Yes, the Italian Couple -- the charming little restaurant near midtown Little Rock -- is back. So is its menu of delicious desserts, some made from scratch by co-owner Yuli Waters, some imported from Italy.
   The desserts are offered at a price range of $4.15 to $4.50. Not surprisingly, Yuli's scrumptious tiramisu, $4.50 and drizzled liberally with chocolate sauce, is the most popular dessert.
   "We were the first in Arkansas to bring the tiramisu many years ago," says co-owner Michael Waters, Yuli's husband. (Italian Couple first operated from 1996 to 1999; the Waterses then closed it and moved to Italy before returning to give the business another try.)
   Italian Couple's menu of sweets is also highlighted by two imported frozen desserts. One, the limoncello dessert, is a concoction of vanilla ice cream, lemon sorbet and limoncello liqueur, an Italian liqueur that gets its flavor from lemon peel. The perfect summer dessert, it's tart and tangy without being lip-puckeringly so. (Yuli also makes limoncello liqueur.) The other frozen dessert, a savory chocolate truffle, has a vanillaice-cream filling and is topped with powdered chocolate. Both desserts taste freshly made, even though -- according to Michael -- they've made a two-week journey from Italy in refrigerated containers.
   Another imported dessert specialty: Chocolate profiteroles, which consist of chocolate pastry balls with Italian cream and strawberries. The profiteroles are Yuli's personal favorite, she says.
   The dessert menu does change a bit with the seasons; during the winter, other desserts, also imported from Italy, are brought in.
   The Waterses are contemplating a move. But for now, Italian Couple can be found in its original location -- 2618 W. 12th St., Little Rock; (501) 372-4448. An off-duty police officer provides security. Just Desserts sorts through the sugar and spice. E-mail divine dessert recommendations to:

hwilliams@arkansasonline.com

This story was published Friday, July 07, 2006