Food Stuffs: Villabate’s Iconic Strawberry Shortcake ‘Burger’

Food Stuffs: Let’s be honest. We’ve all eyeballed Villabate Alba‘s second most distinctive dessert (the first, of course, being their famous orange- and cherry-garnished cannoli) with curiosity and suspicion.

The bakery’s individual-sized strawberry shortcakes look exactly like big, juicy burgers thanks to immaculately glazed and seeded “buns,” and rings of chocolate brownie that can only conjure the texture and shade of a well-done beef patty.

Slightly pricier than Villabate’s other baked goods, the burgers cost $4 a piece. I brought one of these beauties into Corner Media‘s office in Ditmas Park (where Italian delicacies are scarce) last week, and it made me instantly popular among my five colleagues.

Figuring out how to divide the perfect-looking burger among my fellow editors was a challenge. So we took a few minutes to pose the thing for a final photo shoot (see above) before butchering it.

When we finally cut the cake open, half-frozen, real strawberries (ketchup?) tumbled out along with gobs of whipped cream. The plump and juicy berries offered a stark and refreshing contrast to the sweetened bread, the rich cream, and chocolate patty. The brownie was soft and airy, so as not to overwhelm the bread-y bun and decadent filling.

Once the spell was broken, the dessert started disappearing quickly, and pretty soon, the plate was licked clean. All of the Corner Media taste testers gave the burger five stars for presentation and taste.

Congratulations, Villabate, on creating not one, but two fabulous, inimitable desserts that are worth the trek for Northern Brooklyn foodies and tourists alike.

Villabate Alba, 7001 18th Ave,(718) 331-8430. Open 7am until 9pm daily.

Food Stuffs is a column exploring the gastronomic landscape of Bensonhurst and the surrounding neighborhoods. Each entry will cover anything and everything remotely related to food. Because here in Bensonhurst, food is always news.