It was the best of tiramisu, it was the worst of tiramisu, it was the age of (culinary) wisdom, it was the age of (culinary) foolishness…
Tiramisu: what is it?
Tiramisu is an Italian dessert meaning “pick-me-up” or “pull-me-up,” depending on who you ask or where you Google. One of Italy’s most popular cakes, tiramisu is made with ladyfingers (savoiardi) dipped in espresso with layers of whipped cream made of egg yolks, mascarpone, and liquor. You’ll typically find tiramisu dusted with cocoa and/or dark chocolate shavings for a bitter component.
Black Cat Tiramisu ($7)
I was incredibly unimpressed by the Black Cat tiramisu by Heirloom LA at Intelligentsia Pasadena. Perhaps I had too high of an expectation, since I’ve liked most of Heirloom’s grub (have you had a lasagna cupcake?!) and I’m a regular at Intelligentsia’s Pasadena outlet. Too bad the tiramisu wasn’t very palatable.
It’s called “Black Cat” tiramisu after Intelligentsia’s signature espresso, which is used to soak the ladyfingers. Learn more about their trademarked Black Cat Project here. Unfortunately, the ladyfinger:cream ratio was off; there was way too much cream and not enough “bitter” cocoa to cut the sweetness. Also, I prefer boozier tiramisus and this one just didn’t cut it (which is somewhat ironic, considering Intelligentsia has a liquor license… just saying).
Maybe this is just one fail in my books for Heirloom LA, but it shouldn’t discredit their overall menu, which I’ve sampled at “foodie” events in Los Angeles and at an underground cocktail party.
If you’re in Pasadena, I’d opt for:
- Mi Piace: espresso + Kahlua soaked ladyfinger cookies layered with sweet mascarpone cream
- Louise’s Trattoria: lady fingers dipped in espresso layered in mascarpone and cream [Sweet Lady Jane?]
(yes, even if they’re chains)
Caution:
- Pop Champage & Dessert Bar. I’ve been there three times (first time by choice, twice more because of friends) and each time was a dud. In their case, the phrase “third time’s the charm” just doesn’t cut it. If you want cloyingly sweet, imbalanced desserts and terrible service, go there!
::versus::
Tiramisu spoons from an Urbanspoon event at Drago Centro
@DragoCentro: Pastry Chef @JasHmineCorpuz
Such an imperfect pastry experience only magnifies other attempts at the same dessert. I love Drago Centro’s desserts, due to Pastry Chef Jashmine Corpuz. Corpuz does everything right when it comes to pastry: she innovatively balances savory and sweet and employs local, seasonal ingredients on Drago Centro’s ever-changing dessert menu.
I’ve had the privilege of tasting a large chunk of the dessert menu at various events and dinners. At an Urbanspoon event over the summer, I tried Drago Centro’s tiramisu for the first time. I didn’t eat just one spoon. No, no, no … I ate four, a whole tray’s worth of tiramisu. It was the best tiramisu I’ve had to date in LA. When you think of tiramisu, you only wish it would taste this good. Aside from the plasticky aftertaste (thanks to its mode of transportation to my pie hole), it was creamy, dense, and balanced. Sometimes I think balance is the most relevant factor when judging a dessert; there should be a balance of sweet to savory as well as creamy to crunchy. So when you dine at Drago Centro next, you must order the tiramisu for two ($18) . Your date will thank you.
The Verdict:
Maybe it isn’t fair to compare a top-notch catering company with a respected Italian restaurant, but this is a merely a battle of the tiramisus and Drago Centro won.
