Sweets

Plenty of opportunities exist in Vegas for satisfying your sweet tooth, but for the discriminating, here are six spots that you may have to make a detour for.

Jean-Philippe Patisserie (in Bellagio, 3600 Las Vegas Blvd. S.; tel. 702/693-8788) makes us swoon, not just because it has the world's largest chocolate fountain (20 ft. high! Though only 11 ft. are on view, and they won't let us drink from it. Darn.), but perhaps, more to the point, it's the home of World Pastry Champion Jean-Philippe Maury. (Yes, you can win gold medals for pastries.) Each visit causes us to spin around distractedly, trying to take in all the choices, both visually and gastronomically. From perfect gourmet chocolates to ice cream (diet-conscious folks will be relieved to learn the sorbets are excellent) to the eponymous pastries (each a little work of art), we hit greed overload. For us, this is true Vegas decadence -- if only "what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas" applied to calories. Our current favorites include a witty-looking version of lemon meringue pie that was proclaimed by one aficionado as her favorite ever, to a chocolate hazelnut bombe with so many layers of interest we couldn't quite keep track, to brioches filled with either dulce de leche or Nutella. They also serve some solidly good sandwiches, which often need heating, which can be a problem if the ingredients are better cold (prosciutto, for example), and some adequate savory crepes. Open Sunday through Thursday from 7am to 11pm, Friday and Saturday from 7am to midnight.

The Chocolate Swan (Mandalay Place, 3930 Las Vegas Blvd. S.; tel. 702/632-9366; www.chocolateswan.com) is here because a Mandalay Bay executive fell in love with the owners' work back at their original Midwestern shop and convinced them to close and reopen in Vegas. Patronize them so they know their decision was a good one; you will know it is as soon as you try one of their entirely-from-scratch-and-fresh products: gorgeous, elaborate baked goods, carefully created candies, and too much more to list. Have a slice of cake and homemade hot chocolate, and take back a few pastries and other sweets for a late-night orgy in your room. Prices aren't cheap (particularly for slices of cake), but that seems to be the way of gourmet sweets shops. Open daily 8am to 10pm.

Most of the doughnut places around town are of the chain variety -- fine if you have a yen on the spot, but in reality, you might as well be eating frosted foam rubber. If you're a connoisseur with a car or happen to be checking out the restaurants in the Chinatown area on Spring Mountain Road, go to Ronald's Doughnuts, 4600 Spring Mountain Rd., at Decatur (tel. 702/873-1032). Hours are Monday through Saturday from 4am to 5pm, Sunday from 4am to 4pm. Some have called these doughnuts celestial. You decide.

Do a comparison taste test with Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, just a few more minutes down the road at 7015 W. Spring Mountain Rd., at Rainbow Boulevard (tel. 702/222-2320). There are more convenient but more crowded (and higher-priced) Krispy Kreme locations in TI-Treasure Island, The Venetian, and Excalibur, but only the latter makes the doughnuts on the premises. Krispy Kreme prompts rabid devotion in its fans -- like us, who, on our first visit, ate two of their famous glazed before we even cleared the drive-through. If you've wondered what all the fuss is about, be sure to go when the HOT DOUGHNUTS sign flashes from 5 to 11am and 5 to 11pm. Dine-in 5:30am to 10pm, drive-through open 24 hrs!

Another favorite is Freed's Bakery, 4780 S. Eastern Ave., at Tropicana Boulevard (tel. 702/456-7762, www.freedsbakery.com), open Monday through Saturday from 9am to 6:30pm and Sunday from 9am to 3pm. If you've got a serious sugar craving, this is worth the 15-minute drive from the Strip. Despite the minimalist setting, it's like walking into Grandma's kitchen (provided you had an old-fashioned granny who felt pastries should not be fancy but should definitely be gooey, chocolaty, and buttery). The chocolate coffeecake is especially good. They also have fresh bread, napoleons, strawberry cheesecake, cream puffs, sweet rolls, Danishes, and doughnuts, many of which are made with surprisingly fresh ingredients. Some may find the goodies too heavy and rich, but for those of us with a powerful sweet tooth, this place hits the spot.

Hot Vegas days call for cool desserts, and frozen custard (softer than regular ice cream, but harder than soft serve) is a fine way to go. Head for Luv-It Frozen Custard, 505 E. Oakey (tel. 702/384-6452; www.luvitfrozencustard.com), open Tuesday through Thursday from 1 to 10pm, Friday and Saturday from 1 to 11pm. Since it has less fat and sugar than premium ice cream, you can even fool yourself into thinking this is somewhat healthful (hah!). Made every few hours using fresh cream and eggs, Luv-It Frozen Custard has basic flavors available for cup or cone, but more exotic ones (maple walnut, apple spice, and more) in tubs.

Another Chinatown alternative for baked goods is the French/Asian Provence Bakery, 5115 Spring Mountain, no. 225 (tel. 702/341-0168; www.provencebakery.com). Try custard buns, sweet bread, and all manner of cookies, but definitely grab one of their packages of little cream puffs, superior in many ways to the cream-puff chains popping up in other parts of the U.S. It all makes for good snack-grabbing to and from Red Rock or as a post-Chinese meal dessert in the complex. They also have shaved ice and smoothies. Open Monday through Saturday from 9:30am to 9pm, Sunday from 10am to 9pm.