ALONG COMES MARY

With it clearly still summertime here in SoCal with our high temperatures, that means for me I feel like 2 things….ice cream….and, maybe a drink or two 😉 Lucky for me, I was invited out to the lovely Kal’s Bistro in the heart of Old Town Pasadena to enjoy those 2 treats this evening!

Kal’s offers modern Mediterranean cuisine & hand-made, on sight desserts as well as a great, cozy bar for a handcrafted drink by one of their awesome bartenders like Lars…or, maybe even Kal himself.

Above is one of their signature drinks, The Rockette, which features arugula as one of its main ingridients….yes, arugula! Wine, too, of course….but how healthy does a Rockette sound now, eh?!
Another libation is their Bloody Mary, which Kal describes as perfect for that BBQ….or recovering from a fun evening 😉 He made it extra spicy for me, complete with gorgeous garlic flowers acting as garnish. I am not a huge Bloody Mary fan…maybe because it doesn’t make my namesake sound that attractive?? But, this drink was delicious for those who love this hangover classic. It was rich & smoky & a nice, cool temperature.

Now, back to the main course of ice cream…..

This was easily some of the best ice cream I have had in a very, very long time! The unique flavors were: White Chocolate with Dark Chocolate Chips, Cinnamon Bun, Mint Orange Blossom, Strawberry Habanero (yes….chili pepper habanero!) & my favorite of the evening, Lavender Cheesecake….mmm…..

White chocolate is always a favorite of mine, yet I have never wondered what it would be like as ice cream. Combine it with dark chocolate chips, & you have a chocolate haven going on. The cinnamon bun was such a joy as it was gluten-free & usually, such a dough-y sounding dessert is not…it truly tasted like I was eating a cinnamon bun…I know where I will get my bun fix now 😉 The mint orange blossom tasted more mint than orange to me, which brought to mind how close the holidays are, as I love mint treats during that time. The strawberry habanero started out great…until it reached my throat! That was when the pepper HIT & it was intense! Keep water handy if you try this one 😉 I still managed to finish it, though….

What ended up happening, I would rotate between the habanero & mint, above, to balance it out. The flavor that pulled out all the stops for me, though, was the lavender cheesecake…it tasted as good as it sounds, with a perfect blend of both tastes. I already plan to go get this when I feel like ice cream again.

The bistro has such a warm, home-y atmosphere. Kal re-built the building & opened the establishment about 4 months ago. While he can take credit for most of the restaurant, the gorgeous paintings that adorn the walls are all by his Father 🙂

They offer a full lunch & dinner menu, as well as happy hour in the bar & a great lunch deal that enables you to pick a first & second course at a great price. You can learn more by visiting the web-site. They were absolutely wonderful, so I hope you will visit them & mention Along Comes Mary sent you! xo

(Disclosure: I was invited to visit Kal’s for an ice cream tasting & drinks. All opinions are my own & it was fabulous.)

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