The baked Alaska first made waves at New York’s Delmonico’s restaurant back in 1876. This classic meringue-topped ice cream dessert was whipped up by chef de cuisine (and French expat) Charles Ranhofer to celebrate nothing other than the acquisition of Alaska (it went for $7.2 million). Its other moniker is “omelette á la norvégienne,” since chefs in France had been creating a similar dish since the 1830s. Well done, Charles.
The dessert reached peak popularity in the ’50s and has tiptoed back onto the food scene. At Café Boulud (above), pistachio ice cream meets raspberry sorbet and a layer of almond sponge beneath a meringue dome that’s torched tableside. Harbour 60 (below) marries nocciola and dark chocolate gelato with chocolate-almond brownie and brandy-flambéed meringue.
There really is no better way to fete an occasion. After all, it really puts on a show.
