Butterscotch pudding!

This is my Final (plated dessert with all kinds of marks I had to hit: sugar work, custard needed to be involved, at least three textures, at least 2 temperatures, etc.). Here it is: Butterscotch pudding with pine nut rosemary shortbread cookies, caramel sauce and whipped topping.

Mozza!

Pizzeria Mozza. WOW. Yummmmmmm. Did not disappoint. We shared several appetizers, salad and a pizza. Simple ingredients, treated respectfully, fresh and delicious. The simple greens salad was a variety of fresh, crisp lettuces tossed with a bright and delicious vinaigrette dressing, then piled into a tower on a plate. It was everything a salad should be, and bonus: cool presentation. We also shared a fantastic wax bean salad, my husband couldn't stop talking about it. The panini was excellent. The pizza, perfectly crispy and flavorful. The very best part of the meal was dessert. I have a sweet tooth and definitely love dessert. But at many places, it often disappoints. Mozza's Budino on the other hand was sensational. Butterscotch, salt, rosemary cookies and cream... Might have been the best dessert I've ever had, outside of my mom's (and grandma's) kitchen.

If the Pizzeria is the less fancy/expensive alternative to Osteria Mozza, now I REALLY must go to Osteria.

Cocktails at the Tar Pit

ar•ti•san, noun: a worker in a skilled trade, esp. one that involves making things by hand

The Artisinal Cocktails at the Tar Pit are pretty incredible and made by just such a person. A couple weeks ago, I went there with several girlfriends for dinner/drinks. We tried just about every cocktail on the menu, plus a few more off the menu. I didn't realize it at the time, but because we ordered from the waiter and never stepped up to the bar, we were missing a big part of the experience: watching the artisan at work.

THIS time, my husband and I went for a pre-dinner cocktail, and got there shortly after they opened. We had front row seats at the bar for this unique show. Witnessing all of the ingredients that went into crafting one drink, plus the unusual shaking maneuver made me appreciate these cocktails even more. While making one bourbon-based beverage for us, the bartender carved a slice of orange rind from the fruit, smeared it around the glass it would eventually be served in, then lit a wood match, hovered the rind above the flame for a few seconds, poured the cocktail from shaker to glass, then balanced the warmed rind on the outer edge. I may have even seen it flambé for a split second. Quite a beverage, quite a show!


One more magnificent detail: the ice cubes. These blocks of ice were enormous and never seemed to melt. We were intrigued. What kind of mold did they use? What kind of water? For being one of the most basic elements used in making a drink, these cubes were noteworthy and added yet another dimension to the entire experience. Thumbs up to the artisan bartender, who takes his job very seriously.