A sophisticated chocolate lover’s dessert. Slightly bitter chocolate, definitely not the overly sweet chocolate of most standard desserts. Rich, sensuous, melting in my mouth. Then the unexpected zing of tangy, sweet raspberry syrup, and the heady aroma of raspberry liqueur. Paired with a crisp champagne, and I was ready to take the evening, along with my sumptuous dessert, to the bedroom.

Though not an ordered dish, the bread basket was tasty enough to be note-worthy. A good variety of breads and some Parmesan crackers topped with a variety of spices and a little heat. Minus a half a star for their ice cold butter, something that a lot of fancy restaurants do and I can’t stand. I want to be able to SPREAD my butter, not tear up my bread!

Yum! Flavorful and complex, a great mix of flavors and textures.

Also tasty, although less nuanced. The duck tasted less like a duck confit and more like a barbeque chicken or pulled pork preparation, but still delicious.

This steak was delicious, medium rare, flavorful, in a tangy barbeque red wine sauce. There was a little gristle and fat, but what can you expect from a hanger steak? The bacon and onion jam rounded out the rich flavors of the meat, and the potato hay was light and crispy, like a cloud of crunch, a hashbrown-lover’s heavenly daydream.

Wow. This dish was amazing. So very very rich, yet the zest of the pesto and zing of the tomatoes helped keep the flavors bright enough for continued eating. The cheese filling was very thick and heavy, but there was enough sauce to balance it, and interspersed with bread, I was able to temper the intensity for prolonged enjoyment. Comfort food at its best.

What a fun dessert! With the Santa Monica Pier in sight, the lights of the Ferris wheel reflecting over the waters, it was all the fun of going to a carnival, without the noisy kids and bustling crowds. The cake was traditional fair fare, a little too bready for my tastes, but the strawberry ice cream really won my heart. Every bite had fresh strawberries in it, the sweet cream a soft velvety counterpoint to the lively juice of the fruit.