Cheesecake overload: Masse’s versus Reuschelle’s
I wish I could be like Hikaru, eating 20 cakes in 3.5 hours. Then I could go to cake shops like Masse, ask for every beauty of the day and not worry about missing out on any flavor. Wouldn’t life be so sweet then?
But maybe I don’t have to be like Hikaru. Minus the pastries and the cookies, Masse has only about 10 cakes on display, most of them are available in small size (because they don’t sell by the slices like Crixa Cakes); if I skip dinner and invite a friend, we could easily bring down all of them in one sitting, don’t you think? Danielle and I tried only two this time, though. Five bucks each, round and pretty and screaming “Got your spoon ready?”
The mocha walnut chocolate cake was a fun little one: I thought about peeling off its white, woody patterned wrapper but it turned out the wrapper was white chocolate. ð The caramelized walnut base proved a mild and coarse complement to the thick, creamy layers of dark chocolate cake, chocolate Bavarian cream and espresso mousse. Its richness is complemented by its stark coffee flavor. Just now, I realize the cake looks like a cup of coffee with two stirring straws. ð
But the main reason we came here was the cheesecake. The soft, subtly briny ricotta is wrapped up in a coat of hazelnut shavings and topped with a refreshing guava glaze. The glaze actually tastes too sweet and too fruitily generic to be guava, though. Regardless, when I combined a spoon of cheesecake with a spoon of mocha cake, I saw fireworks just like Remy.
——————
A few days later…
——————
I found out about Reuschelle’s. Victor Reuschelle says “[his cheesecake (I think)] is like heaven on a fork!”. I think it’s pretty heavenly that he offers delivery for free within 20 miles of the East Bay (in fact, there’s no physical store to visit).
Reuschelle’s Cheesecake is a one-man operation: Victor receives order via phone or email, Victor makes the cake, Victor delivers. Victor says ordering 4 days in advance would be best, but he makes exceptions based on what he has and what his schedule looks like. I ordered yesterday afternoon and the cheesecakes arrived this morning. The best deal is the 4-flavor sample of four 3-inch cheesecakes for $20, and unlike sampler plates in restos, you get to pick the flavors from a thousand choices on Reuschelle’s list. Okay, so it’s 57, but Victor says custom made is no problemo.
Clockwise from top left: Red Velvet, Original, Raspberry Lemonade, and Sweet Potato. I had my reasons for such picks. I wanted the original cheesecake flavor the way I want the original pho brought straight from the kitchen to the table, unadulterated by sauces or herbs. The red velvet is a playing-safe choice because it has chocolate. I haven’t seen sweet potato flavor in desserts. Raspberry and lemonade sound tart enough to temper the cheese.
Heaven forbids, these cheesecakes are no joke to get tempered by fruits. The Sweet Potato is a twin of the country pumpkin pie. The raspberry hint is stronger than the lemonade hint, but neither can emerge from the dense, creamy grasp of the cheese. The cocoa in the Red Velvet? Got lost. They’re good cheesecakes, but they’re all the same.
At Masse, North Shattuck, Berkeley. What happened to the boy's pants?
Thinking back, I’ve come across Reuschelle’s bites at Ghiradelli Square chocolate festival last September. He just started his business a few months before that. I like Victor’s casual friendliness, his delivery option, and his thrive for varieties, but if I must compare Masse’s one cheesecake with Reuschelle’s four, Masse’s wins. The fruit glaze makes the cake more dessert-like and less cheese-tray like, the hazelnut shavings break the textural homogeneity. The prices? Reuschelle’s a bit steeper, but you get the cake at your door.
And no, I couldn’t finish 4 mini 3″ cheesecakes in one sitting. Ninety percent of them are hanging out with the spinach and the pork chops in my fridge. Would you like some?
Address: Masse’s Pastries
1469 Shattuck Avenue (across the street from Safeway)
Berkeley, CA 94709
(510) 649-1004
www.massespastries.com
No-address: Reuschelle’s Cheesecake (aka Victor Reuschelle)
Telephone: (510) 219-2997
E-mail: reuschelle@gmail.com
www.reuschelles.com
Thank you for another excellent article. Where else could anybody get that type of info in such a perfect way of writing? I’ve a presentation next week, and I’m on the look for such information.
1Hi! I’ve been reading your weblog for a long time now and finally got the bravery to go ahead and give you a shout out from Humble Tx! Just wanted to tell you keep up the excellent work!
2I’m truly enjoying the design and layout of your site. It’s a very easy on the eyes which makes it much more pleasant for me to come here and visit more often. Did you hire out a developer to create your theme? Great work!
3Someone necessarily help to make seriously posts I might state. That is the very first time I frequented your web page and up to now? I surprised with the research you made to make this actual put up amazing. Wonderful job!
4I couldn’t resist commenting
5I’d have to examine with you here. Which is not one thing I usually do! I take pleasure in reading a post that may make folks think. Additionally, thanks for permitting me to comment!
6Wow! This could be one particular of the most helpful blogs We’ve ever arrive across on this subject. Actually Fantastic. I’m also an expert in this topic therefore I can understand your effort.
7Thank you for every other informative site. Where else could I get that type of info written in such an ideal way? I’ve a venture that I am simply now working on, and I have been at the look out for such information.
8Hi there, I found your website by way of Google whilst looking for a related topic, your web site came up, it seems to be great. I’ve bookmarked it in my google bookmarks.
9I think that is one of the such a lot important information for me. And i am happy studying your article. However wanna remark on some common things, The website style is great, the articles is in point of fact excellent :D. Excellent process, cheers
10I got good info from your blog
11Simply wanna comment on few general things, The website style and design is perfect, the subject material is rattling wonderful : D.
12F*ckin’ remarkable things here. I’m very glad to see your article. Thanks a lot and i am looking forward to contact you. Will you please drop me a e-mail?
13Greetings from Ohio! I’m bored to death at work so I decided to check out your website on my iphone during lunch break. I enjoy the information you present here and can’t wait to take a look when I get home. I’m amazed at how fast your blog loaded on my phone .. I’m not even using WIFI, just 3G .. Anyhow, awesome site!
14Thank you for sharing excellent informations. Your website is very cool. I am impressed by the details that you’ve on this website. It reveals how nicely you perceive this subject. Bookmarked this web page, will come back for more articles. You, my pal, ROCK! I found just the information I already searched all over the place and just couldn’t come across. What an ideal website.
15I like what you guys are up also. Such clever work and reporting! Keep up the superb works guys I’ve incorporated you guys to my blogroll. I think it will improve the value of my web site :).
16Hello There. I discovered your weblog the usage of msn. This is an extremely smartly written article. I’ll be sure to bookmark it and return to learn more of your useful information. Thanks for the post. I’ll certainly return.
17Hello, i think that i saw you visited my weblog thus i came to âreturn the favorâ.I am attempting to find things to improve my website!I suppose its ok to use a few of your ideas!!
18Excellent blog right here! Additionally your site so much up fast! What web host are you using? Can I get your affiliate link for your host? I wish my site loaded up as quickly as yours lol
19Thanks a lot for giving everyone an extremely brilliant chance to read critical reviews from this web site. It is always so pleasing plus jam-packed with a great time for me personally and my office peers to search your web site a minimum of 3 times in a week to find out the newest guidance you will have. And definitely, we are certainly contented with your amazing secrets you serve. Certain 3 facts in this post are ultimately the most efficient we have ever had.
20I have recently started a blog, the info you provide on this site has helped me tremendously. Thank you for all of your time & work.
21Hi, i think that i saw you visited my blog thus i came to âreturn the favorâ.I am trying to find things to enhance my web site!I suppose its ok to use some of your ideas!!
22Well I truly enjoyed reading it. This article provided by you is very helpful for correct planning.
23I’m truly enjoying the design and layout of your website. It’s a very easy on the eyes which makes it much more enjoyable for me to come here and visit more often. Did you hire out a developer to create your theme? Outstanding work!
24After all, what a great site and informative posts, I will upload inbound link â bookmark this web site? Regards, Reader.
25I’m impressed, I have to say. Really not often do I encounter a weblog that’s both educative and entertaining, and let me tell you, you might have hit the nail on the head. Your thought is excellent; the difficulty is something that not sufficient people are talking intelligently about. I am very blissful that I stumbled across this in my search for something referring to this.
26Hi there! I just would like to give an enormous thumbs up for the good data you may have right here on this post. I might be coming again to your blog for more soon.
27Hi there! This post couldn’t be written any better! Reading through this post reminds me of my previous room mate! He always kept talking about this. I will forward this article to him. Pretty sure he will have a good read. Thank you for sharing!
28Woh I like your posts, saved to fav! .
29Your style is so unique compared to many other people. Thank you for publishing when you have the opportunity,Guess I will just make this bookmarked.
30I have been surfing online more than 3 hours today, yet I never found any interesting article like yours. It is pretty worth enough for me. In my view, if all website owners and bloggers made good content as you did, the web will be much more useful than ever before.
31As I website owner I think the articles here is rattling good, appreciate it for your efforts.
32Some genuinely nice and useful information on this website , also I conceive the layout has great features.
33Merely wanna say that this is very beneficial, Thanks for taking your time to write this.
34Hey there, You have done an incredible job. I will certainly digg it and for my part suggest to my friends. I’m confident they’ll be benefited from this web site.
35I dugg some of you post as I cerebrated they were very beneficial invaluable
36Its like you learn my mind! You seem to grasp a lot approximately this, such as you wrote the e-book in it or something. I believe that you simply can do with a few to drive the message house a bit, but other than that, this is excellent blog. A fantastic read. I’ll definitely be back.
37I got good info from your blog
38Yay google is my queen assisted me to find this outstanding website ! .
39I’ve read a few good stuff here. Definitely worth bookmarking for revisiting. I surprise how a lot effort you put to make this sort of magnificent informative site.
40I simply couldn’t depart your website before suggesting that I actually enjoyed the usual info a person provide to your visitors? Is gonna be back frequently to inspect new posts.
41I needed to write you the little observation in order to give many thanks as before for your incredible methods you have provided here. This has been quite wonderfully open-handed with you to supply openly what a number of us might have distributed for an e book in making some profit for their own end, primarily since you might well have done it in the event you decided. These guidelines additionally acted to become great way to fully grasp that many people have the same passion the same as my personal own to see somewhat more with reference to this problem. I know there are numerous more pleasurable times up front for those who read through your website.
42I have recently started a website, the info you offer on this website has helped me greatly. Thanks for all of your time & work. “Marriage love, honor, and negotiate.” by Joe Moore.
43I would like to get across my gratitude for your kind-heartedness supporting persons that absolutely need help with the subject. Your special dedication to getting the solution all around had been exceptionally important and has usually encouraged somebody just like me to reach their ambitions. Your new useful advice implies so much a person like me and especially to my office workers. Thanks a ton; from all of us.
44Needed to draft you that tiny word in order to give thanks over again just for the pretty principles you’ve discussed above. It is so surprisingly generous with people like you in giving freely all a lot of folks would have supplied for an e book to help with making some cash for their own end, precisely considering the fact that you might have tried it if you decided. The basics also served to be the good way to be certain that many people have the identical dreams the same as my very own to learn great deal more related to this condition. I am certain there are thousands of more fun situations up front for folks who see your website.
45Hello, i think that i saw you visited my website so i came to âreturn the favorâ.I’m attempting to find things to enhance my website!I suppose its ok to use a few of your ideas!!
46I think this web site holds some really fantastic info for everyone. “Philosophy triumphs easily over past evils and future evils but present evils triumph over it.” by La Rochefoucauld.
47Hello! This post could not be written any better! Reading this post reminds me of my good old room mate! He always kept chatting about this. I will forward this post to him. Pretty sure he will have a good read. Thanks for sharing!
48Hi, just required you to know I he added your site to my Google bookmarks due to your layout. But seriously, I believe your internet site has 1 in the freshest theme I??ve came across. It extremely helps make reading your blog significantly easier.
49Wow, awesome blog layout! How long have you been running a blog for? you make blogging glance easy. The full glance of your site is excellent, let alone the content!
50