Blackbird's Stunning Desserts - Chicago

"I didn't want to make beautiful food," says Blackbird's pastry chef, Dana Cree.

In this regard, Cree has failed. She describes her aesthetic as "broken, shattered, piled and lumped," but her desserts ($11) are nothing short of stunning.

Jagged cliffs of brown-butter- and cinnamon-brushed strudel dough hide a scoop of sweet potato ice cream atop cheesecake, cashew-studded caramel, pomegranate molasses and pomegranate seeds. It's a riot of textures–soft, silky, crunchy–and beautifully complementary flavors that sing of fall.

What resemble moss-covered stones are actually nuggets of French toast that have been soaked in sage custard, fried until crisp, and dusted with powdered sage and sugar. They rest on a landscape of apples: three varieties that are roasted, poached or compressed with pickling liquid until shimmering and translucent.

Chocolate Concorde cake is both rugged and refined, with shards of broken chocolate meringue on one face and a sleek pane of chocolate on the other, hiding vibrant Concord grape ice cream and a jumble of raisins. Even her cheese courses are works of art.

Cree landed at Blackbird this summer, and since then she's done more than merely fill the shoes of her talented predecessors; she has raised the bar.

Blackbird, 619 W. Randolph St.; 312-715-0708 or blackbirdrestaurant.com