New sweets and other news

• The Crepe Cellar in NoDa begins this week opening on Sunday nights. Also new there: French onion soup topped with Gruyere, and "blasted Brussel sprouts": halved, fried (unbreaded) sprouts, tossed in an arugula sauce. 3116 N. Davidson St.; 704-910-6543.

• On the new winter dessert menu at 300 East: white chocolate bread pudding with bittersweet chocolate sauce and pear preserves; pumpkin cheesecake with gingersnap crust (also sold for holidays for $40 each); crostata of Nise’s Herb Farm apples and almond frangipane; butterscotch-chocolate creme brulee; Callebaut brownie; and housemade butter pecan ice cream sandwich with molasses cookies. 300 East Blvd.; 704-332-6507.

• New exec chef at Mama Ricotta's is Tom Dyrness, who has worked as executive sous chef at Wolfgang Puck’s Spago Restaurant in San Francisco and most recently at Mimosa Grill in uptown.