Nichole’s Fine Pastry
Spice Cake, Salted Caramel Buttercream
7-Layer Bar
Raspberry-Apricot Cream Cheese Danish
Chocolate Chip Sea Salt Cookie
Monster Cookie
Chocolate Caramel Sea Salt Tart
Set on making the drive from Minneapolis to Winnipeg, one reason a strong belief that even small towns contain dining worth investigating, it was around 1:00pm that parking was found at Nichole’s Fine Pastry in Fargo, Chef Nichole Hensen’s Bakery and Cafe nearly 3/4 full towards the end of lunch hour with everyone from men in suits to retirees enjoying a range of items both sweet and savory.
Serving North Dakota’s largest city for over a decade, the Glenburn native and graduate of CIA at Greystone opening up shop at 13 8th Street South Tuesday through Saturday by eight o’clock, it is immediately upon entry that the smells and sounds of a working Bakery are apparent, at least one half of the space dedicated to production and service though there is still plenty of seating available on the Restaurant’s left side.
Recently receiving some attention from Food Network, a spot on “Best Desserts” joining local accolades dating to 2003, it was only after lengthy debate that six items were selected with some-for-now-some-for-later intent, though in reality almost nothing ordered would make it out the door.
Pleasantly designed and low volume, the din of other diners far lower than similarly filled spaces in major cities including Minneapolis, it was sipping self-serve Water that tasting began with Hensen’s Spice Cake layered in Buttercream, the Sponge moist but not heavy while Frosting is restrained, the follow-up “Seven Layer Bar” expectedly more dense but still better than many thanks to additional Nuts and Coconut which helped temper the sweetness of Butterscotch and Condensed Milk
Intrigued to see fresh Viennoiseries coming out of the kitchen past noon, the clerk overheard saying they’d run out and had to make more, it was here that Nichole’s really proved their skills, the Dough separating in innumerable layers and spilling its tangy stewed Fruits along with Cream Cheese while two Cookies to follow were enjoyable, though the Chocolate Chip was both slightly underbaked and a bit too salty.
Saving what a server had referred to as “the best” for last, $5.25 for an individually sized Tart rivaling the prices seen in Manhattan or Chicago, it was eyeing a slightly uneven Shell with some skepticism that tasting ensued, the flavor at first intense with Cocoa but quickly turning sweet and then mellowing as the two mixed in the mouth to a satin-smooth consistency.
www.nicholesfinepastry.com
