If I may, let me revisit the fun weekend with Allison - a week now since she arrived. We picked her up at Midway, and by the end of the evening, we three were over at Hearty for a late bite. Conrad and Allison were ambivalent about dessert, but the table behind us on the patio (ah, patio dining - it's been so cold since then) recommended an item, and I decided we should all share it. Very worth it, I have to say: a Nutella pop tart with salted caramel ice cream.
Go on, ask Conrad and Allison how much they declined and how birdlike they picked at it sparingly. As if!That was a delicious treat, undeniably. Better still was the dessert the next day. Allison and I went to Terzo Piano at the Art Institute for lunch. She opted for the little lunch special
while I had the papparedelle with turkey confit. 
The room filled up, we moved on from wine to coffee (decaf for me), and I ordered dessert.Every time I go to Terzo Piano, I find that every dessert has at least one super-intriguing or appealing ingredient. Same thing this time. Allison guessed my choice on the second try: ricotta and green pea fritters with carrot caramel and orange sorbet. Peas? Interesting. And think about it: they are sweet. The peas were in the filling to the fritters, and they really were fresh and sweet and fine. The caramel? Lovely. The sorbet? A bright, tart-sweet, fruity counterpoint. Another winner.
After a month of cleanse, it was a good start to an anti-cleanse weekend. Mmmmm... desserts...
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