Illustration by Jean Jullien

Fallen Fruits
Acme
An inspired, almost poetic combination of seasonal goodness (the fruit) and gourmet ingenuity (the wheatgrass granita).

(Photo: Courtesy of Calliope)

Baba Rhum
Calliope
This iteration of the classic evokes the one Alain Ducasse serves at Le Louis XV in Monte Carlo, at about one fourth the cost.

Milk and Honey
The NoMad
A modernist play on an ice-cream sundae made with a drizzle of buckwheat honey and melting scoops of frozen sweetened milk.

(Photo: Jesse Winter/Courtesy of M. Wells Dinette)

Black Forest Charlotte for Two
M. Wells Dinette
This great M. Wells creation is the size of a small land mine and carries a similar punch.

Parsley Root Split
Atera
A deliriously refined locavore version of the banana split.

Related:

• Archive: “Cover Story”
• Articles by Adam Platt
• Table of Contents: Dec 31, 2012 issue of New York | Subscribe!