Genevieve readies a raspberry for the fondue pot
Last night my wife, Genevieve, and I stopped in at Temple Bar on Mass Ave for a little dessert. We’d reluctantly passed on an espresso cheesecake with cacao nibs when we finished dinner two doors down at West Side Lounge and went looking for a change of scenery. Temple Bar is an upscale American Bistro with a nice mix of meat and seafood entrees plus sandwiches and pizza if you want something simpler. The hostess was gracious enough to seat us at a table even thought we weren’t having dinner (it may have been a little slow due to the rain, but it definitely wasn’t quiet).
We made quick work of our decision spying the Chocolate Fondue ($15) on a dessert menu with 6 – 8 items. I was a little sceptical when I saw the size of the fondue pot that arrived at our table, but in the end, we didn’t finish it all so my worry was unfounded. The menu says this dessert is for two, but I think you could get away with a third person with the generous plate of berries, banana, chocolate-chip biscotti, and sponge cake. The chocolate seemed to be of good quality although I could personally go for something darker. Regardless, I think the chocolate they use would appeal to most people’s pallets.
Genevieve enjoyed her chocolate-dipped treats with a Raspberry Truffle Martini (Absolut, Kahlua, Chambord, Creme de Cacao, milk) and I had a cappuccino. The only disappointment was that the cappuccino came much sooner than the
A generous plate of fruit, spongecake and biscotti ready for dipping.
dessert and started off a little cold (maybe they didn’t steam the milk long enough). Why do restaurants treat coffee like a bar drink and shoot it out as soon as they can thinking they are delighting customers with fast service? Am I the only guy who likes his coffee along with the desert as a complement? I almost never have the presence of mind to ask them to hold the coffee until the dessert is ready because it doesn’t strike me that it should be any other way. Anyway, I quickly forgot my cappuccino woes and got lost in the sport of dipping fresh raspberries, blueberries, and sponge cake into a little chocolate bath kept warm with a candle. I just realized we forgot to feed each other! I guess we’ll need to go back for another one soon.
How to get there: Temple Bar, 1688 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA, USA. Located between Porter and Harvard Sq. with parking behind the restaurant after 6PM or if you are lucky, on the street. Directions on their website.
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Notes: The photos were taken with my Blackberry.
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