Day 122

Panna Cotta: When I saw that Scoutmob (one of my fave local websites) announced a half-off deal at Fritti earlier this week, I knew I'd probably be using it as soon as possible. Luckily, tonight was the night. The guitar player in my band stopped by for dinner, and we decided we were in the mood for pizza. He'd never been to Fritti, so it was time for him to try one of my favorite local haunts. Their pizzas are my second fave in town (right under Antico), so I knew we'd have a great meal. The dinner was tasty as usual, but the dessert menu offered something I'd never had: panna cotta. I knew panna cotta was a pretty standard Italian dessert, but I've actually never had it. I figured Fritti's version would be as good or better than any other in town, so I ordered.

The menu described their panna cotta as a vanilla custard-style dessert, drizzled in 12 yr. aged balsamic vinegar. I was curious to taste how the balsamic contrasted with the sweetness of the custard, since I'd never tried any flavor combination like that before. Once I tasted, I was pleasantly surprised. The panna cotta reminded me of a more congealed pudding, but much silkier and smoother. Almost like a vanilla creme brulee taste, without the "brulee." The balsamic added a really interesting vinegar/sour note to the sweetness of the rest of the dish, and I thought the 2 tastes worked really well together. Definitely one of the best desserts I've had in awhile, and I'd gladly order again in a minute. Even after stuffing my face with pizza, it was light and delicious.

If you managed to score the half-off Scoutmob deal (or even if you didn't), go soon, and be prepared to have a great meal. Good stuff.