A Perfect Pair

When I'm not indulging in "fancy" food or enjoying ethnic eats, nothing beats the reliable combination of pizza and ice cream (or custard).

I kicked off May's custards with Flan Wednesday. It was not what I expected; the most notable aspect of this flavor was the surprising presence of lemon zest. When I think of flan, I think of an eggy flavor with notes of caramel or cinnamon, which was present in the custard. You'd think cinnamon and lemon would clash, but they both seem to fall along the same spot on the sweet scale and together helped to make this flavor interesting and unique.

My day ended with a stop at Artichoke Pizza, a place that I'd heard about but felt had to be reserved for just such an occasion, a late-night snack stop. It's a tiny space that at the hours nearing the next day seems to perpetually have a line out the door. There are only four types of slices. I had to get the signature artichoke slice for $4. Although it's on the expensive side for a slice, this was a giant, thick triangle well worth the price. This is smoking hot spinach-artichoke dip slathered on crusty bread. Despite burning the roof of my mouth off with the first bite, I couldn't make myself wait for it to cool off; I plowed through the creamy, salty goodness while standing at the skinny counter along the wall before my stomach could register just how filling it was. A full day of getting full and ending full.