Pick Me Up
Italians know how to finish a meal in style with their famous dolce (sweets). One of the better known varieties is TIRAMISU (literally, "pick me up"), so popular in the past 10 years it's ubiquitous.
This sumptuous Venetian dessert has as many variations as there are cooks in Italy. As the colorful colloquialism suggests, its pick-me-up is due to the jolt delivered by espresso and brandy-soaked sponge cake, layered with a lush, buttery combination of mascarpone (an Italian triple cream cheese) and cream, finished with a light dusting of cocoa or finely grated chocolate. Variations feature different liqueurs (rum, marsala), ratio of cake to cream, type of cake (the classic being Savoiardi, Italian ladyfingers), amount of chocolate and plate presentation.
Touring Cincinnati's Italian restaurants, I was convinced I would be buzzing with enough "pick-me-up" to fuel painting my entire apartment. Instead, most were bland and boring, with these notable exceptions:
Barresi's (Deer Park) Odessa Barresi's Tiramisu is a single layer of cake with distinct flavors of espresso, brandy and mascarpone custard. I thought the thick, extra layer of whipped cream on top detracted from the contrast in texture the dessert should have, but overall it was quite good.
Betta's (Mount Lookout) Betta De Luca serves a more traditional, family style version, with equal, thin layers of cake to cream. Great espresso flavor, not too sweet. Yummy.
Buca di Beppo (Norwood/Hyde Park) Wow!! Pick-me-up, indeed! Served family-style for four, this hyper-rich version by Chef Vittorio Renda is my favorite. It delivers a one-two punch of rum and espresso, with house-made ladyfingers and luxuriant mascarpone zabaglione. Perfect cake-to-cream ratio. Orgasmic.
Primavista (Price Hill) Chef Chris Prince serves a more modern, beautifully plated version. It's exquisite and ethereal, with three layers of espresso soaked cake and mascarpone cream. The juicy strawberry on top was a nice contrast to the traditional flavors. Add the great view and romantic setting -- a night of amore is inevitable.
