TERRY’S PICKY PALATE / ‘Man Flowers’ cake and ‘Mandy’s Berry Naughty’ wine at Better Than Sex dessert restaurant
BY TERRY SCHMIDA
You have to hand it to the owners of Better Than Sex.
They’ve hit on a winning formula for a successful restaurant, in a high-rent town where eateries come and go with increasing frequency.
From the lines at the door to the unique, 1930s speakeasy-style interior décor and lighting, this is an establishment that’s definitely going places – most recently to Orlando, for the opening of a second location.
During my visit, General Manager Syd Kerr is eager to have me sample an updated menu item: A chocolate cake dessert called “Man Flowers” that has recently been rejigged for added flavor. For my beverage, he recommends a “Mandy’s Berry Naughty” wine.
“Man Flowers,” so called because of its beer-based appeal to BTS’s male customers, is a feast for the eyes, as well as the taste buds. This dense cake with dark chocolate frosting, and chocolate stout ganache is served with a web of of salty chocolate, shimmering pools of golden caramel, and a side of house-made Irish Cream ice cream.
“Try to eat a little of everything in each bite,” my server Katie Sweeney suggests, and she’s quite correct. The diverse flavors compliment each other perfectly, and the whole is definitely greater than the sum of its parts.
To wash down this sweet and salty magnum opus, I turn to the “Mandy’s Berry Naughty.” This glass of Biutiful Malbec is served in a semi-sweet chocolate-rimmed glass, topped with house-made raspberry sugar. At first I was somewhat taken aback by this pairing of wine and chocolate, but it doesn’t take me long to see the light – and taste the genius behind the idea.
“Biutiful is a dark Argentinian Malbec that goes really well with chocolate,” Kerr tells me. “It can be tricky to pair wine with chocolate, but we’ve generally stuck with the idea that the darker the dessert, the darker wine we serve alongside it. When you taste them together, you get that taste explosion.”
Better Than Sex has been a huge hit in Key West.
To thank customers management now has a late night “Happy Ending Hour,” from 11 a.m. to midnight, with $2 shots, and half-price on select signature drinks, such as “Key Lime Krack,” “The Yum Yum,” and “Caramel ‘Over Me.’”
Come bring your lady (or man) out to Better Than Sex and see what all the buzz is about!
Better Than Sex is open from 6 p.m. to midnight, seven days a week. Reservations recommended.
For more information, call 305-296-8102, or visit http://www.betterthansexkeywest.com/
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