Matcha Cheesecake/The Informalist
Before you continue reading this post, click on the YouTube link below and let it play in the background as you finish:
It’s the Waltz In C# Minor, Op. 64, No. 2 by Frédéric Chopin. The main section of the piece is on one of the walls of The Informalist in downtown Eau Claire; I’ve played it a few times (gingerly so), and it’s kinda neat to have that in your head as you eat and take in the ambience.
Part of the eating includes, of course, dessert. My wife and I recently returned there for dinner, and we decided to split our dessert. She made the choice, and it’s something not even on the menu by the time you read this: Matcha Cheesecake:
Why would I highlight a dessert that you cannot currently enjoy? Well, for one, it was on the menu when I *was* there and is certainly worthy of review. Secondly, it gives you an idea of the different type of dessert you will find at The Informalist.
(Still playing the video of that Chopin piece?)
The Lismore Bakery — if you didn’t know, The Informalist is the main restaurant at The Lismore hotel — makes all of the desserts on the menu. The version we could peruse happened to have many vegetarian, gluten-free, and/or plant-based options, and all looked scrumptious. My wife’s ultimate dessert is any type of cheesecake, so the Matcha Cheesecake was clearly going to be her choice on this occasion.
As you can see in the above photos, it was a round cheesecake, and while it looks small, there’s really a lot there. This one was topped with a slightly tart raspberry curd, and crushed pistachios laid upon the curd on the plate. The cheesecake itself had the classic texture of the entrée, but with that matcha green tea flavoring (albeit not in an overwhelming manner). The cheesecake rested upon a graham cracker pistachio crust; you could see bits of pistachio embedded within. This is the type of dessert where you take small bits and focus on the interaction of flavors. You must savor the balance of three areas of taste (tangy, nutty, and a bit bitter).
Like I noted, this is now off the menu: after ordering, or server told us that it was to be imminently replaced by a seasonally appropriate transition: pumpkin cheesecake. The menu will continue to evolve, so you have extra reason to return to The Informalist and try desserts much different from what you will ordinarily find in the Chippewa Valley. And no matter the option, you’ll always have Chopin’s Waltz in C# Minor to accompany your sweet bliss.