Date: Thursday, May 31
Time: 8:00 p.m.
Establishment: The Dardanelles, 1851 Monroe Street, Madison
Website: www.thedardanellesrestaurant.com

As a resident of the Monroe Street neighborhood, I walk past The Dardanelles quite often. I like to gaze in the windows to see how busy it is and look for people I know. The restaurant looks fancy from the outside with its white tablecloths, stemmed water glasses, dim lighting, and well-dressed diners. However, when I walked inside I sensed a more casual atmosphere. The host stand was cluttered with memorabilia and papers, the layout was open and plain, and the decor was sparse. Overall it reminded me of my high school cafeteria. However, the attitude of the employees was anything BUT that of your typical "cafeteria lady." I was greeted by a friendly hostess who brought me to a table by the front window so that I could gaze at passers by.

The dessert options were enticing - Baklava, Passion Fruit Sorbet, Four Berry Napoleon, and Banana Cashew Cloud. Upon the server's recommendation, I chose the Four Berry Napoleon. It was described as a puff pastry layered with pastry cream and topped with four types of berries - blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries. The Banana Cashew Cloud was similar with bananas and cashews instead of berries.

The dessert looked delightful - thick vanilla custard and whipped cream sandwiched between two airy layers of golden brown puff pastry, all topped with raspberry liquor-laced berries. After trying the puff pastry, I was surprised to hear that it was not homemade. Its texture was crisp and airy, its buttery taste not at all like the chemical taste that some store bought pastries have. As for the pastry cream, it was the highlight of the dessert. Buff-colored and thick, it sat between the puff pastry layers and lent a delicious egg-and-vanilla flavor that is expected in a classic homemade custard. The cool creaminess of the custard was a pleasant contrast to the crisp, flaky puff pastry.

While the puff pastry and custard were delightful, the berries and whipped cream were less enticing. It is understandable to use frozen berries, since they are a seasonal fruit and restaurants generally cannot afford to pay high import prices. The raspberries, strawberries, and blackberries tasted okay. They didn't have the juiciness or the tang that comes with using fresh berries, but they were palatable. However, I've never found a frozen blueberry that I liked, and these berries were no exception. Although they were thawed, the blueberries were hard and tasteless and I avoided them altogether. The whipped cream also had room for improvement. Its watery texture and chemical flavor gave me reason to suspect it came from a pressurized can. A truly outstanding dessert would have freshly whipped cream rather than the canned version.

Overall, the crisp, buttery puff pastry and velvety pastry cream seemed to override the mediocre blueberries and whipped cream. I can see myself stopping by The Dardanelles again. However, maybe next time I'll try the Banana Cashew Cloud or wait for the berries to be in season.