How's it feel?: To be buried in an avalanche. To ride atop your house in a flood. To hit the wall in a race car at 190 mph. To get fired. To hear for the first time.

Sweet Spots: “Life is uncertain,” said American writer Ernestine Ulmer, “eat dessert first.” Our readers pick their five favorite local meal openers—creme brulee, coconut cake, Death by Chocolate, chocolate cobbler, and French Silk Pie.