Pear Tarts, Beer Ice Cream And Classic French Desserts At Et Voila In The Palisades
Et Voila makes desserts with a bit of hop
At the cozy Palisades bistro Et Voila, it's natural to order wine with your entrées. With a menu of pepper-crusted hanger steak, deep bowls of mussels, and robust onion soup, a bold French red is a perfect choice.
Beer, however, makes its grand appearance on the dessert menu.
Pastry chef Mickael Cornu masters classic French favorites, including crêpes, macarons and a delicate île flottante, but his best dessert brings the bar to the plate.
The pear-frangipane tart (pictured; $8)–the restaurant's autumnal answer to the traditional tarte tatin–is a spread of thinly sliced, caramelized pears nestled in a buttery pastry crust drizzled with ample caramel. Rather than finishing the dish with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla, Cornu tops the pastry with a scoop of Hoegaarden ice cream.
His creamy, hoppy concoction–which showcases the wheat beer's citrusy flavors–cuts the richness of the tart and brings out the pear's subtle sweetness. Cornu combines vanilla beans with the beer to offset the brew's bitter notes; the result is like beer's final frontier.
It's a dessert and an after-dinner drink in one.
Et Voila, 5120 MacArthur Blvd. (between Dana and Edmunds pls.); 202-237-2300 or etvoiladc.com