Desserts @ Murphy's

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As research for a forthcoming article in Epicure magazine (April issue/Atlanta edition), I recently sampled some desserts at Murphy's in Virginia-Highlands.

Pastry Chef Geri Ravelo grew up in Manila, Philippines near a local bakery that scented the morning air with the aroma of baking bread. Now at Murphy’s she often begins her days baking flaky biscuits. And each day she also bakes a different variety of muffin (blueberry, on the day I visited).


Whether creating breads or desserts, her priorities are quality, flavor and eye appeal. “Garnishes are important to me,” she says, though she favors simplicity over elaborate “hanging off the chandelier” styles.

A graduate of The Art Institute of Atlanta, Ravelo says she loves “the discerning aspect of pasty cooking” and “synchronizing all the details.” Her creations are a meticulous balanced blend of textures. “I like someone to have a complete experience when eating one of my desserts,” she says. Even traditional recipes like carrot and walnut cake benefit with her personal touches like brightly hued sauce, pineapple chutney and cream cheese ice cream. She most enjoys working with sugar, but with skillful restraint steers clear of going overly sweet.

DARK CHOCOLATE CAKE with ganache frosting and milk chocolate sauce ($7):

THE BONZO is a Murphy's classic comprised of a fudge brownie, cheesecake, dark chocolate mousse and whipped cream ($7):

TOLLHOUSE PIE is another Murphy's classic with dark and white chocolate cookie batter, walnuts, oreo crust and vanilla ice cream ($7):

DOUBLE CRUSTED APPLE PIE is made with local fuji apples and topped with dulce de leche ice cream ($7):

CARROT AND WALNUT CAKE with pineapple chutney and cream cheese ice cream ($7):

This blog promises a "behind-the-scenes peek at the work life of its author," and while the photos of what I got to taste may make you drool, here's a tad more: Sitting and chatting with Geri Ravelo was a joy; she's quite simply one of the world's nicest folks with a witty edge that I just so happen to adore. It would be fun to spend a day in the kitchen with her. At the end of our chat she admitted that she'd been nervous, since it was her first media interview. It's happened several times that I'm the first journalist to interview someone and I take it as a good sign that I'm doing my job and staying ahead of the mainstream to find a unique story. In this case, I'm sure a surge of attention will come Geri's way.

Bottom Line: Eat dessert first. These are all too good to miss.