The Endive Chronicles 2008 Holiday Bonanza Rolls On. . . today’s installment Barolo Ristorante.
The evening of December 2nd, Phil and I were invited to join various members of the Seattle food media for an evening of wining and dining at Barolo Ristorante in downtown Seattle. What a lovely evening it was. The posh restaurant is dimly lit with flowing curtains and secluded spaces, the sort of place one can expect anonymity and exhibition in equal measure. We were greeted in the dining room with a glass of prosecco by Chef Leo Varchetta under a row of glittering chandeliers, solidifying my first impressions of swank.
We were introduced to some very interesting people such as Jay Friedman of Gastrolust and his partner Akiko both of whom I liked instantly, I was pleased we were seated together. I also met Julien Perry the fabulous host of “Go Eat!” on KOMO AM 1000 and Braiden Rex-Johnson author of The Pike Place Market Cookbook.
We were treated to three delicious courses consisting of Insalata di Granchio (king crab, fennel and endive) paired with Soave Inama, Tortelloni al Brunet e Asparagi (porcini stuffed tortelloni, with a goat cheese sauce and asparagus) paired with Sangiovese Rubio San Polo and Branzino alle Olive Bianche e Pomodoro Appassiti (Chilean Sea Bass with castelvetrano olives and tomato confit) paired with Barbaresco Casetta. It was a wonderful meal. But the shining star of the evening had yet to make an appearance.
Our glasses were filled once again, this time with a sweet sparkling moscato. When our dessert arrived I thought okay, cannoli is fine, not what I was hoping for but I am sure it will be good. It wasn’t good, it was great. No, it wasn’t great it was luscious and surprisingly light. This wasn’t the so sweet it hurts cannoli I had grown accustomed to. In fact the filling wasn’t sweet at all and when paired with the moscato it was flawless. The shell was so tender and full of flavor it put even the most renown Italian American bakeries to shame.
I used to rave about the cannoli at Cafe Roma on Mulberry Street in Manhattan and Mikes Pastry on Hanover Street in Boston believing they had no equal let alone a superior, but after having a cannoli at Barolo they are but a distant memory. While I must assert that this post is not a restaurant review*, I must say that the next time I am hungry for an exceptional dessert I will head back to Barolo for a glass of sparkling moscato and a cannoli.
* I only review a restaurant I have visited several times under wraps.
**Sorry there is no photo, we had some technical difficulties.
Not to brag or anything… ok, I’m bragging, but last year during our adventures in Naples, Richard and I ate at a cafe near the ferry docks where they have cannoli shipped in daily from Sicily. It definitely wasn’t light like yours at Barolo, but as it was my first cannoli, I was in no position to complain; but why would I? I was eating a cannoli from Sicily! It was so rich I could only manage half and I couldn’t imagine eating one after a big meal, which is, I’m guessing, what the chef at Barolo had in mind.
I’m glad you enjoyed your night of schmoozing and I’m looking forward to some proper Endive Chronicles restaurant reviews.
Well, haven’t you just found your place in Seattle gastromony! This is excellent! And in such short order!
Sounds like this was the right move for you in many ways. Happy Christmas and Happy Seattle Gastronomy! Can’t wait to see how this all unravels.
Leslie, I’d be bragging too! I thought I took you to Cafe Roma, but I guess that must have been Sam. I took a lot of friends to Cafe Roma.
Rainey, I couldn’t agree with you more, I am so happy to be here!
I find myself torn between my belief that a dessert should be able to stand upon its own and loving the idea of the wine being an integral component of the dessert. I guess, for me, it would only ever work in this sort of meal where the wines are chosen to match perfectly with the food—something I would never do at home.
The whole meal sounds wonderful, Erin, and lucky you to be hobnobbing with Seattle gourmets!
Angela, I agree, though I do enjoy a glass of champagne with certain desserts. For the most part, I enjoy it with coffee instead.
Hi Erin,
Just stumbled onto your blog for the first time today and it’s been great fun wandering through your archives. It’s funny, I never really “got” cannolis at all, I’m more of a chocolate torte cake kind of person, but my wife swears by them and always orders one whenever we try a new Italian place… and yes, Cafe Roma does serve a mean cannoli!