Crumble & Whisk, San Francisco

Rows of ramekins line the counters in Chef Charles' kitchen, swirling with purees of fresh, organic fruits. These handmade concoctions are the secret to Crumble & Whisk's delectable cheesecakes, and are the culmination of years of family recipes, culinary school, and good-old-fashioned trial and error.

Charles stirs up every one of his personal-size, artisan cheesecakes himself. It allows him to get the perfect balance between roasted sweet potato, brown sugar spice, and bourbon caramel in the Dirty South, or vanilla and fresh lemon in his vegan cheesecake. In addition to his sweet-tooth activating Exotic Creations, he also pays homage to the classics with options like the Strawberry Fields, filled with fresh, organic strawberries, or the Triple Chocolate Threat, which is infused with ganache and rests on a chocolate shortbread crust.