Photo by Dayvid LeMmon

Yes, it tastes as good as it looks.

Dessert isn't supposed to be healthy, but that doesn't mean that it has to be entirely bad for you, either. Pomegranate Café's large selection of pastries and desserts expertly toes this line, bringing the best of both worlds: indulgence and health-consciousness. All desserts are made in-house from organic ingredients, all-natural sweeteners, alternative flours, nuts, seeds, dried fruits, dates, and high-quality fats.

We're not the only ones who have taken notice of what this Ahwatukee eatery is serving. The restaurant recently expanded with more tables and a much larger kitchen. However, if you go during lunchtime, the place is so crowded that you'll be wondering when they'll be able to expand again (or open a second location downtown, hint hint). Pomegranate Café also is working on a specialty product line, so these vegan sweets one day will be available in grocery stores and farmers markets.

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Dayvid LeMmon

Latin American cuisine often gets grouped together in one big category, but since the region spreads across two continents, it should go without saying that the culinary traditions are incredibly diverse. Located on the Western coast of South America, Peru offers very different tastes than the Mexican cuisine that Arizonans are accustomed to. Popular dishes include causa rellena de camarones, an appetizer composed of two layers of cold mashed potatoes with lime juice, aji, and a layer of shrimp salad in between, and tallarin verde, stir-fried linguini with spinach pesto.

In Peru, even a simple dessert can be given a unique spin. Crema volteada, which literally translates to "upside-down cream," is the Peruvian version of flan. The most popular flavor is vanilla, which is what Contigo Peru in Mesa serves, but Peruvians can also get fairly experimental with their favorite sweet indulgence, adding unexpected ingredients like quinoa, pears, raisins, lucuma, corn, and prunes.

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In this town, the Bianco name is synonymous with amazing pizza. In fact, Food & Wine recently named Pizzeria Bianco as one of the 25 best spots for pizza in the United States. With Pane Bianco, Chris and his brother Marco brought us incredible sandwiches with focaccia bread baked on the premises (now with flour milled on-site as well). And the newest addition, Italian Restaurant, rounds out the offerings with fresh pasta dishes and other Italian-American favorites. It would seem that the Bianco Empire serves something to match every possible craving for Italian cuisine. But where does dessert fit into this picture?

Since adding a sit-down dining room at the end of last year, Pane Bianco has become more than a place to grab a sandwich on the run. The menu expanded along with the location, adding delicious appetizers, wood-fired pizzas, and -- most importantly -- dessert. Flourless Chocolate Cake and Organic Vanilla Bean Rice Pudding are regular menu items, and if you're lucky, you might score some Italian ice on a sweltering hot day.

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Photo by Dayvid LeMmon

Everyone knows that Arizona has incredible Mexican fare, but who knew that Glendale is home to an award-winning German restaurant? Located in historic downtown Glendale, Haus Murphy's serves traditional specialties like Bacon-infused Paprika Schnitzel, Krakauer Wurst, and Hackbraten. The interior is decorated with German flags, beer signs and steins, and folk art, and outside there's a large biergarten where the restaurant holds its annual Oktoberfest.

For an authentic German dessert, it would appear there's nowhere better to go in town than Haus Murphy's. All desserts are made in-house, and there's quite an extensive selection to choose from, including Whiskey Cake, Black Forest Torte, Sauerkraut Cake (which is apparently much better than it sounds), and Apple Streusel. It was a tough choice, but we opted for one of the two strudels, picking cherry over apple.

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Photo by Dayvid LeMmon

There's one chef in all of Arizona who's currently nominated for a James Beard Award. Up for Best Chef: Southwest, Kevin Binkley is making our state proud. But with entrees priced around $40, not everyone will be rushing to Binkley's to see what the buzz is all about. Luckily, the restaurant has a little sister, Café Bink, that has more affordably priced options. Diners won't exactly get the full experience of Binkley's, but they can hopefully get a taste of what makes Kevin Binkley's food so praise-worthy.

To make a sweet deal even sweeter, Café Bink recently began offering happy hour from 3 to 5 p.m. We stopped by Carefree to check it out, and while there, we had to see if the dessert also matches up to Binkley's good reputation. My expectations faded a little when the happy hour burger was a disappointing medium-well rather than the medium-rare I ordered, but the French fries were addictive. Apparently the sloppy Joe is a better pick; another diner ordered a second after polishing off his first -- definitely a strong endorsement. Before dessert, the experience was a bit of a mixed bag, and oddly enough, it was the Profiteroles with Roasted Banana Ice Cream that really impressed.

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Photo by Dayvid LeMmon

The perfect dessert for Nutella addicts

Phoenix isn't exactly a culinary hub, and the Valley's restaurants don't always get the kind of attention as those in New York, L.A., and Seattle. But we have our fair share of star chefs, and if there was a leader of the pack, it might just have to be Chef Christopher Gross. He and his restaurants have earned countless awards, most notably the James Beard Award for Best Chef in the Southwest back in 1995. (He talks casually about his big win here.) He's worked and studied in top restaurants in France -- including a patisserie and a Michelin-starred restaurant -- so it's no wonder that he's earned a reputation as an expert in all things food.

Add in the fact that Chef Gross was a fellow judge at this year's Caramelpalooza (and is clearly a practiced sugar connoisseur), and what all of this boils down to is that my expectations for dessert at Christopher's were very high. It was a tough choice between a simple Warm Berry Tart and the Gâteau Marjolaine, but our server steered us toward the latter, which he described as a layered mousse cake enrobed in rich ganache. It's hard to say no to something that sounds so decadent.

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Photo by Dayvid LeMmon

With James Beard Award-winning Chef Nobuo Fukuda at the helm, it's no wonder that Nobuo Teeter House has one of the best restaurant reputations in town. However, it seems like every time someone says, "Their food is absolutely incredible," the high praise is followed by, "...but so expensive." Served tapas-style, the small plates -- at $6 to $26 a pop -- can add up quickly. There's also a four-course sample tasting menu available on Fridays and Saturdays for $60 (not including drinks or the recommended add-ons).

We're always trying to find ways to enjoy top-notch cuisine at affordable prices, and Nobuo is surprisingly agreeable, offering a few ways to enjoy its impeccable menu without breaking the bank. (Check out how to score lunch at Nobuo for $10.) And we were pleasantly surprised to find out that it's possible to cap off your evening with a $6 dessert there. Of course with that kind of steal, we had to taste two to find out if one -- or both of them -- is worthy of a visit on its own.

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Photo by Dayvid LeMmon

Last week, Laura Hahnefeld highlighted three restaurants in "How the Valley's Legendary Restaurants Keep Up With the Times," which covers everything from Phoenix's culinary history to what it takes to keep a restaurant in business for over half a century. One small mention and tantalizing photo deserved a little closer investigation: Nostalgia of Baseball from Pink Pony.

Laura writes, "As artfully composed as it is scrumptious, this chocolate and peanut butter tower sits next to a stenciled-in-chocolate image of baseball legend Ted Williams and his famous swing. As Williams did so often during his Hall of Fame career, the dessert hits the sweet spot."

With the Cactus League's final spring training game merely five days away (and the last game at Scottsdale Stadium being played tomorrow), there's no better time to pony up to a plate of this baseball-themed dish. Luckily, we found reason to enjoy this Baby Ruth-inspired dessert any time of year.

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Photo by Dayvid LeMmon

Thin Mint Cupcake: like the cookie, but better

It's true that most spectacular, mouthwatering desserts are found at specialty shops and fine dining restaurants, but every now and then, a fast casual spot really wows us with their menu. And if that includes dessert, we definitely want to know about it, because these spots tend to be cheaper and more convenient than desserts at restaurants with table service.

Also see our list of Ten Favorite Metro Phoenix Cupcakes.

That's why we felt compelled to check out Liberty Market, part of restaurateur Joe Johnston's triumvirate of Gilbert establishments that serve delicious, (often) locally sourced food. As we walked up to the counter, a big display of pastries greeted us, including chocolate-covered banana bread and huge zebra brownies. It already looked like this visit would be leaps and bounds better than when we had "cheesecake" and a sundae at Joe's Farm Grill.

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Photo by Dayvid LeMmon

While FEZ isn't exactly fine dining, the restaurant is a popular hangout that serves a noteworthy selection of cocktails along with some pretty tasty food. (Try the Key Lime Pie Martini, which just landed on our list of six favorite specialty cocktails.) We recently stopped by for dinner and decided to see if FEZ's dessert matches up to that sweet drink list.

For the record, the signature FEZ Salad -- with grilled chicken, field greens, toasted almonds, goat cheese, cinnamon pears, dried cherries, and pomegranate vinaigrette -- is a satisfying and reasonably healthy dinner. It's a little too sweet, but the vinegar and cheese work to counter it.

But, who cares about entrées? The real concern is whether or not the "homemade selection of desserts" is as "scintillating" as the menu promises.

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