Searching for the Perfect Tiramisu in the Lincoln-Way

Tiramisu is a recent creation, from the 1960s or '70s, but even so, there is much debate over who invented the dessert.

The variations on tiramisu's origin story are as numerous as recipe variations. But basically, tiramisu is a layered dessert that includes spongy Italian cookies, called ladyfingers, that are soaked in coffee and some sort of alcoholic beverage, such as rum or cognac (although my personal recipe calls for Kahlua).

The ladyfingers are laid between creamy layers made of sweetened mascarpone cheese, sometimes combined with eggs or other types of creamy cheeses. Cocoa powder is dusted over the top cheese layer. So as usual, we take one restaurant from Frankfort, Mokena and New Lenox and determine who's got the best to offer.

, 2101 Calistoga Dr, New Lenox

My first stop was Charleston's in New Lenox. The plate arrived looking very pretty, with a dollop of whipped cream on top.  The mascarpone offered joyful vanilla cheesiness, but the top cheese layer was icy.

The good: A nice tiramisu with great presention.

The bad: The ladyfingers had almost no coffee flavor to speak of, and it was served still slightly frozen.

,  25 Old Frankfort Way, Frankfort

When the tiramisu arrived at La Dolce Vita, I was struck by the generous dusting of cocoa powder, not just on the dessert, but all over the plate as well. It was so dusty, in fact, that my date coughed on his first, and subsequent, bites of the dessert. Still, it was so good that we both kept coming back for more, cocoa dust be damned.

The good: This tiramisu was a perfect balance of subtle coffee flavor and creamy cheese yumminess.

The bad: The cocoa powder was applied with too heavy a hand, dominating over the subtle flavor of an otherwise perfect tiramisu. 

Scrementi's, 9301 W. 191st St., Mokena

Although Scrementi's is new to Mokena, the family has been serving Italian food to the south suburbs for half a century. The bartender informed me that the tiramisu is made on the premesis; you won't encounter frozen tiramisu here!

The presentation was beautiful, with chocolate syrup and raspberry sauce adorning the plate. The tiramisu was delicious: the light, mascarpone contrasted nicely with the strongly flavored ladyfingers.

The good: Scrementi's tiramisu is flavorful and beautiful.

The bad: The ladyfingers were overly saturated, making the bottom layer of the tiramisu very soggy.

Looking for local eats? Do you disagree with our taster? Head  over to your local Patch Places food and dining directory. Find new spots, read reviews and even post a your own reviews on the profile pages.

• Frankfort establishments
• New Lenox establishments
• Mokena establishments

THE WINNER: This was a tough call because each of the three was delicious but also had a notable flaw. Considering everything, though, I think the winner is La Dolce Vita. But if I order it there again, I will ask them to go easy on the cocoa.