There's not even a rule for this

Specially-made S'mores on Mauna Lani beach.  6:30 pm.  Pre-dinner.

Happy girls anticipating the amuse bouche.

Half way through.  Water and napkins requested.

Graham crackers denuded of their chocolate and marshmallow.

Is it too much to have a dessert-first rule for Hawaiian sunsets?  No?

The Birthday Girl's Prerogative

Rule # 5: On birthdays, the celebrant may choose to have dessert first.

Except on her 7th birthday, Anna decided that she would rather enjoy her celebratory dessert in its traditional place.  Chelsea's Cookshop candy bar was so worth the wait: devil's food cake, gianduja crunch, praline ganache, frozen peanut nougate, all lovingly dipped in a chocolate shell.

Then again, Anna got a second bite at the proverbial apple...in the form of a desserty breakfast or a breakfasty dessert.  On the day after her birthday, we brunched at Isabella's on Columbus Ave.  I'm not sure which rule this falls under, but the menu featured waffles with vanilla ice cream and raspberry mousse.  So, she got it and we all tasted it and all was right with the world.  Happy birthday, Anna!

This is not a blog for dieters

It all started with a raspberry sorbet.  It was a palate cleanser served in between the soup and the main course.  But, of course, to the girls this looked like a dessert.  And so, we asked ourselves, why does anyone wait until the end of a meal for dessert at all?

Thus began our quest for desserts to savor during the meal.  Not necessarily a palate cleanser (although there's nothing wrong with clean, bright flavors, and we are big fans of the traditional lemon sorbet).  That whole savory-sweet thing is still in culinary vogue, right?  What about some apple crisp along side your bbq ribs and mashed potatoes?  Or a slice of chocolate ganache cake with your chicken mole?  We're just sayin'...it's worth considering.

Now, before you start to worry that our parenting skills have run amuck, there are rules.  Eating dessert before the main meal is only triggered by a few limited scenarios:

1.  If the dessert is displayed in the front of the restaurant, we get dessert first.  It's practically an attractive nuisance.
2.  If the dessert menu is offered on top of the regular menu, we get dessert first.  Same rationale.
3.  If a dessert is included in the name of the restaurant, we get dessert first.  A test of truth in advertising.
4.  If the first table in the restaurant is eating dessert, we get dessert first.  We don't have a good explanation for this rule. 
5.  On birthdays, the celebrant may choose to have dessert first.  Of course.
6.  Rules 1-5 are subject to parental approval.  See, there are rules.

Let's get started:  On our recent trip to Tahoe, we had a long day of skiing in fresh, powdery snow (well, Daddy and the girls did; Mommy stayed in the hotel room to work).  You could say we deserved a little something special.  So, we ambled up to Austin's homey one-room restaurant and there -- right at the front door -- was a fresh cherry pie with a beautiful crumble crust.  Invoke Rule #1.

Our waitress was a little surprised when we asked immediately for a slice of pie with extra forks.  But she recovered.  The pie was warm and sweet but not too sweet and very, very fine.  And we tried to just take one bite and then wait for our orders of homemade meatloaf and chicken fried chicken.  But it was no good.  We're not that strong.  We finished it all up in 3 minutes, maybe less.  And it was so worth it.