Spot Dessert Bar

Spot Dessert Bar! My mother, sister and I came here after a rather delightful vegetarian lunch at Wild Ginger.

This dessert bar is a cute little underground spot that felt like an indoor picnic with the bright green patches of grass and wooden tables in there. :)



We got the following tapas: Soft Cheesecake, Yuzu Eskimo, White Miso Semifreddo (not shown), and Jackfruit Cake. They were all presented so beautifully!




soft cheesecake: walnut, orange, blueberries

The Soft Cheesecake wasn't very special to me though, it was like a dissembled cheesecake but I loved the tang of the citrus foam.


Yuzu Eskimo: oreo, strawberry, raspberry foam

The Yuzu Eskimo was tangy, sweet, and lemony! Loved the bold mix of flavors :)


jackfruit cake: basil seed, rum, toffee, coconut

Unfortunately I was not able to take pictures of the White Miso Semifreddo. My sister and mother inhaled it in a few seconds while I worked on the cheesecake. They both LOVED the tapa (so much that they didn't leave any for me? Shame on them! I demand justice!)

What made the trip for me was the Jackfruit Cake. It warmed me up like eating apple pie on a cold rainy day. It was chewy, dense, and wasn't terribly brain-numbing sweet. The toffee made the cake I think. What made it even better was that my mom and sister weren't too fond of it so I had most of it ;)

Aside from the tapas, Spot offers a selection of teas, cupcakes, cookies, and other delightful treats. You can even watch your tapas being assembled before you at the counter where all the goodies are. And whoever served us was totally chill about pictures being taken.

Spot changes its tapas every now and then, which makes a great excuse to head over to St. Marks ;)

Beach Days and Banana Pops!

It was 63 degrees today. It was so beautiful and warm out! It made me long for spring and summer. I know I'm cheating a bit on spring by posting these photos of summer, which were from two summers ago. But these photos make me smile because they remind me of a long day at the beach: watching the ethereal light of the setting sun across the vast ocean cerulean waters and feeling the water foam around my feet. And after a day out in the sun, coming home to frozen banana pops dipped in chocolate is more than just a treat.

I live for such things.

But I'm already welcoming spring with open arms! I'm so tired of the bitter cold!

Anyways, to make the frozen banana pops ..

{ FROZEN BANANA POPS }

INGREDIENTS
several ripe bananas
wooden skewers (cut in half. one skewer per banana)
chocolate, to melt
assorted toppings; sprinkles, shredded coconut, crushed nuts and/or candy, dried fruit, etc -- typical dry ice cream toppings

CUT each banana in half, not lengthwise but the other way. Stick skewers through the cut sides of the bananas and put them in a container. Wrap well and freeze for at least 3 hours.

PREPARE the chocolate and toppings. Melt chocolate over a double boiler or in a microwave and pour toppings into shallow dishes. Take out the banana pops and dip each one into the chocolate. Working quickly (the chocolate begins to set immediately because of the banana's freezing temperature), roll the chocolate-dipped banana pops into the toppings. Eat immediately or freeze until ready to serve.

And that's it! It's very easy :-)