Short Orders

For diabetics, vegans, and consumers with food allergies, finding a dessert is often a daunting task. Looking in the frozen section of the local grocery store, one won't see many options other than soy-based or reduced-sugar desserts. That's why Marblehead-based Mountain Herbal Foods created Alpine Ice, infused with herbs, fruit, tea, and other all-natural flavors. It provides another option for those who avoid sweets with dairy, egg, soy, wheat, or nuts. Alpine has a sorbet-like consistency and unique flavors, and it uses Erythritol, a naturally derived sweetener found in fruit that adds no calories and doesn't raise insulin levels. Alpine Ice is only available in this state, and it comes in four flavors: Lavender Sunrise, Bolder Berry, Green Tea Lemon Verbena, and Hibiscus Rose ($4.99 for a quart). All are vegan and contain 45 calories per 1/2 cup serving. Guilt-free ice cream just became easier to find. Available at Whole Foods Market, Charles River Plaza, 181 Cambridge St., Boston, 617-723-0004, and Harvest Co-Op Market, 581 Mass. Ave., Cambridge, 617-661-1580, or go to www.mtnherbal.com. -- JOHN FORRESTER

In 1973, Austrian Claus Riedel developed a line of lead crystal stemware aimed at enhancing the enjoyment of specific wines: one size and shape ideal for zinfandel, another perfect for shiraz, and so on. Beautiful to behold and dreamy to sip from, Riedel at your place setting was a better guarantee than a leather-bound carte de vins that wine was taken seriously. Now Riedel has brought its sparkle to the mass market with a new line of glassware designed exclusively for Target. Vivant, as it's called, includes stems for red, white, and sparkling wines, plus one dedicated to pinot noir (thank you, ''Sideways"). Others conspire to enhance your enjoyment of wheat beer, spirits, and even -- should things get desperate -- water. At four for $39.95, you don't get lead crystal, but you do get a generous pour of that grand cru Riedel cachet. Available at Target stores or www.target.com. -- STEPHEN MEUSE

At Sultan's Kitchen, a 25-year-old downtown Turkish restaurant, owner Ozcan Ozan gives vegetables the treatment they deserve. No longer limp afterthoughts beside a sandwich or too-cold components of a takeout salad, vegetables here have status. Okra, eggplant, green beans, artichokes -- even onions -- are elevated to luxurious levels. And rather than occupying the fringes of the quick lunchtime meal, vegetables at Sultan's Kitchen can be the meal. Many are braised with shallots, carrots, herbs, and olive oil, a method that fills them with the rich, filling, and savory qualities of a main course. The zeytinyagli meze tabagi ($9.75), a sampler plate of six vegetable and legume dishes, reveals how satisfying such a meal can be. Sultan's Kitchen, 116 State St., Boston, 617-742-6100. -- LEIGH BELANGER

The chips from George's Bakery in Methuen are light, toasty, and hard to resist, made from the bakery's own pita bread in flavors such as Parmesan, garlic, and Cajun ($1.79 to $3.29 for 6 1/2 ounces). As with certain other chips -- potato, especially -- you can't eat just one. But there's no reason not to indulge. These chips are all natural and made without trans fats. You'll want to keep them on hand for dipping or serving with cheese. But lock them away in the pantry. Once you open the package, they won't last long. Available at George's Bakery, 26 Spruce St., Methuen, 978-682-6811, and Wilson Farms, 10 Pleasant St., Lexington, 781-862-3900. -- EMILY SCHWAB