Thanksgiving, Chanukah and Christmas are Coming – What's For Dessert?

Our most food-centric holidays are upon us. For the Thanksgiving, Chanukah and Christmas tables we all have foods that we deem essential in order for the holiday to feel complete. For my husband, it's the cornbread, carrot and pecan stuffing, for everyone at Chanukah it's latkes and brisket and for Christmas my daughter's Brie encased in pastry is a must-have appetizer.

Is the same true for desserts? My son-in-law dotes on pumpkin pie with fresh whipped cream, but the rest of us will eat whatever rich delicious dessert is placed in front of us. I wondered what some of our local Port Jefferson chefs and bakers might want to see on their dessert table.

Robert Buonaspina, the owner of , has a plethora of choices at his dessert bar but has definite favorites for each holiday. At Thanksgiving it's pumpkin pie. He especially likes his pastry chef's pumpkin mousse pie. For Christmas, his family always has a fresh batch of struffoli (a traditional Neapolitan Christmas dessert made of deep fried balls of dough), followed by sugar cookies. When it comes to Chanukah, rugelach wins out.

John Urbinati, who, with Erik Orlowski, is the co-owner/chef of restaurant, likes to keep it simple.

"I go with items I'm familiar with and change it up a bit," he said.

So instead of one large apple pie, he makes individual pies and serves them with gelato instead of ice cream. In keeping with the local/seasonal approach of this New American restaurant, Urbinati recommends using farm stand apples.

"Not only does it taste better," he said. "But you're also supporting local farmers."

I was pleased to hear Urbinati touting the honeycrisp apple, a variety I discovered only this year and can't get enough of. Honeycrisp is a cross between a Macoun and Honeygold, first produced in 1960.

At restaurant Chef Luis Nunez's Tarta de Santiago is a perfect ending to a heavy meal, says manager Colleen Alvarez. This butterless cake is made with finely ground almonds instead of flour.

"It is simple, not heavy or very rich, but really delicious," she said.

For Joey Zee, the owner of , the perfect ending to any meal is his mother's warm baked rice pudding, which he serves at the restaurant. But don't ask for the recipe. It's a family secret that involves a special way to cook the rice and a touch of honey, he revealed. Maybe you can wangle the recipe from Zee's 86-year-old mother, who is at the restaurant almost every night, enjoying her celebrated dessert.

Click local chefs did share with us.