![\"heavenly2\"](\"https:\/\/sduptownnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/11\/heavenly21-300x225.jpg\" "\\"heavenly2\\"")
<\/a> Sure, Dr. Ink has vices \u2013 but not all of them require taps, corkscrews and shakers. And guess what? Neither does Happy Hour.<\/p>\nTo prove that point and as a break from my bimonthly booze-friendly tour of Uptown\u2019s bars, I decided to set aside cocktails for cake and indulge in Heaven Sent\u2019s \u201cAfternoon Delight\u201d \u2013 the North Park dessert restaurant\u2019s Happy Hour special that runs 3 p.m.-6:30 p.m. daily.<\/p>\n
My friend and I were the only patrons at 5:30 on a Tuesday, which was good for us because we could ask questions about the numerous pastries in the two cases fronting the counter. Although each dessert has its own placard, some of the more mysterious offerings \u2013 such as the Chocolate Lux pyramid (a cookie base topped with chocolate mousse and cherry, and covered with chocolate) and the Irish Angel (chocolate cake separated with layers of Irish cream liqueur) \u2013 deserved further explanation from the patient server.<\/p>\n
Others \u2013 fruit tarts, cookies, cupcakes, cr\u00e8me br\u00fbl\u00e9e, cakes and cheesecake \u2013 while easily identifiable, made the choice even more difficult.<\/p>\n
Adding to the complication was not one but two specials. We either could take advantage of the Happy Hour deal \u2013 two desserts and two coffees or teas for $10 ($6 for one) \u2013 or buy one dessert and get one free (Tuesdays and Wednesdays only).<\/p>\n
We ended up choosing the latter because my companion just wanted water and a seasonal ginger cookie (which sounds modest if you haven\u2019t seen the size of Heaven Sent\u2019s cookies). Since she wasn\u2019t sharing and most of the desserts looked ample for two, I selected the more manageable tiramisu and a cup of decaf.<\/p>\n
As we seated ourselves the server plated our desserts and brought them to our table along with my giant cup of coffee (ah, no paper cup!) filled with dark, rich-looking java. He also brought silverware wrapped in paper napkins, a mini cream pitcher, a box of sugar packets and a teaspoon. It\u2019s amazing how coffeehouses have lulled us into thinking coffee has to be \u201cdressed\u201d at a messy, crowded shelf with half-empty milk carafes \u2013 sitting at a table and slowly adding milk from my private pitcher seemed like a luxury.<\/p>\n
Heaven Sent\u2019s strategy to develop its own blend of coffee clearly has paid off. The coffee was perfectly balanced between acidic and mellow. Although I enjoyed an \u201cangel\u201d (large) coffee, the restaurant\u2019s coffee and tea menu includes all the usual coffee-bar suspects in both large and small (\u201ccherub\u201d) sizes, plus blended drinks, fruit smoothies and Italian sodas.<\/p>\n
The tiramisu was based in chiffon cake rather than ladyfingers, but the Marsala-soaked cake (espresso or rum is more traditional) allowed the mascarpone cheese to play evenly and create an overall creaminess. Chips from the thin chocolate shell surrounding the cream and liberally sprinkled cocoa added flavor density. And even though I had opted for what I thought was a smaller dessert, I ended up taking home half of my tiramisu in one of Heaven Sent\u2019s fancy carry-out boxes.<\/p>\n
Knowing Heaven Sent\u2019s back story makes a visit to this caf\u00e9 even sweeter. Owner Lachlan Oliver previously served as an Air Force medic for nine years, including tours in Afghanistan and Iraq. To help deal with the distress they endured, and give themselves comforting thoughts of home, he and his fellow soldiers talked about desserts as they passed the time. In fact, one of Oliver\u2019s medic pals, Mike, was known as \u201cSergeant Sweetie\u201d both because he used eight packets of sugar in his coffee and because he was unwaveringly optimistic. When Oliver asked him how he could be so confident, Mike said there was no reason to fear \u2013 they either would go home to their families or home to heaven. He was killed five weeks after sharing that advice. When Oliver opened his caf\u00e9, he chose \u201cHeaven Sent\u201d as the restaurant\u2019s name to honor Mike and provide hope to others who might be struggling.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a surprisingly heavy story, yet the restaurant itself is anything but. Filled with whimsical notions \u2013 for example, your order number is attached to a children\u2019s book \u2013 Heaven Sent is a place to celebrate the good things in life: sugar, chocolate and coffee. A touch of paradise indeed!<\/p>\n
And don\u2019t fret: there are four gyms nearby where you can work off those not-so-happy calories.<\/p>\n
Postres enviados del cielo<\/p>\n
www.heavensentdesserts.com<\/p>\n
3001 University Ave.<\/p>\n
San Diego, 92104<\/p>\n
(619) 793-4758<\/p>\n
Happy Hour: 3 p.m.-6:30 p.m. daily<\/p>\n
Ratings:<\/p>\n
Bebidas: 5<\/p>\n
Their brand-name coffee beans are available for purchase.<\/p>\n
Comida: 5<\/p>\n
Tantalizing glass cases hold imaginative and more common desserts.<\/p>\n
Valor: 5<\/p>\n
Two elaborate sweets and two drinks are a deal at $10.<\/p>\n
Servicio: 5<\/p>\n
Friendly and gracious.<\/p>\n
Duration: 5<\/p>\n
Weekend hours provide flexibility for those who don\u2019t eat dessert before dinner.<\/p>\n
Note about the ratings: Each category is based on 1-5 glasses, with 5 being best. Drinks and food are rated as to quantity and quality, while duration is based on the number of days and hours Happy Hour is offered. Value and service are self-explanatory.<\/p>\n
Want to make me happy? E-mail Dr. Ink about your favorite Happy Hour and I\u2019ll drop by with my stethoscope: dr.inksd@gmail.com.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A divine Happy Hour to devour A divine time to devour Delish, delightful, divine By Dr. Ink Sure, Dr. Ink has vices \u2013 but not all of them require taps, corkscrews and shakers. And guess what? Neither does Happy Hour. To prove that point and as a break from my bimonthly booze-friendly tour of Uptown\u2019s […]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":726,"featured_media":243006,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"11555","_seopress_titles_title":"A Divine Happy Hour","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"jnews_override_counter":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[11551,11555],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-243005","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-uptown-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/243005","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/726"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=243005"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/243005\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/243006"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=243005"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=243005"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=243005"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}