Q. Does the principle of choosing to make a brocho on “choviv” or the items one likes, apply to all foods being served? Would that mean that one should make the required brocho on the dessert one specially likes if already on the table, before the rest of the meal?
A. Shulchan Aruch (O.H. 211: 1) maintains that it applies to all foods, however, when the brochos are different, conflicting opinions are presented by the Poskim.
Mishna Berura (ibid, 1) writes that choviv applies to the foods one is interested to eat at that time and are also present at the table and not to foods that one does not desire to eat now, or that will be served later on during the meal.
Horav Shlomo Miller’s Shlit’a opinion is similar.
Rabbi A. Bartfeld as revised by Horav Shlomo Miller Shlit’a