The husband-and-wife team of Martin and Wendy Rudderforth wanted their particular culinary concept -- modestly priced interpretations of international dishes -- to be no-frills, casual-dining fare, but chef Wendy's selection of seductive desserts is surprisingly elegant. In fact, her seven daily sweets are comparable to pastries in any four-star restaurant in the city. Since opening last spring, the Rudderforths have realized that their two top-selling desserts have become signature sweets that can't ever be rotated off the menu: a lovely, dense flourless chocolate torte and a temptingly tropical coconut-mango sponge cake. Another European import -- a treat offered by street vendors in Paris -- has become a local favorite: warm, freshly made crepes rolled around Nutella (the chocolate-hazlenut spread) and sliced bananas. This autumn, the popular espresso-and-chocolate cannoli returns to the menu along with a few new ideas that Wendy has been percolating for her illuminated pastry case. After all, dessert is a magical word in any language.
