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| - I stopped by Bartram House a week ago after an event that I attended elsewhere in the South Side. I wanted some dessert, and I'd been meaning to check this place out for awhile, so the event gave me the perfect excuse to stop by.
The first thing you'll notice upon walking in is a display case containing many attractive pastries. After perusing the case, I decided to try the flourless chocolate cake ($5.99). I found the presentation to be attractive, but the price point to be high, esp. given the portion size.
Upon digging into the cake, I was impressed by its moistness. It consisted of alternating layers of cake and mousse, providing it with a nice textural contrast. It was very chocolatey, too, which I appreciated given my love of chocolate. Despite its small size, it was substantial, and filled me up quite well with chocolatey goodness.
The reviewer who described the vibe of this place as a cross between a Starbucks and a high-end bakery was right on the money. It definitely has a more corporate feel than most of the other bakeries I've visited around PGH, not to mention a lot more space. While it's nice that there's ample seating, I detected some snarkiness from the employee who served me when I asked to be seated about 15 min prior to closing (I left with about 10 min. to spare).
While I'm between 3.5 and 4 stars, I'm going to be generous and go with 4 because I was impressed with the quality of the flourless chocolate cake. I'd return, albeit not quite so close to closing next time.
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