Feta Ice Cream, Anyone?

By Sow Kobayashi
Food Editor
(From October 16)

For those of us blessed or cursed with a sweet tooth, sometimes dessert alone suffices for a meal. Last year, a companion and I ate at Providence, widely considered the top seafood restaurant in Los Angeles.

With such a billing, I ordered Thai snapper. It was one of the most well-balanced fish entrees I had ever tasted. However, my companion had opted to forgo entrees in favor of a five-course dessert-tasting menu. Despite the extraordinary dish in front of me, my eyes and fork were transfixed on the delectable creations that kept appearing across the table. It left me with the sinking feeling that I had chosen unwisely.

At Candybar, San Francisco’s “first dessert lounge,” one does not face the dilemma above. The menu consists only of desserts and the major decision is whether to order a la carte or one of the tasting menus. A restaurant only serving dessert may seem a bit limiting, but they offer a selection of savory and sweet desserts including pork belly apple celery salad/peach sorbet and milk chocolate parfait pralined cornnuts/ceylon cinnamon cream. The food menu is complemented by a wine list heavy on dessert wines such as Rieslings, Ports and ice wines.

I ordered a vanilla brioche with spiced cherries and feta ice cream. The vanilla brioche was a flakier, richer interpretation of the French bread one might find in a boulangerie. Each bite of the brioche seemed to barely contain the high egg and butter content held within. The feta ice cream – simultaneously rich and airy with just an essence of feta – complemented the brioche harmoniously. The spiced cherries, I’m guessing, were meant to provide acid in the dish to cut through the cream and butter, but failed to do so. Instead, the “spiced” cherries just sat there awkwardly by their bland selves on the plate.

My companion ordered the foie peanut butter and hibiscus jelly with peanut brittle. All of the flavors were too subtle and a bit off. After polishing off our dishes the chef surprised us by sending over a chocolate cannelone with chocolate olive creameux and vanilla bean ice cream. This gracious gesture was the meal’s redeeming grace. This deconstructed cannelone lacked the traditional crispy outer shell and creamy interior. Instead, it consisted of a single texture akin to a soft fudge. The subtle chocolate and olive cremeux somehow managed to stand as a distinct point and counterpoint, all the while blending concordantly. The vanilla bean ice cream served to further accentuate this gracious interplay. Finally, after a meal seemingly full of potential, a dish where the flavors were just right!

Candybar describes itself as a dessert lounge, but I was a bit confused by who it wants to attract. The interior is filled with minimalist, modern furniture, paintings by one of its servers as well as board games and candlelight. The deconstructed dessert menu, extensive wine list and minimalist furniture don’t exactly effuse warmth while the board games and candlelight invite you to kick back and stay awhile. Despite the confusion, Candybar does provide a lot of conversation starters, so I’d recommend checking it out at least once.

Candybar
1335 Fulton St.
Dinner for two, food only, $30
3 out of 5 stars
www.candybarsf.com

Sow Kobayashi is a second-year medical student.