Lunch at Mariposa




We had our final bit of culinary indulgence this past weekend since my vacation officially came to an end. That means cholesterol & calories will now start counting again. The Mrs originally wanted to try The Fat Greek at the Ala Moana food court but decided upon Mariposa at Neiman Marcus. I originally intended on having some type of seafood so I ordered a glass of the Livio Felluga Pinot Grigio but ended up having the Flat Iron Steak on mixed greens with a lilikoi and mustard vinaigrette with fresh figs and bleu cheese. The meat was slightly undercooked - I like medium rare though it was closer to rare (which didn't bother me since I also enjoy carpaccio and tartare which is as rare as they come). The vinaigrette nicely cut through the fattiness of the cheese and richness of the beef though the 3 quarters of fig didn't even equal a whole fig. The Isole e Olena Chianti was a nice complement to the beef salad.


The Mrs selected the Crispy Moi on pasta with marinara and fresh clams. The clams were good but after having them fresh (2 days after harvest) in Washington, that food memory will be hard to beat. And I never had moi that I didn't like - no wonder it previously was reserved exclusively for Hawaiian royalty.


We didn't intend on having dessert but the offerings couldn't be resisted. The Mrs had a Pumpkin Mousse on pecan crust with maple cream which was outstanding - especially since this time of the year is pumpkin season.


However, my Valrhona Mocha Brulee with Caramel Corn totally blew other great desserts I tasted in the past OUT OF THE WATER! For starters, Valrhona chocolate totally rocks then add it to coffee with a caramelized sugar coating.... Then to gild the lily, they place caramel corn on top so that the crunch of the corn contrasts the silky brulee and the salt balances the creamy richness. TOTALLY ROCKS! We told our server that this dessert should be a regular on the dessert menu.


I had a glass of Vintage Port with the brulee but for the first time, dessert totally overshadowed the wine...

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