Austin B.
Yelp
tl;dr a Pike Place bakery specializing in miniature cheesecakes, which end up as a somewhat of a disappointment
Across the street from the main hustle and bustle of Pike Place Market, this walk-up-only bakery features only an ornate sign (the slogan, "Confess Your Love for Cheesecake," is prominently expressed in cursive just inside the interior of the bakery) and a petite counter display of its baked good. The pricing is sprawled onto chalkboards on the left and right walls. Desserts are served in paper cups with plastic cutlery. The Confectional prides itself on using the finest ingredients: cage-free eggs and biscuits straight from Spain, to name a few.
A buddy and I decided to pop by on our visit to Pike Place. We opted for the Sampler: a quarter cut each of the Caramel, the Quadruple Chocolate, the Raspberry White Chocolate, and the Seattle's New York Style. For each flavor, I was impressed by the crust -- a delicate short dough with a pleasant texture, still subtle enough to let the flavors of the cheesecake shine. The caramel was my favorite of the bunch, channeling an intense flavor sans an overwhelming sweetness and culminating to a good-not-great bite. The chocolate was similarly tasty, stuffed with chunks of chocolate for added bursts of flavor. However, the latter two flavors fell flat -- the raspberry was overwhelmingly sweet, while the New York felt overshadowed by unwelcomed notes of citrus.
Although no one was in line, during our visit, the employees seemed generally disinterested in giving us a rundown of the options. And at nearly $8, the Confectional charges a steep premium for its sampler; even individual flavors will run you $6 -- in my opinion, certainly not enough to warrant their only slightly better-than-average pastries. Maybe give it a whirl if cheesecakes are your absolute favorite dessert. Otherwise, this spot is worth a pass.