Banana Split from Officine Panini
I’ve been staring at Officine Panini’s outdoor patio since the day we got to Arezzo. Everyone dining there looked so happy, but I couldn’t tell what kind of cuisine was served. Finally, I decided to pop in for lunch the other day. The menu can be described with one simple word: fresh. But the dessert menu, on the other hand, seemed complex in the best way possible.
I’ve learned to take Italian menus with a grain of salt when an American name is featured. So when I saw a dessert titled “Banana Split,” my interest peaked. The menu described it as dark soft cake, with rum cream, peanut crumble and banana gelato. Unfortunately for me, I didn’t understand that when I ordered, and soon realized it wasn’t the classic American treat. Expecting a pile of ice cream, bananas, whipped cream, and cherries, the whole table stared at the plate in confusion and awe. The dessert was beautiful, there’s no denying that. But the taste is always what I’m more concerned with, and I was not disappointed.
"A fun twist on an American classic." - Grace Terrell
The cake had a texture like no other I had ever tried. It was almost fudgy, and it reminded me of a rich, dark chocolate brownie. The cake was topped with creamy, banana-flavored gelato, which really brought the dish to light. The gelato broke the richness of the cake, giving it a classic and bright flavor combination. Not to be forgotten is the peanut crumble sprinkled on the cake and gelato. This brought a salty component to the rich and sweet banana chocolate delight. I would dare say it was better than my previous interpretation of a banana split, and I would order it again and again!
Storyteller: Grace Terrell
Editor: Haden Mock
Photographer: Noelle Stark
Comentarios