Panna Cotta at Acanto: Sweet of the Week

When "we'll have the crostata" is countered by a waiter with "I would really also suggest getting the panna cotta," my first reaction is typically annoyance. Don't force dessert on me, especially something as dull as panna cotta. The jiggly adult Jell-O is one of my least exciting desserts, right up there with lava cake and flourless chocolate. Not worth my stomach space. But if a server is going to be so bold as to literally insist, I would assume/hope that there is something special about it. Indeed, the panna cotta at Acanto follows suit with the rest of the menu at the new Italian iteration of the former Henri in that the dish is surprising, bracing, thoughtful, and memorable. 

(Panna cotta at Acanto)

Unlike many all-too-sad panna cotta desserts, Acanto's version is firm, rich, and dense, standing up perfectly well to the smattering of cherries and tart cherry soup surrounding it. The silken custard dome is set adrift in the soup, the innate tanginess of which serves to seamlessly counter the creamy qualities in the panna cotta. It's all flecked with a few end-of-season bing cherries, again bringing a burst of fresh tart flavor to the party. To cap it all off, the dessert gets a patina of crumbly, buttery amaretti cookies. A panna cotta that is complex and balanced? This is what it's about. How novel. Now if everyone else would kindly take a cue. 

- Matt Kirouac