the prize! A single blackberry garnished that brittle browned sugar crust, which makes the dish! Underneath was a luxurious dark thick custard oozing strong coffee essence. The not-too-sweet custard was just made for the crackly topping. What’s new? Aside from the new rug, Carrol’s Creek is now a 100 percent tree nut- and peanut-free facility. They are currently working on making the bar beverages nut-free as well. Gluten-free is also designated on the menu. Business is booming, so reservations are suggested. Owner Jeff Jacobs, son of Carrol’s Creek Cafe’s founding father Joseph Jacobs, claims it’s great to be back and rolling again with vaccinations calming the storm. He noted, “We’re grateful to bring our employees back and thrilled to see our customers again!” Pan Seared Scallops looked intriguing, with mascarpone, gruyere cheese, tasso ham risotto, a sautéed vegetable trio of red peppers, snow peas, and bean sprouts, and chive truffle oil. It was also designated gluten-free. However, thinking back to all of those shared happy hours with lamb chops, oysters, and tuna as the stars, I decided to rearrange my “main” by ordering little plates. They are still offering those divine popsicle lamb chops, so the appetizer portion would now be my entree with the Beet Salad alongside. Small plates were the way for me on this night. One could wax eloquent about the lamb dish for quite a few reasons. One is that excellent lamb is an infrequent menu item. Another is
that the sauce complements the meat perfectly but could also stand alone as a show stopping dip/spread. My other small plate, Beet Salad, arrived in a colorful assemblage with two grand beet slices riding the top. A twoinch ball of rich moist burrata (fresh mozzarella ball around a creamy filling) floated on the side while fresh orange segments and red tomato wedges topped the ruffled red/green leaf baby lettuces. Tossed with the lettuce, the dressing conveyed a hint of sweetness sans oil. Even on a warm summer’s eve, the Cioppino called. This dish is loaded with fileted fish, mussels, clams, and shrimp and, remarkably, each was perfectly
cooked, as though each had been added one by one to achieve just the right cooking time. Definitely ideal timing. Although a squeeze of lemon would have been mighty fine, the sauce had an almost indescribable quality—a mellow “low-acid” flavor. The petite baguette served with the dish was tempting us to ask for more of the focaccia served with the Beef Carpaccio, as we didn’t want to leave a drop of the excellent tomato basil sauce that let the fish star. It was perfectly balanced. Carrol’s Creek Cafe is a celebratory restaurant. Make sure to tell your server if it’s a birthday. I was given my choice of dessert rather than just receiving a slice of cake. Espresso Creme Brûlée was
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