End-of-Week Treats at Sugar Philly

In my time at Penn, I have had the pleasure of trying (and often returning to) several savory food trucks around campus. Until last Friday, however, Sugar Philly's desserts had gone untasted by me. It is surprising that I was able to go all of freshman year without venturing over to the cheerfully decorated vehicle at 38th and Walnut, given my ferocious sweet tooth- I have been known to eat the sugar packets at diners while waiting for my food and am guilty of keeping a jar of vanilla frosting in the fridge for a handy snack. Obviously, I was extremely excited to try Sugar Philly's offerings and their desserts certainly did not disappoint.

Photo courtesy of Sugar Philly's website: www.sugarphillytruck.com

Upon my arrival, chef Dan Tang made some helpful recommendations. One of Sugar Philly's specialties are their French macarons, and I tried the milk and honey, chocolate ganache (offered daily) and a chocolate and peanut butter (Friday special!). He recommended that I eat the milk and honey first because its flavors are the most delicate and might get lost after the richness of the chocolate ganache and chocolate-peanut butter. Following his advice, I tried the milk and honey first and loved it. The macaron's cookie had a slightly crunchy texture that transformed to a slight chewiness in the middle, and the delicate flavor of the subtly sweet filling provided melt-in-your-mouth deliciousness. The chocolate ganache and chocolate-peanut butter were also phenomenal. When my friend and I cut the chocolate-peanut butter in half to share, decadent filling oozed delightfully from the sides and upon tasting we found that the salty peanut butter balanced the chocolate nicely. For the pure chocolate lover, the chocolate ganache macaron is one that should not be passed up. The thick chocolate filling is sure to satisfy even the strongest chocolate craving.

I also tried Sugar Philly's vanilla creme brulee. Dan torched the sugar topping as I waited, creating the classic caramelized sugar top layer. The creamy, sweet custard was extremely smooth and had a pleasant vanilla flavor that was present without being too overpowering. The crunch of the slightly warm sugar topping paired perfectly with the cool custard and made for a delicious combination of textures and flavors that left me feeling a little sad when the creme brulee was all gone.

So, if you're ever in the vicinity of the Sugar Philly truck (or even if it's a little bit of a walk!) it is definitely worth a visit. Try going on different days of the week so that you can try all of the available macaron flavors!

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