Co Co. Sala
Wednesday, June 16, 2010 at 12:51PM Having made a foodie double-date with fellow food bloggers Kim and CC of DCWrappedDates, we were burdened with the weighty decision of where to go on our first joint food adventure. After a lengthy process of whittling down a list of about 150 places (I'm an intense list-maker), we settled on Co Co. Sala, recently awarded Favorite Restaurant in a reader/online poll at the 2010 Rammy awards. Co Co. Sala offers solid small plates, creative cocktails, and a swanky atmosphere - but their menu is focused around their finely crafted desserts. Great for a girls' (or guys') night out, bachelorette parties or date night, Co Co. Sala offers three and five-course dessert options and even spices- or shall we say, 'sweetens'?- up their savory dishes with subtle notes of chocolate.
The dark interior of the restaurant announces its intentions from the outset - rich brown hues dominate the front dining room and whet your anticipation for dessert. We were led through this chocolate-tinted expanse into a separate dining room (below, right), decked out in lush reds and oranges. The decor provides a modern lounge-y vibe that makes perfect sense given the demographics of the crowd hanging out at the bar.
While two food bloggers may be more inconspicuous, four of us snapping pictures and taking notes was a quick giveaway. For maybe the first time since we started reviewing restaurants, we were outed as food bloggers and shaking hands with the manager, Miloud Elattaoui and Executive Chef Santosh Tiptur before our drinks even hit the table. We congratulated them on their recent Rammy victory and in return were given a few insider suggestions.
We couldn't visit Co Co. Sala without trying a couple of the restaurant's signature drinks. The ladies both opted for the Co Cojito (below, left), made with Van Gough chocolate infused vodka, fresh mint and limes, and dark chocolate flakes. Like a traditional mojito, the drink was refreshingly light, and not as overly sweet as one might think given the chocolate elements. Angela - who tends to skip out on the sweets- was quite the fan, but didn't mind trying the richer and sweeter concoction that Kim and I ordered. The "MMM" malted milk martini was made with Stoli vanilla, Bailey's, and malted chocolate and went down more like a frothy milk shake than a cocktail.
The kitchen sent out a complimentary dish, the four cheese fritters (below), with gruyere, fontina, parmesan, and Amish cheeses making the familiar a little fancier. The fritters, while fairly conventional, were good, crisp on the outside, and more complex than your typical fried cheese sticks on the inside. However, our favorite part of the dish was the accompanying chipotle, chocolate, and tomato crema sauce. It sounds weird, but was an interesting and tasty combination of smokey, sweet, tart, and creamy. While a chocolate lounge could easily take their concept over-the-top (and to a contextually enjoyable degree, it does) Co Co. Sala makes sure to use only a touch of sweetness here, and a chocolate accent there. Think less death-by-chocolate and more temporary-comatoseness-by-chocolate.
The pan-seared scallops (below, left), had a cocoa nib (roasted cocoa beans) crust and a maple citrus glaze, and were served with a celery root puree, and topped with sliced lotus root. While the scallops were a little overdone and slightly underseasoned, the dish still had a nice combination of flavors and textures - particularly in the smoothness of the puree and the slight sweet citrus of the glaze.
The bacon mac & cheese, made with orchiette (ear-shaped) pasta and four cheeses (below, left), was recommended as one of the restaurant's more popular dishes and it was definitely one of the favorites at our table. Without being too creamy, the mac & cheese is rich and cheesy with a great crunchy topping. But its most winning attribute is the chocolate covered bacon that it wears like a crown. Co Co. Sala accents many of its dishes with chocolate flavors, but the chocolate bacon in this dish is a bold success. With seemingly nothing in common, these Perfect Strangers move in together and form a sweet and savory bond that makes us want to do the dance of joy. Chocolate, Bacon, and Cheese have no business fraternizing, you say? Don't be ridiculous!
The other savory star of the night was the artichoke tart (below), served with tomato confit and a tangy truffle and tarragon vinaigrette. The artichoke was delicately cradled by a crust so flaky, light and fresh-from-the-oven soft that our teeth literally sank into it.
Everyone at the table seemed most excited for the lamb slider trio, (below) made with coconut and curry organic lamb and topped with a baby corn and lime yogurt creme. The lamb was nicely cooked, and the bread was well-proportioned (nothing worse than too much bread!), but the coconut and curry flavors were a little more restrained than in our favorite lamb sliders. Still, the dish landed solidly, if not spectacularly. The sliders came with rosemary and parmesan fries (see above) which were a competent vehicle for the sauce featured with the cheese fritters earlier in the meal.
Our last savory dish of the night was the Alaskan black cod (below), honey marinated with a bee pollen crust. The cod was accompanied by a lemon lime & asparagus risotto. Angela seemed to like the dish better than everyone else, although she agreed that the cod was just a bit fishy and plain. Perhaps expecting something more exotic, none of us seemed to able to pick the taste of the incognito bee pollen out of a line-up. We did enjoy the tangy, buttery bed of rice in which it was nestled, but we were all getting dangerously close to full and we still had the headlining dessert menu to tackle.
Finally, the sweet part of the evening! Everyone decided on a glass of port, while Mark went with a frozen peanut butter "co co" (below, left). The restaurant is also recognized for having fantastic hot chocolates and flavored milkshakes like this. I was worried the fancy milkshake would combine with my three-course dessert to overwhelm me with too much of a good thing, but the milkshake was delicious, subtle and willing to hang back in the entourage of the real A-listers.
Our 3-course dessert experience began with the churros (below, right). It's pretty difficult to screw up churros (everything tastes better fried!), and Co Co. Sala did not disappoint. They were tasty, light, and well complemented by a thick chocolate sauce. After polishing off our respective churros, each of us independently discovered the potential for spooning and slurping the sauce on its own. There was a brief moment of shame as each person looked up, shame-faced, recognized that he/she wasn't the only one, and continued sucking down the chocolate-liquid crack.
Angela went with the "Basil & Berry Shortcake," plated over top fresh strawberries, lemon mascarpone cream, basil foam, before being topped with a cocoa nib crunch. This may have been the favorite sweet bite of the night - light, fresh, and balanced out with just the right amount of sweet.
Staying true to form, I got the "Nutty But Nice" (below, left), a combination of peanut butter cheesecake with milk chocolate and peanut brittle crunch, a PB & J praline, and rum caramel bananas & chocolate. The dish may have even pushed me to my limits. The peanut butter and jelly flavors were a nice combo with the fresh banana. In my defense, the cheesecake was flamboyantly rich, but there may or may not have been a tingle of emasculation in my eyes when I realized I couldn't finish it all.
Our sugar-binge concluded with the petit fours, a pairing of two chocolates each. I think this is why they tell you not to top off the tank at the gas pump. Putting even two more tiny chocolates into our mouths at this point was like a cruel experiment in stomach physics. The first bite was a Passion Fruit explosion, while the second was an Earl Gray (below, right)- a subtle flavor you wouldn't have noticed had it not been pointed out.
We had a great time at Co Co. Sala, with wonderful company and an eager to please staff. (As a matter of full disclosure, the cheese fritters, a handshake from the chef de cuisine and a round of chocolate-espresso shots were all complimentary.) We may have received specific attention from our server and the staff at Co Co. Sala, but from all accounts, ours was not a singular experience - the owners and management make it a point to do all in their power to make sure customers have a good experience, including holding customer appreciation events. We can easily see why Co Co. Sala ranks so high in customer esteem.
D.C., Dessert in Reviews: On The Town
Reader Comments (7)
I like CoCo Sala, though being allergic to chocolate, I am a bit limited as far as what I can eat there ;-)
Oh no! Without the Co Co... it's just Sala. And that's not as fun for anyone.
I went there a couple of times and have love their food and decor. I love how their little chairs are perfect for someone around the 5' mark because most furniture just aren't made for short people in mind.
Ok, back to food, one of my favourite things to do, even though I'm not a chocolate person, is their chocolate sampling. The spectrum of chocolate from dark to white and in hard, semi hard, and liquid form may seem unfilling but is so dense and heavy it's pretty filling.
Lastly, chocolate bacon FTW. This place is awesome. I have to try some of things you've ordered. yumz.
Debb-
Yay for little chairs made for short people! I didn't even think about it at the time, but you are very right.
I wouldn't mind going back one night after dinner for JUST dessert and doing that sampling. That sounds awesome. And the chocolate bacon was really very good - I'm thinking of trying to make it at home sometime soon...
I'm glad that you guys enjoyed it and also went with my recommendation of the lamb sliders!!
Some beautifully presented dishes there. Your photo's make all the difference to the reviews! Keep up the good work :)
Thanks! It can be sort of a pain (and a little embarrassing) to take pictures all the time, but I totally agree - it makes all the difference. My favorite food blogs are the ones where I can actually SEE what the dishes look like (makes it easier to tell if I'd like to go there).