This $100 banana split in Des Moines comes with foie gras ice cream, Armagnac caviar

The chefs at Oak Park, the new American restaurant that opened to much acclaim on Ingersoll Avenue, put just as much thought into the desserts as they do the entrees. For every carrot Wellington or charcoal spaghetti with wagyu Bolognese, there’s an Oak Park doughnut or crème brûlée waiting for customers to order at the end of the meal.

While a poached pear sorbet and cookies and cream sundae were on the menu since day one, the restaurant that opened in October just upped the wow factor with an indulgent $100 banana split.

Executive pastry chef Jess Robertson concocted the over-the-top dessert after visiting restaurants in Chicago and New York that inspired her, and concocting a decadent ingredient list.

“I thought, ‘Why don’t we do $100 banana split, which is like accessible to a wide variety of people?’” Robertson said. “In Des Moines, I haven’t heard of anything like that.”

A similar sundae found at Serendipity 3, the New York restaurant partially owned by singer and actress Selena Gomez, stirred Robertson’s imagination. The Serendipity Golden Opulence Sundae that sells for $1,000 comes covered in 23-karat edible gold leaf, truffles, marzipan cherries, and a dessert caviar. Serendipity 3 serves the dessert in a Baccarat Harcourt crystal goblet and an 18-karat gold spoon, according to the Guinness World Records entry for the most expensive dessert.

That was only topped by the restaurant’s Frrrozen Haute Chocolate ice cream sundae that came out in 2007 for $25,000 that comes in a goblet lined with edible gold with an 18-karat gold bracelet with 1 carat of white diamonds, according to the Guinness World Records. “The dessert is eaten with a gold spoon, itself decorated with white and chocolate-colored diamonds,” the citation notes.

In Des Moines, the $100 banana split has more extravagant ingredients along with a spoon adorned with the Oak Park logo and made by Joseph Jewelers that customers can take home.

The anatomy of the $100 banana split at Oak Park

Robertson starts with a base of dehydrated angel food cake crumbs sprinkled on the bottom of a dish from Josephs Jewelers in West Des Moines .

She brûlées a banana sliced in half.

Then she adds three scoops of ice cream — foie gras, pistachio and banana saffron. Customers requested pistachio ice cream on the menu even before the restaurant opened. The saffron enhances the yellow of the banana ice cream. And adding foie gras to ice cream was something she always wanted to serve on her menu.

“My first restaurant job was at Baru 66 and (chef and owner David Baruthio) always had foie gras on the menu,” Robertson said. “It was so delicious, especially when you have that nice caramelized sear on it. I wanted to bring that sweetness to the ice cream.”

She tops the banana saffron ice cream with strawberry sauce, the foie gras with a rich chocolate sauce, and the banana saffron with a caramel sauce. Champagne mousse topped with golden candy pistachios nestles between each scoop.

On either end find two cream puffs painted with edible gold leaf and stuffed with pecan praline and crème fraiche mousse.

Passionfruit explosions, chocolate truffles filled with passionfruit, top the dessert, along with strawberries dipped in chocolate and gold leaf and cherry pate de fruit that’s like a homemade gummy, shaped like a cherry and dipped in chocolate on a chocolate disk.

Armagnac caviar comes on the side.

The banana split arrives at the table with a clothespin holding a sheet of magic paper that’s set on fire tableside for drama. Then Robertson shaves chocolate infused with truffle oil on top of the dish.

So far, customers purchased the $100 banana split every night since it’s been on the menu starting las week and four times on Saturday night.

Oak Park has $4 treats too

Oak Park doesn’t just cater to expensive tastes. The restaurant also serves $4 desserts, inspired by a restaurant called Daisies in Chicago that serves $4 treats.

“They’re just like little dessert options that aren’t too big or intimidating or you feel like you’re getting too much,” Robertson said.

Right now, the restaurant is serving a $4 chocolate pecan bar, which is gluten free, and a lemon tart with meringue and a buttery crust.

Where to find Oak Park

Location: 3901 Ingersoll Ave., Des Moines

Contact: 515-620-2185 or oakparkdsm.com

Hours: Open Tuesday through Saturday from 4:30 to 9:30 p.m.

Reservations: Exploretock.com.

Susan Stapleton is the entertainment editor and dining reporter at The Des Moines Register. Follow her on Facebook, X, or Instagram, or drop her a line at sstapleton@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Oak Park now has a $100 banana split with gold leaf in Des Moines