As I stepped into Pistacia Vera on a gray and humid afternoon, I felt like I was coming home. First I went to visit the sculpture. Have I mentioned how much I like the pistachio sculpture? It really is beyond cool. I have to pay homage every time I visit. All things pistachio reign in the Kingdom of Pistacia Vera. Having done this, I was off to the goodie case.
I was here for the Dine Originals Week offering. How can you not like “Dessert for Two – A Sampling Including”:
Meyer Lemon Tart – Fresh lemon and Meyer lemon curd in a butter shortbread crust
Pistachio Strawberry Dacquoise – Layers of almond and pistachio meringue cake, strawberry French buttercream and pistachio chiboust
Passion Fruit Chambord Truffle – Layers of premium Valrhona Araguani chocolate flourless cake, passion fruit curd and black raspberry buttercream topped with a passion fruit chocolate mousse and Chambord chocolate glaze
Roasted Pistachio Caramel Brownie – Decadent layers of Valrhona Manjari chocolate brownie, roasted pistachios, slated caramel cream and chocolate ganache
Parisian Macaron – Light nut meringue sandwich cookie with buttercream or ganache; your choice of two of our twelve signature flavors
Pate De Fruits – Natural fruit jellies made with fruit puree, pectin and sugar; your choice of two of our seven signature flavors
Almond Apricot Honey Nougat – Handmade fresh nougat with orange blossom honey and almonds and dried apricots
Cashew Caramel – chewy vanilla bean butter caramel with salted cashews
This was a veritable feast for anyone with a serious sweet tooth … and that would so be me! I was extremely excited to get my treasure home, however, I needed to wait for Bob to get home before I even opened it. If I didn’t, how could I explain the empty boxes?
Oh! And that leads me to something else that I love about Pistacia Vera. The packaging! I love the way my treats are put in a box and a ribbon is wrapped around it. The macarons are each placed in their own little cellophane bags. Now that is something. If a sizable purchase is made (which mine usually is) the boxes are put in one of their totally cool bags. I just feel special walking out with my purchase. It makes me smile.
Bob and I were so serious about tasting our platter of confections. We did not take this lightly. Armed with a sharp knife and two little plates, we sat down to tickle our palates. We sliced the first item in half and we relished that before we moved on to the next. We systematically worked our way through the platter. I am not ashamed to say we probably ingested more than our weekly allowance of calories. Again, I am selfless like that. I believe if I am going to blog I might as well do it right. Hips be damned!!!
The Meyer Lemon tart literally danced on my tongue and made my mouth sing. There is just no other way to explain it. What an amazing pleasure! It was my hands-down favorite; surprising coming from a chocolate lover. The Pistachio Strawberry Dacquoise was my second favorite. The flavors just worked so well and the cake was something I would like to find under my pillow every night. Then I would know that I really am the princess that Bob claims I am!
Let me qualify something here; when I say favorite and second favorite, I don’t include the macarons in that. They are freestanding pastries on their very own plane in Pastrydom. They cannot be compared, and they are not to be compared. Please do not be confused, Pistacia Vera’s Parisian Macarons are in a class by themselves. They are totally exempt from any kind of comparison. You with me? Good. Now we can move on.
We know we simply cannot go wrong with the Pate De Fruits. I haven’t met a flavor of these wonderful, fresh tasting fruit jellies that I don’t like.
As well, the Honey Nougat and the Cashew Caramel were awesome. Everything was awesome! Even the tea bag that was sent home with me was awesome!
In addition to the Dine Originals Week sampler I also got a box of a dozen macarons. Yes -- one of each flavor. Little colorful gems that were my very own (and Bob’s; but I can pretend they were all mine). All the different colors and flavors waiting in individual bags for me to slide each one out and try it on … kind of like a fine gemstone ring. Okay, not really. I was going to eat these, after all. But you get the idea. They really are that beautiful and that delicate.
Silly Macarons!
Words cannot describe! Pistacia Vera continues to delight and amaze me every time I visit. As I told you when I started this, it’s a happy place I want to return to again and again.
I wonder if there are special shoes I can click three times that would take me back to Pistacia Vera. Now that would be cool!
Pistacia Vera
541 South 3rd Street
Columbus, OH 43215
614-220-9070
Hmmm, those special shoes, do you suppose they would be pink and sparkly?
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