Harriet’s Cheesecakes Unlimited

Heaven For Cheesecake Lovers

Cheesecakes Unlimited? Yes, the full name of this place hardly exaggerates. Miss Harriet’s repertoire does seem unlimited. She lists 60 different kinds of cheesecake on her menu. Seasonal and custom flavors abound. It’s a small place — a cramped storefront with a close-quarters bakery in back. That means that you won’t find the full roster available every day. When I stopped in, 19 different cakes were available. You can buy them by the slice or as full 8-inch cakes. Bigger ones also are available.

Each Cheesecake Is Unique

I confess that in the hierarchy of beloved desserts, cheesecake does not rank at the top of my personal list. Pie, layer cake, sticky puddings, and ice cream surpass it. But if any place could convince me to elevate cheesecake to the top ranks, Harriet’s does it. The four different slices I sampled each made a great impression. They all share the creamy, claylike avoirdupois that makes cheesecake so over-the-top rich. But each displayed dramatically different character, including unique crusts.

Favorites

Praline tops the list of Harriet’s always-available best-sellers. Caramel and a scatter of candied nuts top this dense cake. It rests on a crust that seems at least 50% brown sugar — soft and crumbly. The crust under a spicy sweet potato cheesecake is similar. But because the sweet potato cake is less gooey, the crust stays more intact. Under banana pudding cheesecake you will find a more traditional Graham cracker crust. Supporting the cookies ‘n’ cream cheesecake, which is absolutely chockful of thick chocolate veins, lies a crust that reminds me of the cookie part of an Oreo. But its chocolate flavor is even more intense. Jejune it may be, but the cookies ‘n’ cream slice had me eating long after appetite had become a distant memory.

There is no place to eat at Harriet’s Cheesecakes Unlimited. All business is take-out. Cash only. Closed Sunday and Monday.