pure, rich flavor of natural almond really translates in this torte, providing a rich background for the raspberry filling, which sings on top of it all.
What impressed me about The Suisse Shop was the painstaking and impeccable detail that goes into creating their product. Only the best ingredients are sourced from around the globe (you won't find any crisco in this kitchen), recipes are researched and perfected (sometimes for years!) before they hit the cases and quality and consistency are never compromised. Another thing I love about The Suisse Shop is that their products are priced appropriately. What you're paying a fair price for is quality, not pretension or trend. Five inch versions of their tortes, called "Cute Cakes" are available for $15. Speaking of trendy, Columbus Monthly named The Suisse Shop's cupcakes the best in Columbus, and considering the competition, that's no small feat.
And even though this gem just recently hit my radar, The Suisse Shop has plenty of loyal clientele who have been worshiping them for years. Seasonal orders for pies and cookies book up quickly, so if you'd like to serve The Suisse Shop goodies this Thanksgiving, you should get on the phone now.
Pictured (from top, clockwise): Chocolate Chip Cookie, Princess Bar Cookie, Oatmeal Raisin Cookie and Coconut Triangle.
*This review was completed upon request for Columbus Underground. Thanks for asking me, guys!
