“If you put your fork in that waffle there’s no going back.” That was the voice of the good angel on my right shoulder.

“Just put a fork in it already!” And that would be the not-so-good angel on my left shoulder.

That was the situation that I was in as I sat with my fork and knife midair ready to puncture the Belgium waffle in front of me. I don’t have any form of self-control, therefore if I took one bite I would end up licking the plate clean and asking for seconds. Knowing that, I was either going to commit to this, or I was going to walk out.

I was invited to Syrup Desserts in Downtown LA and I dragged my friend, TJ, with me to sample some of their dishes. Since I work in Downtown LA I and was already familiar with the word of mouth of this dessert and espresso bar, I gladly accepted the invitation! If you frequent the city then you’ve probably seen the restaurant—they sit across from a mural of a beautiful woman who is a focal point during the monthly DTLA Artwalk. Step away from the woman and into the restaurant and you’ll find yourself inside a two-story dessert haven. Not just a restaurant, Syrup is a popular spot for people looking to study. But that doesn’t mean you have to be quiet—especially when the food comes out.

We started off our dinner with drinks, but not the alcoholic kind. TJ got the Italian Cherry Cream Soda ($3.50, left) and I got the Tangerine Mint Ice Tea ($3.75, right). TJ’s drink was very good! It was sparkling water mixed with cherry and vanilla syrup, and topped with whipped cream, and a single cherry. It was sweet and bubbly. I didn’t drink it all, but if he didn’t snatch it away from me, I could have gotten pretty darn close to killing it off. Then there was my drink. The chrysanthemum herbal tea had bits of juicy mandarin oranges and mint leaves. It was light, on the fruity side, and refreshing thanks to all the mint leaf pieces in the drink. Just as good as the taste was the look of it. The bright orange color was accented by the bold green of the mint leaves as the oranges swam throughout the cup. Not sure if I can call a drink pretty, but it was.

Now let’s discuss the epic-ness of the food.

We ordered a plate of the Syrup Signature ($7.50), Mixed Berries Liege ($6.25), and the Blackberry Muenster ($7.25). And that’s where the angel and devil began fighting on my shoulders. Do I devour all of these plates and throw any work I’ve put in the gym to waste? You know I did.

The first to arrive was the Syrup Signature. A Belgian waffle topped with fresh bananas and strawberries, French vanilla bean ice cream, and drizzled with Nutella. One look at it and my fork and knife pierced the waffle like lighting through clouds. The waffle was crispy, light, and full of delicious fruit! It was good. But my gut’s attention quickly darted to the Mixed Berries Liege once it came to the table.

The liege was a blueberry farm waffle with (get ready, folks) blackberry jasmine ice cream. I’d like to stop there because it sounds strong on its own, but no there’s more. Alongside the waffle and ice cream, comes a sweet mascarpone topping, mixed berry compote, mixed berries, and sugar cubes baked into the waffle. It may not sound like it, but this is a protein fruit shake, only it’s wrapped in sugar and enclosed in carbs. But like I said, it’s really a fruit smoothie. The liege is unbelievably sweet, but it’s not overwhelming. I loved the taste of the cold blackberry ice cream paired with the warm liege. The two flavors and textures blend so well together. Plus, once the ice cream melts, it combines with the fruit and mascarpone to making it an added drizzle. I loved this dish. Capital L-O-V-E-D, loved this dish!

Next up was the Blackberry Muenster ($7.25) and I was ready to see how it would fair after the liege. The muenster is a grilled cheese sandwich served with a spring salad mix. A salad is lovely, but the sandwich stole the show. Why? Because it’s a grilled cheese stuffed with Muenster cheese, blackberries, toasted walnuts, and preserves between two thick cut slices of Cuban bread topped with powdered sugar. With such an elaborate concoction on a simple dish, there was plenty of room for error. Would it be too sweet, would the ingredients blend well? Would it be too gooey? Nope, it was none of that. It was gently sweetened and it didn’t ooze out of control. The cheese, preserves, and blackberries combined nicely offering up a delightful taste in each bite. Did it beat the liege? No way. But was it good enough to finish? Hell yes! But at this point, I only took a few bites of the salad. I can have a salad anywhere, but a muenster like this is hard to come by.

After the drinks and the dishes, we ordered lattes. There are so many different choices that it’s really hard to choose. Do I get a caramel, hazelnut, or a green tea latte? Then I scrolled a little further down the list and my eyes widened when I saw an Amaretto Latte ($3.35, small; top).If you know my party lifestyle, then you know an Amaretto Sour is my drink of choice. To see it in a non-alocholic form blew my mind. “I’ll take that please!” This well-titled drink takes a drizzle of amaretto flavor and puts it into a casual latte. It had just enough of Amaretto peaking through the latte, but not so much to make it overpowering. The same was true of TJ’s Nutella Latte ($3.50, large; bottom). It was a simple latte sweetened with Nutella. Nutella folks, this is for you. No need to pull out a spoon and eat it from the jar, just sip it from the cup and you’ll get the Nutella flavor you love.

So, I consumed a day-and-a-half of calories and almost had to be rolled out of the restaurant, but so what. It was worth it. It was delicious—correction: divine. Plus, I can always go to the gym tomorrow. Or, I could go back to Syrup.

Damn, that’s a good idea. I think I’m going back to Syrup.

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