Word: custards
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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From the hot meze, the Karentika ($3.50), a chickpea custard in a pie crust, is uniformly bland. It comes smothered, however, under a wonderfully piquant harissa, a spicy condiment made by pounding chili peppers in a mortar with salt, olive oil, and spices. Harissa is one of the foundations of all North African cooking, and it’s excellent at Baraka Café. You’d be well-advised to order harissa alone as a meze ($3.50), and forgo the Karentika. The Zaatar Coca ($4.50)—a hand-stretched bread, grilled over a fire, then sprinkled...
...Spiced Cake ($10) nods slyly to the upcoming holiday season; with peppered pears and eggnog anglaise it’s a highly sophisticated rendering of traditional Christmas fare. Heirloom3 Squash Crème Brulée ($9) is perhaps the best I’ve ever eaten, with a custard so light and creamy it could have been whipped, and a chilled interior contrasting with the sliver-thin caramelized topping. There are few words to describe the perfect crème brulée, but I know it when I eat it. Cheeses come from the inimitable Formaggio Kitchen...
...cried out from the menu as a possible redemption. I ordered the brulée and was once again let down with a resounding “oeuf!” as the burnt sugar crust required just a bit too much push to crack, and the chilled custard beneath (I prefer warm) had a hint of a stale dairy taste, suggesting that it had been in the no doubt adorably quaint Frigidaire for a bit too long. Even a cup of Earl Grey tea tasted like the parsley that was liberally sprinkled over everything else...
...crème brulée ($6.95), however, should win over even the harshest of critics. A delicate custard, with telltale black traces of vanilla bean, emerges after one cracks the hard, caramelized surface and is served with sweet, swollen blueberries. The dish is top-notch—matching up with the best in Paris, let alone Boston—and would further excel when paired with one of the selection of ports that Grafton offers...
Culture satisfied, you can get down to the serious business of pastries. No one should leave the city without sampling at least two specialties: rétes, a strudel filled with apples or black cherries, and dobostorta, a cake generously layered with a custard of egg yolks, sugar, chocolate and vanilla and then covered with caramelized sugar. Fortunately, the city has numerous cafés ranging from simple to palatial. One worth a visit is the Gerbeaud Cukraszda on Vörösmarty Square. Its opulent decor of brocade wall coverings, wood paneling and crystal chandeliers hanging from vaulted...